KU Lights Tech and Rule Book

Welcome!

Please make sure that you read and understand all of the tech and rule book requirements before you register for an event. Your car must pass tech before you are allowed to drive on track.

Drivers Meeting!

All drivers are to be at the drivers meetings before we start driving. We will not do personal drivers meetings if you are late. We will close the gate before the drivers meeting and will not allow any late drivers participate in the event. There will be no refunds due to being late.

Safety Requirements!

Fire Extinguishers

Up-to-date Fire Extinguishers are required for all cars. Must be securely mounted via a metal bracket away from the airbag. Extinguishers should be mounted within reach of the driver while seated with seatbelt/harness on.

Driver Seats and Helmets

Need to be safe and secure. All mounting hardware must be used. Seats cannot rock back and forth. DOT Full Face or ¾ Helmets are Required! (No motocross style helmets, Half shell or Velcro helmet straps are allowed

Cages and Roll Bars

Roll cages are NOT mandatory. Roll bars are mandatory for any convertible that is participating if they do not have a hard top.

Vehicle Requirements

  • Rear tires are restricted to 235 width and minimum 300TW

  • Exhaust must exit behind the rear wheels of the vehicle. Hood exhaust dumps are not allowed. Most vehicles will need muffler, resonator or silencer to abide by SpeedSportz’s noise level requirements.

  • Pit Speed is 5MPH and there should be no revving in the pits. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the event.

  • No “pop” or “burble” tunes allowed.

  • All vehicle panels must be installed on car and must all be painted the same color. Please bring a presentable car that you are proud of!

  • Absolutely no leaks coming from the vehicle.

  • Battery must be tied down with a metal bracket. Factory style bracket is preferred.

  • Positive battery covers must be covered with rubber cover. Tape will not pass.

  • No missing lug nuts or broken studs.

  • Power steering and Brake Master reservoirs must have a socks

  • No glass or plastic bottles for catch cans or overflows

  • Vehicle must have front and rear tow hooks

  • Working headlights and taillights are required for any night events.

  • No drift trucks or drift karts

Knuckle Up reserves the right to stop a car from driving at any time during an event, including, but not limited to any tech violations or to re-inspect a vehicle for track-worthiness before, during and after the event or a collision.

KU Lights 2026 Judging and Criteria

KU Lights is a Texas-based grassroots drift series built to highlight driver skill, consistency, and competition at the highest level. The series features 32 selected drivers competing across three unique events, each designed to push drivers to their limits both individually and in tandem competition.

Drawing inspiration from D1SL and now D1 Lights , KU Lights maintains strict tire regulations with a 235 maximum rear tire width and a minimum 300 treadwear requirement, creating a more balanced and competitive field.

Valino Tires is giving all KU Lights drivers a discount. That discount will be emailed to you after registering for the event.

At every round, drivers battle for prizes and valuable championship points that determine the season rankings. By the end of the series, the top drivers will battle for the championship and who will be crowned the series champion.

Points are awarded after every round and will be tiered as following:

• 1st Place: 100 points 

• 2nd Place: 84 points 

• 3rd Place: 74 points 

• 4th Place: 65 points 

• 5th–8th Place: 56 points each 

• 9th–16th Place: 42 points each 

• 17th–32nd Place: 28 points each 

Cash prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for each round. Valino tires will give 1st, 2nd and 3rd place additional discounts on tires. If 1st, 2nd and 3rd place have Valino stickers on their quarter panels, they will receive an additional discount on tires. Series champion will win some Valino tires as well as additional KU prizes.

Each round bracket will be randomly generated.

Each round, we will be driving a different layout. We will discuss zones and judges expectations in the drivers’ meeting for each round.

There will be 3 judges at every round and will judge Angle, Speed, Line, Proximity and Driving Style.

Penalties and Deductions will be determined by tires off track, spinning, failure to maintain drift, and etc.

Each battle will consist of 1 lead ruin and 1 chase run with drivers switching roles after each run.

We will have only 1 One More Time per battle for the sake of time.

There are no Petitions and no 5 Minute Time Outs.