The brief notes below are intended to provide you with the basic information you need to help you start racing with us and let you know what your obligations are when competing in events run by the club.
Club Membership Membership is open to all and will commence from the date of each member's first race meeting. There is a £25.00 annual membership fee for Adults and a £15.00 Fee for Children, payable not later than your third race meeting. This fee covers your Affiliated Membership of the British Radio Car Association (BRCA), the governing body of all radio controlled model car racing in the U.K. BRCA membership provides each member with insurance cover, the Association Handbook containing the latest construction and racing rules, regular delivery of their newsletter 'Circuit Chatter', plus a BRCA competition license. This enables the holder to compete at all BRCA events during the current year.
Weekly race fees are as follows: - Members under 16 and Over 70 is £4.00: Adults are £8.00 and. If you wish to enter another class then there is an addition £3 for adults and £1 Children or Over 70's fee for each class you add.
The hall opens at 6:30pm for track assembly. Drivers should arrive as soon as possible after 6:30pm and assist in assembling the track and equipment before preparing their cars for racing. The track should be built by 7:30pm to enable everyone to practice. If it is not, practice will be cancelled to enable a prompt start to racing and a level playing field for every driver. Booking-in is completed online and you can find the process here. Is it important that everyone intending to race books-in promptly so that the Meeting Secretary has time to organise the heats before racing commences. Drivers arriving on the day cannot be guaranteed an entry to the meeting, particularly if the number of entrants is high. We are available by Email, Facebook or phone, so if you think you will be late or unable to attend let us know.
We plan to start racing at 7:30pm and we aim for a minimum of four races for each driver per meeting consisting of two qualifying heats and two finals. We also expect all adults (without young children) to help clear up and put the track away at the end of racing. Everyone should fold up his or her tables and dispose of any rubbish before leaving.
All races are timed electronically via small transponders carried in each car which we have available for loan for those you do not have your own. Each race normally lasts 5 minutes and at the end of each race there is a 20-second time period, during which all cars should keep running and attempt to pass the finish line. As each car passes the finish during this 20-second period the time between the race end signal and each car passing the finish line is recorded. The race result will be based on the number of laps completed plus the elapsed time after 5 minutes. If two or more cars complete the same number of laps, the car with the shortest elapsed time is the winner. If there is a dispute about the result, the Race Controllers' decision will be final.
Currently the club caters for 1/12th GT cars and 1/12th Mardave Mini’s. Cars from other classes may be permitted to race at the discretion of the Meeting Secretary, but their results will not count towards any Championship or Trophy meeting. All cars should conform to the rules of the British Radio Car Association in respect to dimensions, weight and body. (The Club Secretary has a copy of the BRCA rules if required for clarification.) Detailed rules specific to class are issued with the programme for each of our Championships. Remember, whatever you class the use of reverse is banned and must never be used.
All competitors not using 2.4 GHz radios must have at least two sets of crystals although more are desirable; especially for drivers with 27 MHz radios. Should there be a conflict of frequencies; priority will be given to drivers with at least two or more frequencies to choose from. Drivers with a single frequency may then be faced with losing their evening's racing. It is the responsibility of drivers to keep the Meeting Secretary informed of any new frequencies they acquire, or old ones no longer in use, so that accurate records can be maintained. This significantly helps the Meeting Secretary to organise the heats quickly, to the benefit of everyone. All cars must be clearly numbered (on the front windscreen) with the number allocated by the Race Controller and fitted with the corresponding radio crystal. Failure to do so will exclude you from the race. A painted bodyshell must be securely fitted when practising and racing. Transponders will be issued to each driver (who do not possess their own) just before the start of their race. These must be fitted inside the bodyshell windscreen with a spring clip and must be returned immediately after each race to Race Control.
When the Race Controller calls drivers for their race they should place their car on the track, check that drivers in the previous race have switched off their transmitters, then switch on other own transmitter and car and quickly take up their position on the rostrum. Only 2 minutes is allowed between races to ensure that at least two full rounds of qualifying and finals can be completed during the evening. The Race Controller does not delay race starts for late comers and will start races after 2 minutes, whether or not all competitors are ready. 'Live' transmitters must not be taken onto the track during the race, or close to race control before or during a race. Please ensure that your transmitter is turned off when you return it and your car to your table after your race. No one likes interference!
Drivers are expected to race fairly and not deliberately cut out part of the track in order to gain advantage over other competitors. Where a part of the track is missed inadvertently, drivers should wait until they can re-join the race in their previous position. If the Race Controller judges that a driver has gained position through a deliberate act of corner cutting, he may deduct an appropriate number of laps from the drivers' score for that race. Similarly, deliberately pushing another competitor off the track in order to gain advantage will also result in a deduction of laps or, in extremely blatant cases, disqualification from the meeting. It is accepted that racing accidents will happen and that inadvertent contact with other cars may result in advantage being gained. If this occurs, drivers are expected to wait for the other competitor's car to regain the track and then re-join the race in their previous position. If your car stops on the main straight, warn following drivers by calling ‘Car on straight’ to reduce the risk of a collision.
Good race manners also require drivers who are being lapped by a faster competitor to allow those drivers past at the earliest convenient opportunity. Deliberately blocking faster drivers for more than a lap may also result in penalty laps being deducted from a drivers' race score. The Race Controller will be responsible for race discipline and will make the decision on whether or not to apply a penalty to any driver after an alleged incident has occurred. In doing so, he may consult the race marshals and other drivers to assist in making his decision, which will be final.
This is not everyone's favourite job but it is essential, and an inherent part of model car racing. In order to ease the stress of marshalling we will always plan to have a gap between your race and when you need to marshal, for example on a 4 heat meeting if you are in heat 1 then you will have your race and then marshal heat 3 giving you a time gap between racing marshalling and car preparation, on a 6 heat meeting if you are in heat 1 then you will have your race and then marshal heat 5 giving you a larger time gap between racing marshalling and the same 1 race gap for car preparation. The marshal points should be clearly marked out by cones with exception of marshal points 9 and 10 which cover the middle of the two ends of the track. The 4 main marshalling points are at the 4 corners of the track, the rest cover the middle of the track one each side of the rostrum and then the same opposite.
All marshals should be in their correct position within 1 minute of the race start and your marshal position is the same as your car number. (Remember that a slow turnout of marshals holds up the programme and may result in races being lost at the end of the evening.) The Race Controller will check that all marshals are in position before starting each race and will call for any missing marshal by name. Remember that having a car problem is no excuse for not marshalling. If you do need time to work on your car, find a fellow racer who is willing to marshal for you, and then clear his substitution with race control. Failure to do so could result in your disqualification from the meeting.
We all need alert and active marshals when we race so make sure that you marshal other cars with the same speed and efficiency you expect from the marshals when you are racing. Take extra care when dealing with a car in difficulties not to obstruct other cars. Ensure that the track is clear before attempting to move a stranded car, and avoid replacing it on the track in a position where it is likely to be hit by another. Always try to replace cars on the track at the point they left it and then leave the track promptly to avoid obstructing the drivers view. As a general rule repairs should not be carried out on the track broken cars should be passed to the driver and only if practicable. However, marshals may, provided they do not put other competitors at a disadvantage, undertake minor repairs, such as the replacement of a disconnected track-rod or a dislodged body. If a car has left the track and needs the assistance of a marshal, drivers MUST NOT use their throttle or steering while the marshal is holding the car. Wait until it has been replaced on the track and the way ahead is clear before applying power to continue.