RALLYCROSS

March 31, 2008

BRCA Rallycross Rules 2008

1/8TH RALLYCROSS RULES - 2008

1. AIMS

To provide a uniform format for 1/8th scale off-road racing cars to compete with one another on an open National basis. The intention is to encompass all commercially available 1/8th scale cars, yet still encourage invention and innovation with the aim of developing the hobby by allowing one-off home constructed cars, and modifications of kit products.

2. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

A: Dimensions
[a] Overall length 730mm maximum.
[b] Overall width 310mm maximum.
[c] Wheelbase 270-330mm.
[d] Minimum overall weight: 2WD - 2.5 kilos, 4WD - 3.0 kilos. (The overall weight includes personal transponder and receiver pack, but not fuel).
[e] Overall height measured from the ground including rollbar at full suspension compression 250mm maximum. [This measurement does not include the receiver aerial.]
[f] The car shall be measured for width by placing it on a baseboard equipped with two side rails of 20mm height spaced 310mm apart constructed in such a way that the car can roll freely between them. Baseboard and rails must be constructed of high quality board suitably stiffened to prevent distortion. The car must roll freely between the side rails with any steerable wheels set in the straight ahead position irrespective of the compression, extension or roll angle of the suspension.
[g] The car shall be measured for length and height in a similarly constructed box of internal dimensions 730 x 310mm, which includes provision for checking maximum height.
[h] The measurement of the wheel base may be made by simple measurement of axle centre distances with the suspension in any position. Race Directors should be prepared to make more exact checks in case of doubt or protest. It is suggested that the wheels are removed and the spindles placed on blocks whilst accurate measurements are made.
[i] It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that his car complies with the regulations at all times that it is on the track. Race Organisers may check any car for compliance with the regulations at any time during a race meeting.
[j] At the end of each qualification heat, all cars (together with fuel bottle) are to be taken to scruitineering immediately. This applies to all cars that have participated at any time during the race. Cars need to be taken before the one minute to start signal for the next heat or in the case of the final heat of qualifying and for any finals, this needs to be one minute from being requested by the Race Organiser/Committee Official. See Rule 15. Cars should be available for collection at the end of the following race.
[k] If a car is found to exceed the dimension limits on checking immediately after a race, positive proof of race damage may prevent penalty.
B: Engines
[a] Only internal combustion engines with a maximum capacity of 3.5 cubic centimetres are allowed.
[b] A fuel tank capacity of 125 cubic centimetres maximum including all piping tubes and filter up to the carburetor is allowed.
[c] Exhaust noise levels should not exceed those set out by EFRA.
[d] All silencers are to point downwards, i.e. anywhere below the horizontal, and must meet EFRA approved regulations, appear on the most up to date EFRA homologation listing (available on request) or as a minimum have been approved on the homologation listing from EFRA as at 01/10/2007.
C: Tyres
[a] All tyres must be black, with the exception of side wail lettering.
[b] Tyres must be commercially available.
[c] It is not permitted to reduce the diameter or width of a tyre by cutting material out. Trimming of spikes is allowed.
D: Wings
A wing of maximum overall size 217mm length x 77mm width may be fitted.

3. APPEARANCE

[a] Cars shall be a reasonable representation of the style of car used for off-road, desert or trial racing.
[b] Full bodyshells of saloon style are permitted, but they may only be trimmed to expose 50% of the tyres at full suspension depression.
[c] Openings may be cut in the shell to allow access to fuel filler, switch and engine adjustments. Clearance around such items shall be kept to a minimum.
[d] Bodyshells as described in [c] need not conform to scale but should conform to the provisions of EFRA rules. Acceptance of a saloon bodyshell by another EFRA or BRCA section shall be deemed to imply approval by the Rallycross Section for racing purposes.

4. RADIO CONTROL EQUIPMENT

[a] It is the responsibility of all drivers to ensure that their equipment does not cause interference to others, and that their receiver is not faulty.
[b] Only BRCA approved frequencies are to be used. Any driver using a 2.4 GHz system cannot call for a frequency check at any time.
[c] On the day of the meeting, drivers must be able to provide all five crystal choices that have been agreed with the Entry Secretary via the Championship Registration Form, or any subsequent alterations that have been agreed.
[d] Flags shall not be used on aerials during races.
[e] Under no circumstances shall a transmitter be taken on to the track.
[f] All frequency changes must be approved by Race Control.
[g] It is not permitted to add any additional nicad or dry cell batteries to a transmitter either internally or externally to raise the designed supply voltage above the original manufacturer's design specification, i.e. a six cell transmitter may not be fitted with more than 6 cells, either nicad or dry cell, also any 8 cell transmitter may not be fitted with more than 8 cells, etc. No additional aerial or extension should be added to the driver's radio equipment.
[h] No other function than steering and throttle/brake are allowed to be operated by the transmitter. No electronic device can operate within the car other than the two channels back to the transmitter, a fail safe, a switch and a personal transponder.

5. ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

[a] Championship Registration and Meeting Entry Forms should be distributed
via the Section's publications, may be obtained from the Entry Secretary, or the BRCA Rallycross website. Registration Forms must be fully completed and submitted to the Entry Secretary before, or at the same time as Meeting Entry Forms are processed. This includes a minimum of five alternative crystal choices which the driver MUST be able to provide at the meeting.
[b] Entries are to be sent with the entry fee of £15.00 [£10.00 Juniors] direct to the Entry Secretary. A separate Entry Form MUST be sent for EACH meeting. The entrant's BRCA number MUST be given on the entry form. Entries for the two day National Meeting are to be sent with an entry fee of £25.00 [£16.00 Juniors]. Entries will close on the Monday prior to the meeting and late entries will be charged at double the standard fee. All cash payments made on the day of the meeting are deemed to be late entries and incur additional charges as such.
[c] The entry fee for any driver that withdraws from an event that he/she has entered will still be collected as if that person has been entered. In exceptional cases this charge may be waived, but the decision of the committee is final.
[d] On submitting the first entry of the season, the driver should also send a cheque for £50, which will be a non-refundable deposit incurred in the event of a no-show without notification (see rule 5e). In the event that a driver attends all the meetings he/she enters (or adheres to the notification in rule 5e) then that deposit will not be incurred. Written appeals will be allowed for exceptional cases, but the decision of the committee is final.
[e] If a driver is expecting to not attend or fails to show at an event at which he/she has entered, that person will be refused entry to the next two National meetings that the same person enters, unless notification of non-appearance is given by telephone directly to the Entry Secretary, no later than Monday prior to the day of the event. The entry fee will also be collected as if that person had been entered.
[f] In the event of more than 126 entries being received for a meeting, entries will be accepted in the order received, using the postmark as the date of entry.
[g] All drivers entering a meeting must ensure that they, and any pit crew that supports them, bring their own luminous jacket. These need to be fluorescent yellow in colour. Failure to wear the required jacket would mean no entrance to the track vicinity [including the pit lane].
[h] Entrants will be required to provide proof of BRCA membership. Any driver, marshal or mechanic that will be within the track vicinity [including the pit lane] at any time, must be a BRCA member.
[i] Drivers are to sign in by the start of practice so as to notify race organisers that they are competing on the day. Failure to do so would result in their entry being void and being reallocated to a reserve list driver (where applicable).
[j] Only one entry per driver will be accepted.
[k] Those drivers that have competed at 85% of the National meetings in the season immediately prior to that of the entry will be given a priority entry. The top 50 drivers from the prior year’s National Championship shall also be given a priority entry. All entries (priority or not) will become open at the same time, however priority entries will be allocated to meetings first, up until a certain date (to be determined by the Sectional Committee) before which they need to have been received.

6. OFFICIALS

The Meeting Organiser will appoint the following officials who must be full Senior BRCA members familiar with all aspects of the Association Rules:
[a] A Race Director who controls all racing and is responsible for the smooth running of the meeting. Specifically the Race Director controls, in conjunction with the Section Clerk of the Course, the maintenance of the circuit, safety, marshal positioning, manning and substitution and start procedures and delivers the Driver's Briefing.
[b] A Scruitineer who will inspect cars at random throughout the meeting and will authorise any change of chassis or side rails.
[c] If, in the event of a decision being required which is not met by the existing rules as stated in the Sectional Handbook, the majority of the Committee present at the meeting shall be able to make a decision [or interpret on existing rules to make a decision] and that decision shall stand. [Minimum three Committee Members present.]

7. DRIVERS-BRIEFING

A Drivers' Briefing will be held at around 7:30-7.45 a.m. prior to the start of Practice. The Race Officials should be introduced to all competitors, The Race Director will give a drivers' briefing as defined in the Check List.

8. TRANSPONDERS AND LAP COUNTING

[a] All competitors are to provide and use personal AMB transponders. It is the drivers responsibility to ensure that the transponder is attached to the car for practice, qualifying and finals, and that it is the same as that entered on the Championship Registration Form (or subsequent written notification where changed). It is the drivers’ responsibility to ensure that the transponder is working at all times during a race. Any replacement changes that need to be made to the transponder used by a competitor have to be notified to Race Control, in advance of that transponder being used.
[b] It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that his/her car and its transponder pass across the timing line supporting the computer aerial for each lap of the track completed. The car must actually cross the timing line between the track markings to have been deemed to complete the lap. If any parts, such as carbon fibre stone guards are fitted, it is the driver's responsibility to ensure they do not interfere with the lap timing equipment.

9. PRACTICE

Practice will be run in heat format for 5 minutes. At the end of practice, all cars will be called to the pits and must immediately follow that instruction.

10. QUALIFICATION

[a] Qualifying heats shall be of 5 minute duration with a maximum of 9 heats taking place, with a maximum of 14 cars in a heat. Drivers are to be ranked into heats, with the highest ranked 56 drivers entered for the meeting being allocated into heats 6-9 inclusive, the remainder of entrants allocated to heats 1-5.
[b] The ranking system will use the average score achieved by the driver at the best 6 of the last 8 National meetings that the driver has attended. For those having scored in less than 6 meetings, it is the average score that counts. A driver needs to have scored points in at least 3 National meetings to be given an average score and hence ranking. Only meetings that have taken place in the two years prior to the start of the season taking place will be used for the purposes of ranking. From the start of the season, meetings will be incorporated into the ranking system and the ranking position for each driver will be updated after the first meeting of the season, and thereafter every 2 subsequent meetings of the season.
[c] There will be 3 rounds of qualifying heats. Points will be awarded for each round. Tied positions within a round will receive equal points. The points for subsequent positions will be displaced by the number of tied drivers involved. A driver's best 2 scores will be added together to give a qualifying position. Ties will be eliminated firstly by using discard points and secondly, by use of the fastest overall time.
[d] Qualification will be run using a “rolling start”. All cars will be released from the pit-lane by the Start Marshal, after Race Control has signalled that the warm up period can commence. The warm up period will last for 2 minutes. Drivers will be notified that there are 2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds and 10 seconds to the start of the 5 minute qualification period. They will be notified when the qualification period has started. The 5 minute qualifying period commences when each car crosses the timing line after the expiration of the warm up period. A car not starting its individual clock prior to 1 minute after the first car has completed its first lap will, at this time, have its clock started and be deemed a late starter.
[e] When all cars on the track have completed the lap following the expiry of their individual 5 minute period, Race Control will request that all cars return to the pits. Any car not on the track will be given a split time of the last lap completed.
[f] Drivers and mechanics should wait until the rostrum and pit lane have been vacated before taking up their positions. Radio equipment may be turned on during the prior heat and engines started, as frequency clearance on the prior and following heats should exist.
[g] On completion of their heat, drivers should go immediately to the marshal point of their car number and relieve the existing marshal. Drivers of cars 13 and 14 in practice and heat races should report to the start marshal for further instruction. Marshals need to be at their posts prior to one minute to the start of the following race.
[h] Marshals should wear the distinguishing tabards provided. No marshal shall leave their point whilst fulfilling their marshalling duties [e.g. should not return cars to the pit lane/mechanic] or at the end of a race should not leave until a replacement arrives.
[i] The highest heat number will marshal heat one and marshals must be in place for Practice. No person under the age of 12 is allowed on the track or in the pit lane, and drivers under-12 are responsible for providing a suitable marshal. Drivers will marshal the appropriate race themselves, unless agreed by the Race Director.
[j] At the end of each round, qualifying times and positions will be published, as will the points scores.
[k] A maximum of two mechanics per driver will be allowed in the pit lane to assist with repairs, refuelling, etc. All mechanics in the pit lane will be required to wear luminous jackets/bibs so that they are equally visible on the track as marshals (see Rule 5).

11. FINALS

[a] On completion of all qualifying rounds, the top 114 point scorers will be placed in order. The top points' scorer will be No. 1 in the A Final, down to the 114th points' scorer who will run as No. 14 in the K Final. Ties will be decided firstly by discarded points and secondly by using the fastest qualifying laps and time. Finals will be run in single-sided Christmas tree format. There will be 11 finals from A down to K. The K Final will consist of 14 drivers; all the rest will have 10. The top 4 from each final will move up to the next one and fill positions 11, 12, 13 and 14. Each final will run for a minimum of 5 minutes. A minimum of 5 cars are required to constitute a final.
[b] Frequency clearance for finals will be limited to those running in a specific final. Where a frequency clash occurs, the lower qualifier will be requested to change.
[c] The interval between finals will usually be 5 minutes up to, and including, the interval before the ‘E’ final – after that final the interval will usually be 10 minutes unless otherwise announced. During this period the track is open for the next group of finalists. As in qualifying, the next group may not utilise the rostrum or pit area until it has been vacated by the previous finalists. Unlike qualifying, radio equipment must remain off until the prior final is complete.
[d] Le Mans type starts will be used for finals. Numbers will be placed along the main straight at intervals of at least 5 metres - Where the track does not allow for this spacing, the whole of the main straight must be used.
[e] Race Control will call 1 minute before the start for 1 mechanic per driver to go to their car's start position on the straight. No starting equipment may be taken to the start grid by the mechanic (see Rule 15).
[f] Race Control and not the Start Marshal has ultimate say over the start times of each race. When called to the start line by Race Control, the cars must return immediately to their start line mechanic.
[g] When appropriate, Race Control will commence a count down from 10 and the Starter will indicate with a flag each increment. At 3 the starter's flag will be on the ground and Race Control will call 'cars down'. The mechanics must then place the cars on the track, release them and step back. The count continues to zero when Race Control will start the race by an audible sound [e.g. horn] and the Starter will raise his flag. The race is started by the signal from Race Control, not the Starter's flag.
[h] Once the countdown has commenced, no mechanic/car may cross between the start grid and pit lane in either direction until the start is underway and all cars have passed (see Rule 15). A car starting from the pit lane may only join the race when all other competitors have passed the pit exit.
[i] Officials may call a restart if they deem it necessary.
[j] The race will be considered complete when all the cars on the track next cross the timing line after the allotted race time has elapsed. The car must actually cross the timing line between the track markings to have been deemed to finish the race. No car may be pushed over the line. Any car that is manually aided over the timing line at ANY time during the race will lose that lap counted. Other penalties may apply [see Rule 15].
[k] Drivers moving up may have to make a frequency change.
[l] On completion of their final, drivers not progressing to the next final should go immediately to a marshal point to relieve the existing marshal. No marshal shall leave their point whilst fulfilling their marshalling duties [e.g. to return cars to the pit lane] or at the end of a race until a replacement arrives.
[m] Marshals should wear the distinguishing tabards provided. The A Finalists will marshal the first final that runs. Points 5 to 14 will be set out. Drivers qualifying 1st to 4th will marshal at points 11 to 14 with 5 to 10 on their qualifying positions. For the following finals, drivers will marshal at the numbered point relating to their finishing position in the final they have just completed [i.e. 5 to 14]. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that they know their finishing position and go to the appropriate marshalling point. No person under the age of 12 is allowed on the track or in the pit lane during finals and drivers under 12 are responsible for providing a suitable marshal. Substitute marshals must be competent to carry out duties and be agreed with the Race Director.
[n] A maximum of two mechanics per driver will be allowed in the pit lane to assist with repairs, refuelling, etc. All mechanics in the pit lane will be required to wear luminous jackets/bibs so that they are equally visible on the track as marshals.
[o] No 10 minute delay may be called for by any driver before the start of a final.

12. TROPHIES

The BRCA will, at the end of the season, provide all drivers who have attended 5 meetings or more (regardless of qualification into finals) a Shield with plaques engraved with their position for each meeting and final Championship standing. On request, shields may be provided, at minimum cost, for anyone attending less than 5 rounds.

13. RACE INTERRUPTION

[a] If in agreement, the Race Director, Section Chairman, Clerk of the Course and Section Secretary may decide to interrupt a Final due to adverse weather conditions. In the absence of one of these Committee Members, the opinion of another Committee Member should be sought.
[b] If more than half a final has been run and the race has to be stopped, the position at the time of interruption will be the result unless the computer has lost the results. In the case of the 2-Day National meeting, the times shall be prorated based on average laptimes at the point the race is stopped, taking into account pitstops, so as to give a comparable finishing time to the other final in that “branch” of the Christmas tree format (i.e. 1/4A stops, a comparison is required to results of 1/4B).
[c] In the case of a heat being interrupted, the entire heat will be re-run.
[d] The BRCA Committee Members present, together with the Race Director, have the authority to cancel or foreshorten the meeting at their discretion. If a meeting has to be foreshortened and all rounds of qualifying have been completed, points for that meeting will be awarded on final qualification positions, if the majority of Committee Members present agree.

14. PROTESTS

[a] All protests must be made in writing to the Race Director, together with a £10.00 deposit. If the protest is upheld, this money will be reimbursed.
[b] Protests must be made within 5 minutes of the publication of the results in question. The protest period of 5 minutes commences when the results are published on the Results Board and announced as such.
[c] Protests regarding the legality of cars must be made in writing, together with the fee, to the Race Director.

15. PENALTIES

(a) Championship warnings will be given for:-
 Leaving a marshal point early, i.e. before being relieved by the next marshal for any practice, heat or final.
 Leaving a marshal point to return cars to the pits during any practice, heat or final.
 Failure to be at a marshal point for a practice race, or final prior to one minute to the start of the following race.
 Poor marshalling (e.g. talking to others)
 Driving in the wrong direction at any time
 Failure to adhere to Race Control or Referee instruction during practice or heat (e.g. blocking a faster car, failure to return to the pits at the end of practice/heat).
 Deliberate collision with another car
 Bad/dangerous driving during any practice, heat or final
 Taking a transmitter on to the race track
 Car being slowed/stopped close to/before the start loop, before a driver starts their qualifying heat time
 Bad language
 Using a mobile phone at any time within the track vicinity (including pit-lane and rostrum)
 Smoking at any time within the track vicinity (including pit-lane, rostrum and scruitineering area)
 Driver or associated person entering Race Control unless accompanied by the Race Director or a Sectional Committee member

(b) 10 second penalty in qualification will be given for:-
 Corner cutting
 Incorrect use of the pit-lane (e.g. impeding the pit-lane whilst re-filling a car, stepping into the pit-lane, releasing a car into the path of another car).
 Deliberate collision with another car (in addition to championship warning)

(c) 1 lap penalty will be given for:-
 A competitor who cuts a corner in order to get to the timing loop ahead of another car prior to start of qualification.
 Any car that is manually aided over the timing line at ANY time during a heat or final.

(d) Stop/go penalties will be given in finals for:-
 Corner cutting
 Incorrect use of the pit-lane (e.g. impeding the pit-lane whilst re-filling a car, stepping into the pit-lane, releasing a car into the path of another car).
 Failure to adhere to Race Control or Referee instruction (e.g. blocking a faster car, failure to return to the pits at the end of final).
 Deliberate collision with another car (in addition to championship warning)
 Mechanic/car crossing between start grid and pit-lane in either direction once the countdown has commenced and until the start is underway and all cars have passed
 Car jump starting the starting sequence
 Car not being placed as close to track markings as possible for the start sequence
 Starting equipment taken to the start grid by the mechanic
 Mechanic making alterations to the car, re-fuelling the car, or releasing a car before being instructed during a stop/go penalty

(e) Loss of best qualification round score will be given for:-
 Failure to be at a marshal point for a heat prior to one minute to the start of the following race.
 Any driver not ensuring their car is taken to scruitineering before the one minute to start signal for the next heat or, in the case of the final heat of qualifying, one minute from being requested by the Race Organiser/Committee Official.

(f) Loss of race time (heat or final) may occur when:-
 Car is repaired on the track during the race
 Car does not conform to the regulations
 Car has chassis or side rails changed without authorisation
 Any driver fails to ensure that their car is taken to scruitineering following a request at the end of a final, within one minute from being requested by the Race Organiser/Committee Official.
 Car rejoins the race from any point other than the pit-lane

(g) “Black flag”
 If requested or “black flagged” a car must be removed from the track immediately. The black flag may result in the car being in an undriveable or dangerous condition [e.g. lost body, ineffective silencer]. For these mechanical failures, cars may rejoin after repair.

(h) Disqualification may result in the following situations:-
 Blatant disregard of BRCA rules
 Failure to adhere to a black flag/request to be removed from the track
 Unauthorised use of transmitters or unauthorised frequency use
 Unsportsmanlike behaviour
 Arguing with Race Director, Referee or other Race Official
 Leaving a meeting before marshalling duties have been fulfilled
 Failure to adhere to a notification of a stop/go penalty and not returning to the pit-lane within 2 laps of the notification
 Use of a car outside of the track vicinity at any time of a race weekend including periods when race event is not taking place
 Use of a motorised bike/bicycle/scooter within or outside of the track vicinity at any time of a race weekend including periods when race event is not taking place

Notes
1. Warning records will be kept by the BRCA Section and for every 3 warnings received during a season, 10 points will be deducted from a driver’s final Championship score.
2. Drivers awarded 3 warnings at any one meeting will be automatically disqualified.
3. A driver disqualified from a meeting will be given 3 warnings to his/her annual total (which will affect their final Championship score) and points scored at the meeting in question will be classed as null and void.
4. Rule 15 may apply at any time during the race event, including practice and warm up periods (i.e. not just the timeframe of an actual race), practice races, heats, finals, as well as outside of periods of racing where applicable.
5. The driver is responsible for the conduct of his mechanics and/or team manager - penalties may be awarded to a driver due to infringements by them.
6. If, in the event that an incident is not specifically covered within Rule 15, an appropriate penalty may be given, on the agreement of the majority of the Committee members present.

16. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

[a] The Entry Fee for meetings is to be reviewed annually at the Section's AGM.
[b] There will be four BRCA Championships:
1. The National Championship - all drivers competing at an event during the season.
2. The Clubman Championship - all drivers who have not finished in the top 24 places in a prior year's National Championship. Drivers who achieve more than one ‘A’ Final in a season shall be disqualified from the Clubman's Championship.
3. The Junior Championship - open to drivers under the age of 16 on the 1st January of the current season.
4. The Over 40s Championship – open to drivers over the age of 40 on the 1st January of the current season.
All Championships will run concurrently for both qualifying and finals.
[c] [i] The winner of the A Final will receive 115 Championship Points, 2nd place will receive 113 points, third 112 points, down to 114th place [i.e. 14th place in the I Final] receiving 1 point. The top qualifier, running as No. 1 in the A Final will receive 1 extra point.
[c] [ii] A separate points system will be used for the Clubman and Junior Championships to allocate points gained by competitors in their respective Championships. This scoring system will run as well as, not as a replacement for, the National Championship scoring system. The highest placed competitor for the relevant Championship for the meeting will receive 115 points; second place will receive 113, etc. The top qualifier in each Championship will receive 1 extra point.
[d] 75% of Championship meetings that take place will count towards overall placing rounded up or down to the nearest whole number. In the instance of all eight meetings taking place, this means six meetings will count.
[e] Tied Championship positions shall be resolved by firstly comparing results of discarded meetings and secondly by the number of 1st, 2nd, etc. places as may be required.
[f] If any driver withdraws from a meeting before the final they have qualified for has run, their place will remain open.
[g] A top qualifier point gained where the meeting result is part of a driver's discard will not be counted.
[h] The annual National Championship 2-day event shall be modelled on the following format: Qualification should run over 5 rounds, with the best 3 rounds to count on a round-by-round basis. Heats should be run in the following sequence:-
Round 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Round 2: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1
Round 3: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1, 2, 3, 4
Round 4: 6, 7, 8, 9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Round 5: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Marshalling will be structured so that the final heat for a particular round marshals the first heat in that same round (e.g. for Round 3, heat 4 will marshal heat 5). For heats after the first heat of the round, drivers will marshal the race following their own.
[i] The top qualifier will be awarded pole position in the Grand Final, with the next 16 qualifiers placed 8 into each semi-final. The other 13 Grand Finalists will be made up from the top 6 drivers from each semi-final and the fastest loser of the two races. The remaining qualifiers will be allocated to all the remaining finals, as decided by the organisers, to enable the maximum number of participants for the second day's racing, with a maximum of 6 drivers moving up from the 1/4 finals to the semi-finals.
[j] All Sub-Finals will last for 20 minutes, with a Main Final of 45 minutes duration. To qualify for the Finals Day, a driver must have participated in the previous day's qualification. The results of the meeting will be used to allocate Championship points to the highest 114 finalists using the lap scores to differentiate between placings in similar finals. In the event of a tie, qualification times will be used.
[k] Championship points will be awarded at an EFRA British Grand Prix and count towards the BRCA National Championships in a similar manner to [h] above. BRCA drivers will be awarded points for top qualifier and for final positions from 1st to 114th place, disregarding results gained by non-members.

17. TRACK AND SAFETY

[a] Tracks must be a minimum of 4 metres wide and at least 250m long when walking the shortest route. (Guidance to organisers: should aim for a lap time of minimum 35 seconds). There may, however, be a single point of the track layout where the width may be reduced by 1 metre [i.e. to 3 metres] for a maximum length of up to 10 metres.
[b] Tracks must be closed for a period of 15 days prior to any National meeting, with the exception of one open race meeting which may be held either 14 or 7 days prior to the National, by the organising club. Any driver found to be using the track during the closed period will be disqualified from the National Meeting. One car may be run by the organisers for a maximum of 10 minutes, to prove the suitability of the track.
[c] Spectators and marshals are to be protected from the risk of being hit by cars. A suitable safety fence is to be constructed to protect marshals in dangerous areas such as the end of the straight, or points where traffic on another part of the track is travelling towards the marshal from behind.
[d] Track markers should be such that they minimise the risks of cars becoming airborne and to minimise the risk of damage to cars.
[e] The rostrum must be a minimum of 10 metres in length, 1.83 metres high and able to accommodate 15 persons safely (i.e. with good margin). The front must have a safety rail and a kickboard and the floor should be constructed of solid material and be all at one level. All steel-constructed rostrums must be fully earthed in at least two places. The rostrum should be marked into equal sections so that 15 spaces are marked out, enabling drivers to see which space is available to use.
[f] Any person inside the safety fencing must be directly involved with the racing, i.e. marshals and mechanics. At the start of a heat or final, mechanics, on the release of the cars, must return to the pits as soon as possible and marshals must be standing at their designated points.
[g] Track features will be 'vetted' by the Clerk of the Course before the commencement of a meeting and, with the agreement of the majority of Committee Members present, removed if deemed necessary.
[h] No car shall be used outside of the track vicinity at any time of a race week-end (including periods when the race event is not taking place). See Rule 15. A small controlled area can be set up for use, to be completely fenced in by double fencing, at the Race Organiser’s discretion. This is not compulsory on the Race Organiser.
[i] No motorised bike/bicycle/scooter is allowed to be used within or outside of the track vicinity at any time of a race week-end (including periods when race event is not taking place). See Rule 15. This does not include motorised vehicles required for disabled members of the public.

18. ORGANISATION

[a] All meeting organisers are to provide details of track location (including Ordnance Survey grid reference and post code), and accommodation/camping facilities for their meeting [e.g. water, electricity, toilets, refreshments, etc.] These details should be submitted to the Entry Secretary and may be available to members at the same time as the Handbook or available during the year on request.
[b] The BRCA National Series will consist of 8 meetings. If 8 different venues are not available, the number will be made up from a 'draw' of clubs willing to run more than one meeting. [A Club being defined as that to which the meeting allowance from the BRCA is paid to a Club.] Venues that have held two meetings in the previous year [if that was the case] shall be excluded from the draw for the following year, providing there are the necessary number of clubs willing to hold a second meeting.
[c] An adequate First Aid box must be provided and organisers should be fully aware of local arrangements for the treatment of casualties.
[d] Organisers should ensure that they have adequate 3rd Party insurance to cover any liability arising as a result of running their meeting.
[e] Organisers should ensure that the race commentary can be clearly heard from the drivers' rostrum.

19. EFRA AND IFMAR MEETINGS

[a] The winner of the Clubman Championship will be offered a place at the European Championships.
[b] An official British Team Manager's post will be created to represent the British Team when attending the EFRA European Championships and the IFMAR World Championships. The post will be elected by the drivers attending these events, at the discretion of the Committee.

20. SECTION CONFERENCE/BRCA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

All proposals for the Section Conference/AGM (both individual rule changes and Committee position proposals) must be submitted to the Section Secretary by the final national meeting of the year. A copy of the list of these proposals is available on request a week prior to the Sectional AGM from the Section Secretary/Chairman.

Posted by mark at 05:07 PM

BRCA Rallycross Guidepoints 2008

GUIDEPOINTS FOR RUNNING A NATIONAL MEETING

[To be used in conjunction with information given in the Rules]

1. The track should be marked out clearly and constructed in such a manner that it is not possible to cut comers. It must be totally enclosed by a safety' fence, doubled up where there is a danger of cars hitting the fence at high speed. Where the racing may be watched by the general public, extra precautions should be taken, i.e. straw bales or tyres, etc. If jumps are to be used, they must be sited with safety in mind and be as wide as the track. They must have a way down [not a sheer drop]. Any club should rake off grass where grass cutting machinery that fails to collect the grass cuttings has been used before racing commences. Additional raking of the track, if required, should take place after practice and, if necessary, after qualification has taken place, and before the finals commence.

2. A minimum of ten marshalling points will be located on the track and should themselves adequately cover the track (since only ten points will be used for finals). No more than 12 marshal points should be laid out in total. Marshal points 11-12 should be positioned, but be considered supplementary to the main ten points. When positioning marshalling points, consider safety and appropriate fencing [i.e. do not position them at the end of a straight where cars are using maximum speed]. Also, enable the marshal to see at all times the comers he/she is supposed to be marshalling [i.e. not looking behind]. Remember that the drivers need a clear view of the track at all points.

3. The AMB lap scoring bridge should be positioned after the last slow comer immediately preceding the entrance to the pit lane, with the bridge at least 2 metres past this slow comer, on a straight section of the track [i.e. not on the comer].

4. (i) The rostrum, capable of holding 15 drivers comfortably, must be safely constructed with access by steps and not a ladder, with pit tables provided in front. Where possible, venues should adopt a one way system on the rostrum – a set of steps for up, a set of steps for down. Construction of the rostrum should enable the pit-lane to be clearly visible from all points of the rostrum.

(ii) The rostrum should be marked into equal sections so that 15 spaces are marked out, enabling drivers to see which space is available to use. A separate marker must be clearly set back from the pit lane, behind which mechanics must stand during a race. 14 boxes must be constructed in front of the rostrum for mechanics to refuel/repair cars [see trailer contents].

(iii) In the event that a raised pit lane is used, this must be a minimum length of 13m [approx. 40'] and a maximum track height of 80cm. A 'safety bridge' [e.g. wooden bar or similar] should be positioned at the point of the angle of the upward slope and the actual pit lane horizontal, to prevent cars from travelling at high speed on entry. The pit-lane should be clearly marked/numbered so that the mechanics are located at the appropriate position (i.e. that is pitting at the number relevant to their driver).

(iv) Any warm up area used behind the rostrum for those cars preparing to race in the following race should also be numbered, so that entry to the pit-lane be done in order to allow those at the far end of the pit-lane to enter first.

5. Toilets must be provided. Suitable food and refreshments facilities should also be available (taking into account the likely demands of 200+ people on the day).

6. The meeting should be run to a strict timetable and in the event of a full entry it may be necessary to forego a lunch break.

7. Race entries will be sent to the Entry Secretary who will enter them on the computer and collect the entry fees. Race organisers will be paid £800 to run the event, which will be paid following the meeting. However, if an advance is required to cover expenses, please apply to the Entry Secretary/Treasurer. Expenses over £800 will be reimbursed if thought appropriate. The two day meeting will receive £1000 to run the event.

8. The B.R.C.A. trailer is available to organisers [who must make the necessary arrangements for its collection from the previous meeting].
It contains:
Safety fencing Long stakes Short stakes Red cones
Various banners Pit lane boxes Warning notice Start position Nos.
PA system/cable Rolls of fire hoses AMB bridge Starting horn
The Section supplies all the race timing equipment, amplifiers and microphones for the P.A. system. These are not held in the trailer for security and safety reasons, but will be brought to the meeting by a Committee member.

9. Organisers are to provide a supply of adhesive numbers for the cars.

10. A fire extinguisher & blanket must be kept close to the rostrum/pit lane at all times.

11. In consideration for others, where competitors and their families are present at a meeting overnight, generators should be turned off at 11.30 p.m. and all other noise kept to a minimum. Thank you.

APPROVED FREQUENCIES
(i) 27MHz
26.975 grey/brown 27.075 red/orange 27.175 yellow/green 26.995 brown
27.095 orange 27.195 green 27.025 brown/red 27.125 orange/yell
27.225 green/blue 27.045 red 27.145 yellow 27.255 blue

(ii) 40MHz
665 675 685 695 705 715 725 735 745 755 765 775 785 795 805 815 825 835 845 855 865 875 885 895 905 915 925 935 945 955 965 975 985 995

(iii) 2.4 GHz (however, see rule 4b)

Posted by mark at 05:03 PM

Beginners Guide to Nationals 2008

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO A NATIONAL MEETING

1. You should not consider entering a B.R.C.A. National meeting until you are confident you are able to fully control your model car. This can only be achieved by regular practice. If you are unsure of your driving skills, then entry to a Club Meeting may be your best first option. Please contact a member of the Committee to find your nearest club. The Remote World Club (Slough) and the Pendle Model Car Club (Nelson, Lancashire) as well as others, run club meetings all the year round and will give a good introduction to racing.

2. Spend some time reading the Rules and Regulations in this Handbook.

3. To enter a meeting, contact the Entry Secretary listed under the Committee at the front of this Handbook.

4. Arrive early at the meeting – 7:00 to 7.15 a.m. is about right - and select your pit area.

5. Make yourself familiar with the track, rostrum, results board and the location of Booking in and Race Control.

6. The heats list will be published on the results board prior to the Drivers' Briefing. This will show your heat number, the frequency you will be running on and your car number for both practice and heats.

7. A Drivers' Briefing will be given by the Race Director at around 7:30-7:45 a.m., before Practice starts. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask.

8. Remember, other officials and competitors will always help if you have any problems. If in doubt, ASK!

9. Free practice is not allowed. Practice will be in heat order and drivers will be expected to use the personal transponder that they have registered on the Championship Registration Form prior to entry (or subsequent written notification where changed).

10. Practice will be in heat order, so make the best use of it. Ensure the engine is running correctly, the brakes working and try to evaluate the handling. You will probably not have time to try different tyres, so if they are not working well, ask around and find out what other people are using. Most drivers are always willing to discuss handling, settings and tyres. The main thing, of course, is to get used to the track and try to find the quickest route round it.

11. For heats you will require a mechanic, who must be a fully paid up BRCA member and must wear a luminous yellow jacket. The rules state that a driver is responsible for his mechanic's actions; also, young people under the age of 12 may not be mechanics. If you have attended the meeting on your own, ask around, there is always someone willing to give you a hand.

12. When racing, drive sensibly and have thought for other drivers and their cars. It is good manners to let faster cars pass and not block them.

13. At the end of your heat, the car should be taken straight to scruitineering, and then you are required to go immediately out to marshal.

14. You will normally be expected to marshal the race following yours.

15. You should go to the marshalling point that corresponds with your car number and relieve the existing marshal. If you fail to marshal, you will be penalised. When marshalling, keep alert and be as quick as possible getting to cars that need assistance. However, never put yourself at risk such that you can be hit by a car.

16. At the end of the heats, Finals will be ran with 14 cars in the lowest Final and 10 cars loaded into the remainder. The top 4 in each Final will progress to the Final above. Drivers not moving up will marshal the numbered point relating to their finishing position in the final they have just completed.

17. Please listen for a call from Race Control over the PA when the Finals are generated and if you are lucky enough to move up, you may have to change your frequency. It is a good idea to go into the pits for your Final equipped ready to move up. There is a limited amount of time between finals and the next will start on schedule whether or not you are ready, so it is sensible to save time by having a second fully charged battery available with your spare crystals in the pits, rather than rushing back and forth! You may also have to change transponder and your car number - so be prepared for the best!

18. When running in a final your mechanic needs to be prepared to call you in for fuel stops. A stopwatch will be needed to note your running time to ensure that the car does not run out of fuel. Make sure your mechanic is aware that they must stay behind the pit barrier and that the car must enter the pit box (if in use) to be refueled.

19. Should you qualify for a Final at your first attempt, well done, but if not, don't get despondent you will get better with time.

20. Finally, look around the pits for others running the same model as you. Talk to the drivers, in particular those who seem to be doing well. Five minutes' chat could save a lot of frustration and possibly time and money!

21. After all the finals have run, drivers are expected to assist the race organisers in clearing away any track markings or any other help that is required to allow everyone to leave as early as possible.

Posted by mark at 12:30 PM

January 15, 2005

BRCA Rallycross AGM - Minutes - TBC

Posted by mark at 12:28 PM