Race Rules

CONTENTS

SECTION I - STANDING RULES

  1. These rules will govern all events.
  2. A copy of these rules and regulations are available to anyone upon request.
  3. Mid-MO R/C Club members, participants, manufacturers and race promoters must agree to comply with these rules and regulations.
  4. Mid-MO R/C Club henceforth called MMRCC may act at any time before, during or after the event to change anything that MMRCC officers believes would be in the best interest of the sport.
  5. No implied or expressed warranty of safety shall result from publication of, or compliance with these rules and regulations. They are intended as guidelines for the conduct of the sport and are in no way a guarantee against injury of any sort to participants, spectators or others.
  6. MMRCC, its officers, directors or staff assume no responsibility, legal or otherwise for the failure or malfunction of any product or equipment used at an MMRCC event.
  7. Driver registration will close 30 minutes prior to racing.
  8. Racing will begin at 12:00pm (time subject to change)
  9. In the event of inclement weather, unusable track conditions orboth, race entry fees will be refunded to the racers that have not completed 2 rounds of qualifying the following race day.
  10. Never turn on your transmitter, (controller) within a 1/4 mile of the track without checking the Frequency Board or the Track Director to see who is operating on that frequency. Gas cars and trucks practice only one tank of fuel, electric cars and trucks run one battery if someone else has the same frequency. You should only be on the driver's stand if your car or truck is running.
  11. Never drive your car in the parking/pit area during race day. If you want to tune your car or practice, do it on the track.  It is permitted to start your gas-powered R/C vehicle in the parking/pit area provided you DO NOT turn on your transmitter.
  12. It is not permitted to use reverse while racing.  If your vehicle is equipped with reverse, DO NOT use it during a race.
  13. If there is a frequency conflict in the mains, the higher-qualified racer will have frequency preference.
  14. All vehicles must cross the finish line under their own power.
  15. Only one registered driver per car can compete. Allowing someone else to qualify or run the main for you is absolutely unfair to other racers and is not legal. We know this is just club racing, but this rule shall not be broken, if it is, your results will not count for that race or qualifier.
  16. Using multiple cars in a given race day is legal and acceptable. The car that was used to start a qualifier or main, is the car that must be used for that entire race, or heat. You do have the option of repairing your car or borrowing one for the next race, or heat. You can not use more than one car in a single race.
  17. Annual Membership dues.
    • Individual Membership: $25
  18. Race Fees:
    • Club Members: $5.00 Per Class
    • Non-Members: $10.00 Per Class
  19. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND ILLEGAL DRUGS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED AT MMRCC EVENTS AND ARE NOT LEGAL IN THE PARK AT ANY TIME! PLEASE DON'T MAKE SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE! WE APPRECIATE YOUR COOPERATION WITH THIS.

SECTION II - VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS

  1. These rules will govern all events.
  2. All vehicles will be of Hobby Class to run in races (No Radio Shack, Nikko, etc.).
  3. All stock electric classes are limited to six cell or 2S Lipo.
  4. All stock electric classes are limited to 19 Turn or 13.5 Brushless.

SECTION III - CLASS SPECIFICATIONS

  1. Classes Offered:
    • Novice
    • Stock 2WD Electric
    • Modified 2WD Electric
    • 4WD Electric - Open
    • Slash
    • 2WD Nitro
    • 4WD Monster Truck
    • 1/8th Scale Buggy
    • 1/8th Scale Unlimited (Truggy)
    • Possibility of Seperation between Sportsman and Expert based on number of entries.
  2. The minimum number of entries to hold a race for a specific class is three.
  3. At the Race Director's discretion, some classes may be combined to facilitate the race schedule.
  4. Any class not listed may be run provided the minimum number is present to run that class. It is possible that if only a few cars are in a class, they may be asked to run with the other similar class. This would be determined by the Race Director to adhere to our schedule.
  5. The LEMANS start has all the cars equally spaced apart. All cars go on the tone. Learning to make clean passes of other cars for position is good practice for the main.
  6. Gas cars and trucks will warm up during the normal time interval between heats. There will be three minutes between heats, so get your gas car out there on time. We will not tolerate transmitters being turned on too soon before the cars from the previous race have exited the track. Please think of others before you turn on your radio.
  7. All vehicles must have a body and an intact exhaust system when driving on the track during racing and practice. If a car loses either of these during a race, the Race Director will instruct the driver to enter the pits on the next pass. If the car can be repaired to the Race Director's satisfaction, the driver will be allowed to re-enter the race.
  8. The Race Director has final authority to determine if a car will be removed from the track for mechanical reasons.
  9. If a racer has raced the MMRCC before, you will be sorted by your previous entries in the computer. Example if you raced as an expert in previous races and you want to race as a sportsman you will automatically be put in the expert class.
  10. The Race Director has the authority to bump up any driver from sportsman to expert as deemed necessary.
  11. If a sportsman driver qualifies in the top 5 of the expert drivers they will be bumped up to the expert class automatically.

SECTION IV - HEAT SPECIFICATIONS

  1. We run three qualifying heats and then the mains unless otherwise specified.
  2. Novice electric qualifying heats and mains will be 5 minutes.
  3. ALL other electric qualifying heats will be five minutes unless otherwise specified. Mains will be 8 minutes.
  4. ALL Nitro qualifying heats will be five minutes unless otherwise specified. Mains will be 20 minutes.

SECTION V - CORNER MARSHALING AND PITTING

  1. Corner Marshall Responsibilities:
    • Help maintain a clear racecourse for competitors as QUICKLY and as SAFELY as possible.
    • Assist vehicles that have become unable to move because of a crash or spin.
    • To remove from the track and disable vehicles that are unable to continue because of mechanical problems (by the shut off switch whenever possible, unplugging the battery with electric vehicles, etc...).
  2. Corner Marshal Guidelines/Rules:
    • Racers are required to corner marshal after every race they are scheduled to be in. IF YOU RACE, YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MARSHAL. If for some reason you are unable to marshal when it is your turn, it will be your responsibility to get a replacement AND NOTIFY THE THE RACE DIRECTOR of the change.
    • Prior to each race, numbered cones will placed around the track to indicate marshal positions. The numbers on the cones correspond to the number that was assigned to your car in the last race. Yor are required to marshal the race following your own at the cone marked with the number of your car from the last race. Immediately after your race is finished, you need to secure your vehicle and report to your marshal position as quickly as possible. The cones will be placed on the track to maximize driver visibility so please stand close to them when you're not assisting a vehicle. There should only be one person in each position.
    • Stay focused on your assigned portion of the racetrack. It is easy to get caught up in watching the race and miss getting someone on their way or clearing the track quickly in a crash.
    • First to crash...first to leave in multi-vehicle pileups.
    • Be impartial--EVERY driver and car should be treated equally.
    • For safety reasons--NEVER step into oncoming traffic to get a disabled car. These vehicles, electric or gas are traveling at a speed that could easily injure you if you are struck by one of them. Wait for a reasonably clear place to move to the disabled vehicle, then MOVE QUICKLY.
    • Never put a vehicle in the path of oncoming traffic. The proper method is either wait until traffic is past and reset or remove the car.
    • ALWAYS set the vehicle on the track going In the PROPER DIRECTION! Don't just free it from the pipe and force the driver to make a large turn to get back in the right direction. DON'T take the vehicle and THROW it down the track. Set it in a position that the driver can quickly reenter the race on his own.
    • BE AWARE OF VEHICLES THAT HAVE JUMPED OVER BARRIERS! Put them on the track where they left the track--NOT WHERE THEY LANDED. Our track has a lot of switch-backs and this could unfairly advance or penalize a driver.
    • Attempt to repair minor damage if you can quickly (Popped rod ends, loose batteries, wedged in body parts, etc.), but remember--the cars still in the race have priority! If you have to, hand the vehicle over to a friend of the driver or just shut it off and tend to the track.
    • A corner marshal is not required to assist a car until the driver stops revving the motor.
    • If you are marshaling a gas car that has flamed out, place the car at the nearest outside portion of the track just inside the fence. Do Not deliver or throw the car to the pit person. The pit person must go around the outside of the track to get the car from the marshal. Do not run across the track. Once the car is restarted it must exit the pit lane and not be carried to the spot where it flamed out.
    • Please remember when you are driving, don't scream at the marshals. Abusive language is not acceptable. If they don't see your vehicle, then yes you can get there attention--but in a proper manner. There is a saying that holds true...If you don't like being marshaled--don't crash!
  3. Some Other Things To Be Aware Of:
    • Be conscience of areas of the vehicle that can harm you.
    • Electric motors, Gas engines, and exhaust systems can get VERY HOT.
    • Be cautious of moving parts. Wheels, axles, flywheels, etc can all cause injuries.
    • Make sure you don't have things in your pockets that can fall out on the track as you are assisting vehicles.
    • When on the driver's stand, please wait until the marshal has released your vehicle for their safety, before hitting the throttle.

SECTION VI - PENALTIES AND PROTESTS

  1. The Race Director will enforce penalties and resolve all protests.
  2. Some common grounds for penalties include, but are not limited to:
    • Unsportsman-like driving or conduct
    • Vulgar or Abusive Language
    • Intentional car bumping (hammering)
    • Jump starting or non-motionless car (at start of race)
    • Short-Cutting
    • Driving against traffic
    • Applying the throttle while car is being marshaled
    • Servicing and or refueling vehicle while it is in the pits under penalty
    • Careless driving or excessive speed in pit lane
    • Pit person/s having more than one foot in the pit lane or entering the track
    • Obstruction of pit lane by your vehicle and or pit person(s)
    • Refueling a car anywhere but in pit lane.
    • Violation of any of the rules listed in this document.
  3. First offense will result in a verbal warning.
  4. Second offense will result in a 1 lap penalty on the current race.
  5. Third offense will result in disqualification for the current race.
  6. The fourth offense will result in a 1-day suspension. The driver will not be allowed the race for the remainder of that day. Race fees WILL NOT be refunded.
  7. If the problem persists from the same person after receiving a 1-day suspension, that driver will be suspended from the racing facility for 2-weeks. Race fees WILL NOT be refunded.
  8. If the problem persists from the same person after receiving a 2-week suspension, that driver will be suspended from the racing facility for the remainder of the race season. Race fees WILL NOT be refunded.
  9. Any confrontation that results in physical contact may be enforced with immediate termination of club membership and no refund of race entry fee or membership dues. All racing privileges at any MMRCC event will also be forfeited for the rest of the year.

CONCLUSION

These rules are guidelines to keep our racing fun, fair and family oriented. Please read this rule book on a regular basis and do your part to assist us in making this an enjoyable sport of everyone involved.

Updated: 10-Feb-09