Beginners Guide

You will need before you can start the following.

Beginners Guide

  1. A 1/8th rallycross buggy/truggy
  2. Transmitter
  3. Fuel or battery packs for your car, tyres for your car
  4. BRCA (British Radio Controlled Association) racing licence and a non racing licence for your pit crew
  5. A transponder to automatically count your laps

We all had to start somewhere, and the best place to start is at a club meeting. The following steps are designed to guide you through a race day. Kent Model Rally Cross Club organises several club meetings through out the year. The dates for which can be viewed on the club calendar.  If you intend to enter a race meetings, you should arrive at the track by 09.00am at the latest.  We would suggest that you bring along a friend, as you will require a mechanic at the start of the races and during the finals, but there is always some one to help, just ask

BOOKING IN

Pre booking and paying for a race meeting should be done online via this website, booking for each event closes at 9pm the day before the event is due to take place. This gives us time to enter all the racers details into our timing software.

When you arrive you will have to book in at race control, which is the small shed on the rostrum. Booking in takes place shortly after 09.00am and the first race starts at approx 10.00am. When you book in, you will need to tell us your name, and produce your BRCA licensce.

PRACTICE

Practice is normally extended in the first round which starts at approx 10.00am in heat order. Normally 5minutes practice then straight into 6minute qualifying race

DRIVERS BRIEFING

Before the racing begins, a driver’s briefing will take place. You should attend this, with your mechanic, and listen to the instructions that are given. This briefing will explain the format of the days racing, start procedures, marshalling duties, etc. and any special procedures for the day. If you have any questions, please ask.

The heat listing will be displayed on the results board after the drivers briefing. You should check this as it has 3 important pieces of information on it.

Your heat number,Your car number,Your transponder number.

If you find anything incorrect please inform race control straight away The car numbers are available from race control, you will also need a transponder which is mounted inside your car, this enables race control to automatically count your car.

 

QUALIFYING ROUNDS

An announcement will be made over the PA system, calling drivers for the next heat. If this is you, you should make your way to the rostrum, with your car and mechanic. There is a warm up bench to warm your engine up before the race starts . please do not enter ‘pit lane’ until the previous heat has finished and the other mechanics have left.

Each qualifying heat will be run using a “Rolling Start”. Once the previous heat has finished and the drivers are of the rostrum only then can you go up the stairs to your race spot An announcement will be made that the track is open, at this point your car may exit the pit lane and you are now on the track. There will be a 2 minute countdown prior to the start of each heat, with announcements at 2 minutes, 1 minute and 30 seconds. During this time you should be getting your car’s engine warm and get used to the track. You are not racing at this stage. During the countdown, your mechanic should call you back into the pits to re-fuel your car before the heat starts. The suggested time for this is just after the ‘1 minute’ announcement, however the actual timing is up to you.  You must drive your car up onto the raised pit lane to be refuelled. Never drive the wrong way around the track or into pit lane from the wrong direction. If you have just started a new lap, when called in, continue the lap and enter pit lane.

When the computer starts the race, an audible tone will be heard over the P.a. system, and the next time that your car crosses the start/finish line, your individual 6 minute heat will start. If you are approaching the start/finish line and the race clock is about to start, you must continue at race speed, around the track and start another warm-up lap. DO NOT STOP your car on the track to avoid crossing the line. We will give a 1 lap penalty to any driver who stops prior to the line to make the race start.
Don’t forget:- Qualifying is against the clock not other drivers. If during the race, a faster car comes up behind you, do not block or crash into it, instead you should pull to one side and allow the faster car through. Try and follow the faster car, you will learn the correct lines and corner speeds. Remember “slow in fast out”, by this we mean enter a corner slowly, choosing the correct line, will allow you to exit the corner faster and achieve faster lap times. If you are going faster than another car wait for them to pull over (or make a mistake), and pass them cleanly. Accidents will happen, but do not deliberately crash into other cars.

At the end of the race, “race over” will be called and you should drive into the pit lane, turn off your car and transmitter, and quickly go to your marshal point. You only have to marshal the race following your own, and you should stand at the numbered post that corresponds to your car number, and wear the orange Hi-Vis vest. Whilst marshalling you should remain alert at all times and be as quick as possible getting to cars that need assistance, however safety comes first and do not put yourself in danger whilst marshalling. Place the car back on the track at the point of crash/exit, on its wheels, facing in the right direction and not directly in the path of incoming traffic. However, never put yourself at risk, such that a car can hit you. Remember these cars are travelling at high speeds, and if they do hit you, they can break bones.

The heat results are put on the results board just outside the gate to the track. When you have finished marshalling, you can check the results, clean your car, alter the set-up etc. Don’t be afraid to chat to other drivers. They are all very friendly. Look around the pits and see if anybody else is driving the same car as you.

A 5-minute chat could save you a lot of frustration, as well as time and money.

FINALS

At the end of all the qualifying rounds, the finals are then sorted, If you can not stay for the finals please inform race control. all the drivers will be called to race control. This is so you can tell us if you are stay

The finals start procedure is slightly different from the heats, as you start from the main straight and all at the same time. After the cars have been released for a warm up lap, they will all be called back into the pit lane. Once all the cars are back the mechanics will be asked to take the cars to the start line, ready to start the race. A countdown from 10 begins and when it gets to 3, you mechanic must put your car on the ground and step back. The final is started when the start marshal lifts the flag, and the tone sounds. The finals are normally 20 minutes long, but may be reduced during the winter due to the weather and shorter days. Once the countdown has begun, no mechanic must cross the main straight until the start has taken place. If your car stops on the line, your mechanic must wait until after the start before re-starting your car from pit lane.

If you are lucky enough to come in the top 2 of your final you will proceed to the next final (Bump up)

Good luck with your racing

BASIC RULES

  •  Arrive at the track in time to book in
  •  Attend the drivers briefing and LISTEN!
  •  Marshall the race following your own.
  •  Listen out for announcements over the PA.
  •  Do not crash into other cars.
  •  Observe the safety rules.
  •  Enjoy your model car racing.