GENERAL RULES OF RACING - "OUT OF THE BOX"

The rules below have been designed to create the minimum of ambiguity regarding permitted modifications from the car's original configuration. This means we have virtually no need for pre-race scrutineering unless someone brings along something very unusual.

Cars

All cars must be in their original "out of the box" configuration, with original magnets where applicable, of any 1/32 scale brand that runs on Scalextric Sport track. No "performance" motors, super neodymium magnets, altered gearing, extra bodywork, weights etc. But braid replacement (any available and suitable braid is allowed), and general lubrication is fine. Like-for-like replacement of knackered motors etc. is permitted, but check with the Garagemaster if in doubt. Use of a bit of coloured sticky tape or your own decals to identify similar cars is also OK. In the unlikely event of your brand of car's guide blade being too deep for Scalextric Sport track, a shallower replacement can be fitted - but otherwise you must use the same brand of guide blade as the car.

The only internal modification permitted is the installation of an SSD digital chip in a car that was previously analogue, properly done in accordance with the chip fitting instructions (i.e. not taped to the bonnet or trailing along behind!). This is so that our digital racers can race their cars without having to un-chip them. SSD-chipped cars (including Digital Plug Cars) can be used in analogue classes, with the digital plug in or out for analogue, as best suits your driving style. However our experience shows that up against a field of analogue cars on an analogue track, a digital car will usually be a few tenths off the pace.

Tyres

Replacement Ortmann tyres are allowed for the "classic" non-magnet classes, otherwise tyres must be from standard stock of the manufacturer of your car, and appropriate to the vehicle wearing them. In many cases a "ribbed" tyre will not be as fast as a slick tyre without grooves. Some Ortmann tyres may need to have manufacturing irregularities trimmed off them. Sanding and truing of tyres is fine and a tyre-buffer is provided for this purpose. Silicon tyres are not permitted as over time they can make the track too slippery, and tyres must not leave residue on track for the same reason. As with guide blades, you can't mix and match tyres across car makes, so you can't put Scalextric tyres on a Slot-It car for example, to make it handle better on Scalextric Sport track. This does therefore mean that the performance of your car's manufacturer's tyres will, to a large extent, determine whether your car will be competitive.

Controllers

To keep it fair to everyone and prevent delays caused by controller-swapping, racers must use the standard Scalextric hand controllers provided at the circuit rather than bring their own. No Parmas. You can request a controller be replaced during the brief warm up before each race, if it doesn't seem to be working for your car/lane combination. If a controller fails during racing it will be replaced at the start of the next race.

Car maintenance

Racers are asked to check their cars for obvious problems before leaving home and certainly before racing begins. Worth bringing a screwdriver and any other tools or parts you think you might need for your cars. A soldering iron is available for digital races to fix any broken internal wires resulting from racing accidents. All wings etc. that should be on the car must be attached at the start of the race. Once the race is ready to start, a two-minute warning can be applied to anyone still doing running repairs, after which time the race can start without them. Again this is to ensure we get the most racing in to the time available. If your car breaks down during a race it must retire from that race, but a replacement car can be fielded for any following races in the same class. There is usually time for a short break between classes and a longer refreshment break at half time during which there will be more opportunity to fix cars.

RUNNING OUR EVENTS

Class organisation and running order

Marshalling

The two marshalling options are either:

• "Crash and burn" (i.e. no marshalling) - if and only when we don’t have marshals to cover the circuit. The slightest de-slot and you are out of the race.
  
  But usually the rule is:
  
  
• "4 Wheels On Track".  Your car can perform any stunts or rolls provided it lands with 4 wheels on the circuit (including the track border and run-off areas). NOT 2 wheels. NOT 1 wheel over a barrier. NOT turned turtle on its back. Crossing the barriers is also not allowed. Offending cars are to be removed and ZERO points from the race will be awarded, as the car will not have received the chequered flag. Even if the accident was someone else's fault!
  

Mini Mayhem under way!

Marshalling - general

Those not participating in a race will be marshalling and need to stay alert to what is happening on track, in order to get to the scene of any accidents quickly. Lanes are colour coded for easy re-slotting, and the driver must advise the marshal which slot to use. Pieces that fall off cars during the race should be cleared from the track and placed in the "bit tin" provided for that purpose.

Periodically we also do separate special events such as Tactical Challenges or Endurance Events, outside of the regular championship, with rules separately agreed and published in our web forum.

Race running

Races are normally run over 20 laps with the exception of non-magnet classes and "brown magnets" which are 15 laps, unless we have a time restraint which may mean races are shortened. All done with a computerised start and optical timing system. There is a 10 second penalty for a false start before your times begin to be recorded. If there is a track fault and someone is left at the start, a restart will be arranged. If a track fault develops during racing, racing will continue as best as possible, working around the problem and/or everyone having a chance to suffer the effects of the problem, whatever it is. We do not operate any kind of "track call" system - if there is a car across your lane and the marshal has not yet cleared it when you arrive on the scene, you must either wait or try and carefully nudge or squeeze by.

Etiquette

Respect to other members and to the property of the host. No deliberate crashing into other competitors' cars. No shouting at marshals. No swearing. Honesty and fair play is expected from all participants.

POINTS SYSTEM

DTMs on the grid

Race Points will be awarded in the following way:

• 6 pts for a win, 4pts for a 2nd, 2pts for a 3rd, 1pt for a 4th, zero pts for non-finishers (even if they completed more laps than someone who did finish). To finish the race you must still be on track and must complete the lap you are on when the winner crosses the line (as they do at Le Mans), to receive the chequered flag on screen. Even if you only do 1 lap. If you crash out - even if it's inches from the finish - and even if it wasn't your fault - you do not receive the chequered flag and you score ZERO race points.

When all the races from a class are completed all Race points will be totalled up and Class Points awarded as follows:

• 4 Class Points for the racer with the most Race Points in the class
• 3 Class Points for the racer with the 2nd most Race Points in the class
• 2 Class Points for the racer with the 3rd most Race Points in the class
• 1 Class Point for the racer with the 4th most Race Points in the class
  
  Points for tied positions will be combined and then split between racers so that each class will always have 10 Class points up for grabs - plus, the lapcounter program keeps a record of all hot laps during racing so an additional 11th Class Point will also be awarded for the fastest lap in each class raced.

The Meeting Winner will be the person who at the end of the event has amassed the most Class Points, gained from race results and fastest laps. This person gets 4 Championship points. Second in the meeting gets 3 Championship points, third 2 and 4th 1. The Championship re-starts twice a year. Class Points scored by each driver are added to, the next time that class is run within the same Championship. At the end of the championship there is a trophy for the overall Championship Winner and website acknowledgement of those who got the highest Class Points totals in each of the classes (the Class Masters). So though people joining the club mid-championship may not have much chance of winning the overall championship, they could still achieve some Class Masterships and Meeting Wins.

Clerk of the Course

The host for a meeting is also Clerk of the Course, whose decision, should there be any doubt about the rules, is pretty damn final.