If you're new to Radio Control Cars click here to get a fact sheet then come back to this page.

Please find the time to read this.

We race one tenth scale or one eighteenth scale Electric or i.c. , Buggies or Trucks

                                        NOT     one eighth .

Racing Rules

Like all sports, Off Road Racing has rules too. The British Radio Car Association (B.R.C.A.) is our governing body and the handbook they produce each year has rules for all types of radio controlled cars. Similar cars have similar rules and are therefore linked together into "Classes". Our class is the "One tenth off road" section and the club runs closely to these rules.

Safety

Fast moving R/C cars have been known to break legs so lets keep the cars under control at all times, even if there is no-one else around. You don't want your car running off without you so switch your transmitter on first and then your car. Then when you're done, switch the car off first and the Transmitter off last.

Next, don't stand around on the track while other cars are running, remember the broken legs?

So as not to interfere with other cars you should be on a different frequency. To insure this when practising we use a crystal "PEG Board". You take a peg from the board that corresponds with the crystal you have in your transmitter and when you've finished practising you put it back on the board. If there is no peg for your crystal you have to wait until it returns.

Pegs aren't used while we race because the computer will sort out the frequencies so the cars racing together are all on different ones.

Marshalling

When you crash and your car ends up upside-down or up against the fence or something, you're going to want someone to put your car back on its wheels. This is the job of the marshals.

Marshalling is compulsory during racing.

You must marshal for the racers in the race after yours.

Racing

 Before this can happen you need to "book in" at Race Control. The computer needs to know your details, like what crystals you've got, how good you are and what kind of car will you race. (2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive, truck, electric or i.c.) You will also need to pay (unless it's your first time).

Racing is usually four 5 minute rounds of "qualifying" and then "Finals" also of 5 minutes. Qualifying is against the clock but may have different start types, either, all-together (Line start) or at one or two second intervals (staggered start).

When everyone has booked in the computer will sort drivers into heats (maximum of ten cars) and a "Heat list" will be printed and put up for you to read. You'll see what heat you're in and the crystal you should use and the number allocated to your car. You will have this number throughout qualifying.

When all qualifying is done the computer will sort all the fastest drivers to race each  and the slowest to race the slowest. EVERYBODY gets to race a final. When the computer sorts the finals you may get a new number.

You will need to put these numbers on your car and also fit a "Transponder". (Transponders send signals to the computer to time and count your laps.) Each time your car crosses the line you will hear a beep. When you've finished your 5 minutes you will hear a different beep to signify that you've finished. Drive your car off the track so you don't get in the way of cars that haven't finished. When you're told the race is finished come down from the rostrum switch your car off then your transmitter. Put your car away and your transponder in the rack, then come back out to marshal.

Enjoy your racing, have fun.