Club rules designed to encourage close racing

To ensure we can encourage close racing there will be a series of rules relating to both the cars and how we race which the Bedfordshire Radio Controlled Model Car Club wish to uphold. We are very aware that we want everyone to enjoy race meetings and that costs can spiral out of control if not carefully managed. Therefore our rules, especially those relating to the cars, will be aimed to make racing cost effective for everyone from beginners to those with many years of racing experience.

Working together to ensure close exciting racing

The club have come up with a series of rules, both for the cars and also club members to ensure we can all enjoy a race meeting and to make the club attractive to those who may not have raced before. Please note that all cars will be randomly checked during all Championship rounds.

Control Tyres for Carpet Racing
As a club that runs on carpet, we have introduced control tyres for the 1:10th scale Touring Cars to ensure that no damage is done to the carpet and also to provide a fairly level playing field for all participants.

Please note that minipins will NOT be permitted.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
The club will allow drivers to use tyre additive but it must be one of the additives that have been approved by the BRCA. We will be checking all tyre additive containers before you will be permitted to race on the carpet.

Tyre Additives allowed:

  • Corally TC2 Jack the Gripper - Part No 13779
  • CS Grip Tyre Conditioner - Part No C6400
  • LRP Top Grip Carpet 2 Blue Factor - Part No 65011
  • Nosram Traction Additive 'Carpet' - Part No NR96010
  • Orion Street Juice TC Traction F1 - Part No 44101
  • Orion Foam Juice Formula - Part No 44105
  • Speedtech Foam Traction Liquid - Part No FL001

General Club Rules

  • There is a strict no smoking policy at Bromham Village Hall, the indoor venue for the club. If you wish to smoke, please do so at the designated area outside the building and dispose of cigarettes in bins provided
  • Members will be required to sign in on time at the beginning of race meetings so as not to hold up the racing
  • No alcohol to be consumed on the premises
  • Members under the age of 16 must be accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian
  • Any complaints during a race meeting must be directed towards the chairman or other committee members
  • 12V car batteries used as a source for charging cells must be contained within a sealed box to prevent accidental spillage
  • All LiPo batteries, when being charged inside the Bromham Hall premises, MUST be contained in a LiPo charging sack. If you are found to be charging in the hall without a sack then you will not be permitted to race that evening
  • You are not permitted to race your model cars anywhere outside the Village Hall, either on the grass areas, or the car park
  • For insurance purposes and due to the noise issues with local residents, no Nitro RC models are permitted inside or outside the building during a race meeting
  • No other radio controlled vehicle/toy is permitted to be used during a race evening, either inside or outside the hall facilities.

Racing Rules

  • Racing will consist of 3 x 4 minute heats, followed by 1 x 5 minute final. Where time permits the chairman may increase the length of the heats and/or finals
  • Damaged cars, be that a wheel missing, or loose bodyshell must be removed from the race track immediately by a marshall
  • All drivers must be on the rostrum before the start of the race
  • After a race, all cars and transmitters to be placed in the designated dropbox/scrutineering area and all drivers to then go to their marshal point ready for the next race
  • All drivers must marshall the race following the one you have raced in, even if your car did not finish
  • Only damaged cars will be permitted to be returned to the pits to be fixed and you must select another driver to marshall on your behalf
  • When necessary you should make yourself available to marshall other races
  • All transmitters are to be switched off in the pits.
  • Races will be controlled with I-Laps, an automatic lap counting computer-based system which uses Personal Transponders, these can be hired on race nights for £2
  • After hiring a transponder for 13 meetings, members will be given the transponder to keep, alternatively you may wish to purchase new ones for just £26 each
  • The role of the marshall is to ensure cars remain on the track and to position cars back on the track in the correct direction
  • You can only marshall a race if you are a member of the BRCA
  • The marshall is not a mechanic and is not to spend time trying to fix a broken car on the side of the track - however simple fixes such as reconnecting batteries, loose bodyshells etc are permitted
  • If a car is damaged beyond repair during a race the marshal must remove it from the track and if possible switch off the car
  • Any foul language from either marshalls or drivers on the rostrum is not encourage and if excessive use of foul language is used you will be disqualified from racing and maybe asked to leave the race meeting
  • If you are racing and your car breaks down, you must remain on the rostrum until the end of the race
  • The club will supply all members with a full set of BRCA approved racing numbers.

Technical Rules for 1:10 scale Touring Cars TC Class

  • Any commercially available 1:10th Touring Car chassis
  • Minimum weight of 1:10 scale Touring Car TC Class ready to run, including body shell will be 1350g
  • Minimum ground clearance 5mm
  • To ensure an even playing field, control tyres for the Touring Cars are:
    SST Rally 24/25mm wide - Yellow [U6629]
    SST Rally 24/25mm wide - White [No U6630]
    Carpet Dragon [No U6690]
    Sorex 24 Revlite [Part XG-24BM]
    Sorex 28 Revlite [XG-28JB]
    Sorex 32 Revlite [XG-32JB]
  • Only permitted tyre additives listed above will be allowed
  • Tyre warmers will be permitted
  • Stock 27T brushed or 13.5 (or higher) brushless motors allowed
  • If running a 13.5 Brushless Motor, then Speed Controllers with Turbo Boost or Dynamic Timing must have these features switched off
  • If running a 17.5 Brushless Motor, then Speed Controllers with Turbo Boost or Dynamic Timing may be used with these features switched on
  • No modified motors will be permitted to race
  • Lipo batteries permitted, but must be used with correct charger, failure to use correct charger will result in being excluded from racing on safety grounds
  • Cars will be driven by cells/batteries up to a nominal voltage of 7.4v
  • Forward only speed controllers allowed
  • Some RTR models come with a speed controller has reverse you will be permitted to race but we must ask that you do not use reverse during the race
  • Body shells must be painted with windows left clear - required for the clubs I-Lap lap counting system to function correctly.
  • Touring car body shells can not have holes cut out of the front unless RTR pre-painted shell stops I-Lap lap counting system from working
  • All cars must race with rear wings firmly attached, if dislodged during a race the car must be immediately stopped and be removed from the track
  • All cars to have clearly visible identifying number facing the front. They must be black numerals on a white background and not be cut down where possible.

Technical Rules for 1:12 scale Mardave Club Class

  • Cars to race will be the 1/12th scale Mardave Mini's including V12/Caterham's and all the older shorter wheel base Mardave Mini's
  • Car, unless otherwise stated below, must be kit standard chassis and suspension. No composite chassis allowed
  • No vehicle shall be constructed so as to be dangerous to persons or cause damage to competitor's cars or to the track surface, no sharp or protruding objects are allowed on the cars
  • Body and chassis must be securely joined at the start of race and must remain on car during the race
  • Steel whip aerials and rollover masts are not allowed, plastic whip aerials are allowed
  • Minimum ride height will be 3mm (we would recommend that you have the holes in your chassis countersunk and then use countersunk screws - the club will help out if you require your chassis to be countersunk) and 1mm at the spur gear
  • Car ready to race must be a minimum weight of 1000g
  • Only foam tyres allowed, tyres to be Min 20mm Max 26mm width and have a Max 60mm diameter, no minimum diameter for tyres, but the tyre must cover the wheel
  • Tyre additive allowed (see list above) and tyres must be dry before the car is placed onto the carpet to race
  • Ball races allowed on rear axle only
  • Spur gears must be 46, 48 or 50 tooth
  • Z-Drive rear axle and spur gear system maybe used instead of the plastic kit standard items
  • No rear differential allowed
  • Front wishbone braces are permitted
  • Any make of servo, servo saver or track rod ends can be used on the cars steering system
  • Chassis top mounting may be changed, altered or removed
  • No external bumpers are permitted - however, a commercially available internal front foam bumper maybe used
  • Any commercially available Mardave or Kamtec, ABS, Lexan & Carbon effect bodyshells may be used, the shell must remain securely fixed to the car throughout the race, windows can only be cut out on the ABS and carbon effect shells to allow clubs iLapRC Transponders to work
  • No supplementary aerofoil or fins shall be fitted to the body with the exception of a rear wing if desirable, this wing must be non metallic, commercially available and securely fixed
  • Any type, make and capacity of brushed speed controller may be used up to a max RRP of £75
  • Cars to use four cells only (No LiPo's permitted), cells to be sub-C sized cells only, with a nominal voltage of 1.2 volts per cell, cells to be Nicad and NiMh's, battery mountings may be changed from the original kit
  • Brushed Motors will be a controlled motor - the Mardave G2 brushed motor
  • Under no circumstances are re-buildable motors, fitting of external motor bearings or skimming of motor armatures allowed
  • Motor heatsinks with or without fans are permitted to cool the motor
  • Although comm drops are permitted to be used on your motor, other motor prep techniques such as water dipping are not permitted.

Technical Rules for 1:12 scale Mardave BRCA Class

  • Cars to race will be the 1/12th scale Mardave V12 Chassis, Caterham Chassis and the Schumacher Chassis when it is released
  • No vehicle shall be constructed so as to be dangerous to persons or cause damage to competitor's cars or to the track surface, no sharp or protruding objects are allowed on the cars
  • Body and chassis must be securely joined at the start of race and must remain on car during the race
  • Steel whip aerials and rollover masts are not allowed, plastic whip aerials are allowed
  • Minimum ride height will be 3mm (we would recommend that you have the holes in your chassis countersunk and then use countersunk screws - the club will help out if you require your chassis to be countersunk) and 1mm at the spur gear
  • Car ready to race must be a minimum weight of 950g
  • Only foam tyres allowed, tyres to be Min 20mm Max 26mm width and have a Max 60mm diameter, no minimum diameter for tyres, but the tyre must cover the wheel
  • Tyre additive allowed (see list above) and tyres must be dry before the car is placed onto the carpet to race
  • Ball races allowed on both front and rear axles
  • Either 32 or 48 dp pinion and spur gear to be used
  • Mardave differentials allowed
  • Z-Drive rear axle and spur gear system maybe used instead of the plastic kit standard items
  • Mardave alloy motor pod may be used
  • Front wishbone braces are permitted
  • Any make of servo, servo saver or track rod ends can be used on the cars steering system
  • Chassis top mounting may be changed, altered or removed
  • No external bumpers are permitted - however, a commercially available internal front foam bumper maybe used
  • Any commercially available Mardave or Kamtec, ABS, Lexan & Carbon effect bodyshells may be used, the shell must remain securely fixed to the car throughout the race, windows can only be cut out on the ABS and carbon effect shells to allow clubs iLapRC Transponders to work
  • No supplementary aerofoil or fins shall be fitted to the body with the exception of a rear wing if desirable, this wing must be non metallic, commercially available and securely fixed
  • Brushless motors to have a minimum of 13.5 turns and a maximum RRP of £75
  • Brushed motors maybe permitted and equivalent to 13.5 Brushless
  • Forward and Reverse or Forward only Brushless ESC permitted.
  • Brushless ESC with turbo or timing adjustments MUST have these features turned off and raced in 'Blinky' mode
  • Cars to use 1s Lipo 3.7 volt batteries or 3cell Nimh 3.6 volt
  • Motor heatsinks with or without fans are permitted to cool the motor
  • Although comm drops are permitted to be used on your motor, other motor prep techniques such as water dipping are not permitted.

Technical Rules for 1:10 scale Formula 1

  • Any commercially available chassis from Tamiya, HPI and 3 Racing
  • Full Technical Rules TBC.

Technical Rules for 1:10 scale Tamiya Minis

  • Any commercially available Tamiya Mini chassis
  • Full Technical Rules TBC.

These rules are designed to make a race meeting run smoothly, provide close competitive racing and above all else for us all to enjoy racing the model cars we have purchased.