BSCRA Handbook PREFACE and Parts 3 to 6

THE B.S.C.R.A. RULES

2025 edition

This is the current edition of the BSCRA rules. This internet version of the handbook contains all the rules from the published handbook, and has links to make it easy to find related topics (links are in underlined blue text).

CONTENTS

PREFACE
RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION
PART 1:         Track Standards (recommended lane spacing added for 2024)
PART 2:         Car Standards for the INTRO 32 class ( updated for 2025)
PART 3:         Car Standards for all cars except INTO 32  ( updated for 2025)
PART 4:         National British Championships - 1/32 Scale   ( updated for 2025)
PART 5:         National British Championships - 1/24 Scale (unchanged from 2017)
PART 6:         Competition Rules   (updated for 2025)
PART 7:         Driving Permit Regulations (unchanged from 2017)

Return to rules start page

PREFACE

The British Slot Car Racing Association exists to foster slot car racing in Britain. For this purpose a set of rules and principles have been developed so that members can race anywhere on equal terms. Major changes in the Association rules are decided by a majority vote of BSCRA members, the BSCRA Council is empowered to make less important changes. The basic rules are also used by many unattached clubs. Clubs wishing to deviate from these rules should inform all competitors in writing of any changes from these rules before the meeting.

The Association has organized an annual 1/32 National Slot Racing Championship event since 1964. More recently the Association has organised a 1/24 National Championship event and the multi-round British Open Championships for 1/32 and 1/24 cars.

The Association is active in promoting "Production" class racing to provide a bridge between the home set racer and clubs, and to provide the more experienced racers with an inexpensive form of racing. Regional series for these cars are providing racers lots more opportunities for drivers to race outside their clubs.

The BSCRA websites, keep members up to date with the slot racing scene by publishing race reports, articles, etc.

The racing rules, although perhaps complex, have been evolved to meet the needs of modern slot racing. The officials of BSCRA are enthusiastic racers, so any matter requiring action between Council Meetings will be decided with the good of the sport in mind. However, the officials rely on you, the members, for help and advice. Your lines of communication with the Association are as follows:
1. Your Club Secretary
2. Your Area Co-ordinator
3. Members of the Council and the other Association officials.

Your Area Co-ordinator is your prime point of contact with BSCRA and is responsible for organising racing within your Area. Going further, contact can be made with the Council regarding the day to day organisation of the Association, or the Competition Secretary for decisions regarding technical matters concerning tracks, cars and other rule interpretation problems.

You can contact any official direct, and he will do his best to help or advise. However, please remember to telephone at a reasonable hour, or, if you write, to enclose a stamped addressed envelope for his reply.

The full workings of the Association are set out in the Constitution. Reference to this will solve many problems of procedure and administration on the spot.

If a matter arises that is so urgent that it affects the good of the sport, the Council will take a decision on it. Following any Council decision, one postal vote of the Membership may be taken on that decision in the following year. A postal vote may be prepared by the Council or applied for by the members. In any application for a postal vote, the signatories must include their Drivers Permit number.

Any appeal against a decision by the Council must be accompanied by a Protest Fee of £5.00. This fee will be returned if the protest is upheld.

Lastly, the existence of BSCRA is largely responsible for the standardisation of cars and tracks nationally and hence the availability of the equipment that you race with. Members can help promote slot racing by persuading other enthusiasts to join the Association.

Note Clubs are advised to obtain insurance to cover their liabilities for injury or damage to persons or property, and loss or damage to their equipment.

ORGANISING A MEETING

A slot racing meeting is easily marred by bad organisation leading to long delays and unnecessary arguments over marshalling, race control, scrutineering etc.

The officials needed to run an efficient meeting are:
1 Secretary of the meeting
2. Race Controller
3. Scrutineer
4. Stewards

It is possible to combine some of the above duties, but at least two knowledgeable and responsible people are required in addition to the stewards.

Secretary of the Meeting
Is responsible for all the paperwork and should:
1. Draft, copy and distribute the entry forms and regulations.
2. Receive the entry forms from competitors and enter them on race sheets.
3. Ensure the competitors are informed which races they are in by displaying duplicate race sheets, etc. Also ensure lane marker stickers are available.
4. Draw up the results sheets.
5 Draw up a balance sheet showing the financial result.

Race Controller
This is the 'manager' responsible for the conduct of the racing. His duties are:
1. To check that all marshalling positions are covered and if necessary call for more marshals.
2. To obtain practice sheets from the secretary and supervise official practice.
3. To obtain race sheets from the secretary, call up the appropriate drivers, run and record the results of each race and enter the qualifying drivers into subsequent finals, etc.
4. To make a decision on any protest made by a competitor unless he feels that the protest should go direct to the stewards.
5 To make a decision regarding the restarting of any race and to be responsible for the official result of each race.

Scrutineer.
This official must have a good knowledge of BSCRA regulations and, if possible, a knowledge of full-size racing cars. Any protest against his decision must be made to the Stewards.

Stewards
These are the ultimate authority on the day. They should consist of one home club member with a good knowledge of the rules and the sport generally, and one similar person from each of two visiting clubs - three in all. Their responsibilities are defined fully in Part 6 of this Handbook.
Meetings will run without apparent effort if all the officials know what they are expected to do, and when there are sufficient officials so that no individual is overloaded.
If sufficient people are available it is a good idea to make someone responsible for repairing any faults, which may occur with the track or lap recorders.

MARSHALLING

One of the most vital posts to be filled at any slot-race meeting is that of corner marshal. Unfortunately, it is often regarded as being an irksome, thankless chore to be done as little as possible, and fit mainly for the lesser drivers or those with enough conscience to do more than their fair share.

This need not be the case as, if every competitor marshalled the same number of times that he raced, a good deal of delay whilst calling for marshals would be avoided. Remember, you'll want marshals whilst you're racing, so be prepared to do your share.

It is recommended that the organisers of meetings allocate marshalling positions to competitors. For example, the drivers from each lane can be responsible for marshalling nominated bends in the heat following their race. In team races, each team can be made responsible for marshalling a bend. Organising the marshalling in this way allows the race controller to call for named drivers or teams to marshal, rather than having to make a general appeal for marshals to a room full of people (many of whom will assume the appeal is addressed to somebody else!). The above is now mandatory at the National Finals and rounds of the British Open Championship.

Some tips for marshals are listed below:

1. Don't wear anything that dangles on the track. There is no need to create more work for yourself than is already provided by the drivers.

2. Try to concentrate on the job at hand. This entails not holding a conversation or eating your lunch, etc.

3. Don't try to replace a de-slotted car if there is a chance that you will knock another car off in the process - your first task is to clear the circuit of debris.

4. Don't guess which lane to put a car back into - if it's not stickered properly, that's the driver's fault and he will thank you in the long run for not putting it in the wrong lane.

5. In the event of a multiple crash, the car causing the pile-up is always replaced last.

6. Don't take anything that a driver says to you in the heat of the moment as a personal insult. He probably doesn't mean it - it's just that you are the most convenient person to vent his frustrations on.

Whilst there is no excuse for a really bad piece of marshalling, drivers can make the marshal's job a little easier by following these basic tips:

1 Ensure your car is correctly stickered, with a sticker in a clearly visible position. Having the only sticker on the rear wing where it is likely to be covered by the marshals hand is not much good, nor is a sticker that is confused with the cars paint scheme.

2. You will probably know you've overdone it before the car deslots, but the marshal won't! If you shout it will probably only succeed in making the marshal loose his concentration at the critical moment. Likewise, if the marshal already has both hands full of cars, your yelling at him is unlikely to produce a third hand, and will probably to add to the confusion, so it will take longer to get everybody back in the right lane.

3. If you see a car across your lane, don't try to drive straight into it and expect the marshal to put you back in double quick time. You'll save much more time by waiting for the marshal to clear the obstruction and you won't risk of wrecking your car or that of the other driver.

4 Try to keep your temper and never, never use bad language, as this does nothing but damage the reputation of our sport. Penalties can be imposed for bad conduct - see part 6, rule 26 of this handbook.

ADVICE ON TRACK GRIP CONDITIONS

Cars built to BSCRA rules are generally intended to run with some rubber deposit (from the tyres) and some 'goop' on the track. The use of goop is strictly controlled (see part 6, rule 28 of this handbook).The following guidelines are generally accepted:

1. The rubber deposit and goop on tracks does not work well after an extended period of use (because of dust, etc. contaminating the goop). It is generally accepted that prior to a major meeting tracks should be cleaned and re-gooped.

2 Spray gooping of tracks is recommended after cleaning. This allows a thin layer of goop to be applied in the corners and braking areas which "runs in " to provide good conditions very quickly. Satisfactory results can be achieved with goop straight out of the bottle, but more care is needed to avoid excess and uneven gooping, and this method usually requires a longer "running in" period. When using most types of black rubber it is better not to add goop on top of a rubber deposit.

3. Tapes will need to be cleaned periodically during meetings. Care should be taken to clean only the tapes, and not to remove grip from the rest of the track.

4. The solvents used to thin spray goop and clean the track, tapes or braids tend to damage the adhesive that hold the tapes or braid to the track, so avoid the use of excess solvents. Solvents that evaporate slowly, such as white spirit should be avoided as they tend to do more damage to adhesives.

5. If you goop up your rear tyres before a race remember to ensure they are dry before putting them on the track. You are required to put the car on at the start line (or on another straight specified by the organisers), putting a car with excess goop in these positions will deposit goop in places that will make the car slower.

6. More powerful cars generally run better with more grip, and are better able to cope with thick tyre deposits than less powerful ones. Therefore, organisers of meetings should consider running Production cars first and Sports/GT cars last, so that the more powerful cars are run later in the meeting when the grip and tyre deposits are usually greatest.

ADVICE ON TRACK CALLS

The rules about track calls in the Competition Rules (scroll down to Part 6) are mandatory; the following advice is included for guidance

Track calls are used by marshals or (in some circumstances) drivers to request the race control to suspend a race. A track call is made by simply calling "track" loudly and clearly enough so that the race controller can hear it above the background noise. The details will vary from track to track The organisers should inform competitors of the track call procedure at the drivers briefing at the start of the meeting. The following are typical reasons for a justified track call.

1 A car deslotted in an unmarshalable position. Cars off under the bridge or under the track are generally considered unmarshalable. The organisers should clarify what parts of their track is considered unmarshalabe, this should include places where the marshal has to lean on the track surface to reach the car and might include other places that are difficult for the marshal to reach (for example on some tracks the straight in front of the drivers is difficult for the marshal to reach without interfering with the drivers).

2 A car in the wrong slot. (a "rider")

3 A suspected track fault.

The following tips are offered to help with track calls:

1 Drivers should only make track calls when they are justified. Clearly there is an advantage in having the power turned off while your misfortune is sorted out.

2 The organisers may define penalties for driver who gain an unfair advantage by unjustified track calls. The driver briefing should include a statement on the penalties. (As with all penalties, competitors have the right of appeal to the stewards if they consider the penalty to be unfair.)

3 If lots of people are talking loudly all at once, the race controller is unlikely to be able to discern the word "track" above the general noise level. This is one of the many reasons for keeping the noise level down during racing.

4 The race controller will endeavour to turn off the power as quickly as possible once he has heard a track call. Human reaction times are not instantaneous. (Yes race controllers are human too!) Unfortunately, this means that there is no guarantee that the power will be removed quickly enough to prevent every wrong laned car coming to grief at the next bend. Venting your frustrations on the race controller isn't helpful to the smooth running of the meeting, and might even earn you a conduct warning!

5 The race controller needs to know when the power can be turned back on

ADVICE ON NEW MEMBERS AND CLUB ROOMS

1 Attracting new racers into slot racing is essential to the survival of the sport. BSCRA publicises slot racing, and there is a lot that clubs can do to attract new members. There's no big publicity budget - but a lot can be done with very little expenditure.

2 Slot racing is publicised in many ways. Occasionally we manage to get articles in National Newspapers and TV coverage. There is great publicity to be gained with slot tracks at exhibitions. At a local level there is much that clubs can do, for example coverage in the local press and radio; posters in shop windows, libraries, sports centres - in fact anywhere prepared to display them.

3 The internet is increasingly being used as a valuable source of information on so many things. BSCRA and many of its clubs have web sites, and these play their part in attracting new members. Good web sites tell you something about the club, tell you where and when it meets - or perhaps give a contact. Don't forget to tell BSCRA about your web site - we are only to happy to provide links to it. If you cannot do your own club web site, talk to BSCRA - we are happy to help publicise member clubs on the web

4 Many clubs are lucky enough to have a permanent clubroom. The clubroom is a home for the club track, and very often the room costs more than the track. Keeping the track room reasonably clean and tidy not only makes it more pleasant for the members, but can be important in encouraging new members. Lots of clubs sell some refreshments - this helps the social atmosphere (and can help club funds)

5 Once you get a potential member through the clubroom door its up to the club to make sure they stay and enjoy racing. Talk to new comers, explain how your racing and cars work - let them have a go. You only get one shot, once somebody walks through the door, if they find people are unfriendly you won't see them again! The social atmosphere at a club can be more important than the racing! It is scarcely encouraging if people cannot have a go, so we strongly recommend clubs have cars and controllers available for loan.

RULES OF THE ASSOCIATION

PART 1: Track Standards

PART 2: Car Standards for the INTRO 32 Class

PART 3: Car Standards for all cars (except INTRO 32)

PART 4: National British Championships 1/32 scale

1 The Association shall each year hold a meeting or meetings to decide the National British Champion for 1/32 scale slot racing in the following classes.

a) Individual Formula 1 (BSCRA Class 1).

(b) Individual Sports/GT (BSCRA Class 2).

In addition to the above three overall Championships, which are open to all grades of driver, there will be the following separate finals

In Classes I ,2 and 3 at the Nationals Open to Main Grade (including Novice) drivers only.

In Class 3 (Saloon) at the Nationals Open to Novice drivers only.

(d) Individual INTRO 32 (BSCRA INTRO 32 Class ).

(e) F2 open the Clubman grade drivers

(f) Club Teams.

(g A Super Production race and a F2 race open to all members may be run

NOTE Best presented body / Constructors awards will be included

2. Individual Championships

2.1 Overall, - all BSCRA members are eligible to race in the Overall Championships.

2.2 Main Grade: all BSCRA members are eligible for Main Grade except:
i) Those who have been an outright National Champion in 1/32nd or 1/24 scale in the last 5 years. (1/24 National Champions are those who have won a class at the BSCRA 1/24 Nationals or 1/24 International meeting.)
ii) Any finalist in the Overall1/32 National Championships in each open class in the last two years (with the current eight lane track, this means the top eight).
iii) The top 5 drivers in both the 1/32 and 1/24 British Open Championship in the previous 2 seasons. (NOTE this means the top 5 in the 2018 BOC will be in the premier grade for the 2019 and 2020 season.)
vi) The previous year's Main Grade National Champions in each open class.

2.3 Clubman (also konwn as Novice) Grade:   all BSCRA members are eligible for Clubman grade except:
i)   Previous National Champions in  Intermediate grade Saloon, Division 2 Saloon, Novice Saloon, Clubman Saloon, INTRO 32, Production or Formula 32 (pre 1983) and clubman F2 from 2025 onwards.
ii) Anyone who in the last 10 years has twice finished above the bottom 10 places in an overall individual National Championship with less than 50 competitors.       AND / OR in the top 40 in an overall individual National Championship with 50 or more competitors.
iii)   Anyone who has ever been in the premier grade.
iv)   Anyone who has ever been in an overall individual 1/32 National Final.
v)    Anybody in the current ISRA World Ranking list with more than 3.00 points and who was over sixteen on January 1 of the Championship year concerned.

            NOTE 1 : Competitors who qualify for both overall Individual National Finals and INTRO 32 may race in all applicable events in that year.
NOTE 2 : Competitors who qualify for the overall or Main Grade National Final as well as the Novice grade National final may race in both finals.
NOTE 3 : Competitors who qualify for both the overall and Main Grade National Final may only race in the overall final.
NOTE 4 :    Overall Individual National Championships are 1/32 Sports/GT, F1 and Saloon
NOTE 5 : The Championship year concerned is the year when the result was achieved, not the current year
NOTE 6:     Open individual class at the Nationals are Saloon, F1 and Sports/GT. They do not include INTRO 32, Production, Novice Saloon, the Cub Team championship or the Production Challenge.

2.5 Allocation of National Qualifiers
At the 1/32 Nationals 48 places are allocated in each of the open classes (Saloon, F1 and Sports/GT)

(a) The overall National Champion in each 1/32 class (Saloon, Formula 1, and Sports/GT)
(b) The top 5 points finishers in the 1/32 BOC, will qualify for the 1/32 Nationals in all 3 class. (If one National Champion is in the top 5 BOC places, the 6th. place BOC driver will qualify etc.). After these 6, 7 or 8 places are allocated, the remaining Nationals places will be distributed as follows.
(c) 13 places in each class shall be allocated in as near as possible direct proportion to the Area's membership who have either been Overall National Champions in each open 1/32 class in the last five years or is premier grade for the reasons 2.2 ii - iv above and who have not qualified in (a) or (b) above. The council may allocate an extra place to the Area organising the National Championship. The remaining places in each class shall be allocated to the Areas in as near as possible direct proportion to the Area's membership eligible for the Main Grade who have not qualified in (a) or (b) above.

2.6 The membership for each Area is that registered at February 1st preceding the National Finals. In order to qualify for the individual National Championships drivers must be BSCRA registered members by February 1st that year.

2.7 Each Area Co-ordinator shall arrange at least two meetings among its members to decide the qualifiers for the Formula 1, Sports/GT, Saloon and Falcon Production classes and shall inform all interested members of such arrangements at least 21 days in advance of the first meeting .

2.8 In Area meetings (if they are held) the organisers shall arrange for sufficient heats and semi-finals (or sub-finals) to be held to enable at least the first six competitors to gain Championship points.

2.9 During the heats at the National Finals all drivers shall Marshall the heat following their own. Should they fail to do so when asked then their best heat time in that class shall be forfeit. Drivers may be excused from marshalling at the discretion of the race controller.

3. Club Team Championship

3.1 Each club may enter one or more teams in the National Club Team Championships, provided that the club is affiliated to BSCRA by February 1 of that year. Club Teams may have no more than one guest driver who is an independent member from their allocated BSCRA area. The other drivers in the team must all be BSCRA registered members of the club at the time of the event. The same drivers need not be used in each event.

3.2 Teams shall be required to enter the National Team Championship Final in advance, paying an entry fee which shall be non-returnable even if the team do not race. The Council shall set the fee and entry date.

3.3 The Association shall organise whatever additional meetings are necessary to reduce the number of teams entering to that which can be catered for at the National Finals meeting.

3.4 To participate in any team event leading up to and including the National Finals a member's permit must show him to be a member of the club he/she is driving for.

3.5 Any person who has raced for one club in an event leading up to the Team Championship shall not race for another club in the Team Championship during the same season.

3.6 The race format shall be as follows:-

i) Each Team shall consist of four drivers and one car. The chassis may not be changed during the race but teams will be allowed one spare motor and 3 spare bodies.

ii) The National Team Race shall be run with all the teams competing in one race , with rest periods as necessary. The running time for each team will normally be 3 hours running time, except where there are more than 12 teams or when the time available at the venue dictates shorter duration.
iii) In all team races leading up to and including the Team Race Final each driver shall race for an equal period of time and each team shall race on each lane for an equal period of time. For the purposes of this rule "race" shall include repairing the car or waiting for it to be repaired if this is necessary during the driving periods. Repairs to the car may only be made during the running time of the race.

iv) The winners will be the team covering the greatest distance. Ties shall be decided by the distance covered in the segments starting with segment 1.
v) Driver changes are only permitted at the times designated by the Race Controller. The track shall be switched off during driver and lane changes.
vi) At the National Team Race, all competing teams will have both their car impounded as necessary to ensure equal preparation time.

4. Constructors Championships and Best Presented Body

4.1 At the National Individual Finals each year there will be a best presented car prize taking into account the whole car presentation including bodyshell, chassis & motor construction for each class of racing (INTRO 32, Overall Saloon, Formula 1, and Sports/GT). The meeting organisers shall appoint one or more judges. Only drivers competing in the class are eligible to enter. Bodies and chassis may only be entered in one class and may not be entered in subsequent years. The whole car must be prepared by the entrant. The winning car must complete one heat with at least 70% of the laps of the fastest heat in that class.

4.2 At the National Individual Finals each year, a trophy may be awarded for the best constructed car overall. This shall be judged giving credit for all the work carried out by the constructor. The winning car must complete one heat with at least 70%' of the laps of the fastest heat in that class. Final judging shall take place after the heat to ensure that items are not used which are practical on a genuine slot car. The organisers have discretion to award this trophy, and it is unlikely to be awarded in years where the chassis are largely constructed of edm or laser cut parts.

4.3 At the National Individual Finals each year, a trophy may be awarded to the constructor of the most successful cars. The results will be decided on a points basis, 24 for first .. 1 for 24th. in each of the 3 overall classes, and each constructors 3 best placed cars in each class are eligible for points. The organisers have discretion to award this trophy, and it is unlikely to be awarded in years where the chassis are largely constructed of edm or laser cut parts.

5 General

5.1 The track used in all events leading up to the National British Championships must have a minimum of four lanes and be not less than 15 m to the lap, marked out in sections of 1/10th. of a lap or less.

5.2 All cars competing in the National Finals shall be scrutineered before competing and, if they do not comply with the Car Standards, shall be excluded.

5.3 In Area events, it is recommended that all cars qualifying for semi-finals, sub-finals and finals shall be scrutineered before those events are run.

5.4 Drivers may accumulate points in only one BSCRA Area's qualifying events leading to Individual or Club Team National Finals in any one season.

5.5 Driving permits should be carried by all members whilst participating in an official BSCRA Area or National Championship Meeting.

5.6 All Competition Rules, Racing Classes (as specified Car Standards Part 3, Rule 1), Track Standards and Car Standards apply to and must be enforced in all events leading up to and including the National British Championships and British Open Championship events. Certain local conditions may require additions to these; in particular it is widely accepted that a club may insist on a minimum ground clearance or additional TV suppression.

NOTE 1: Clubs wishing to insist on these additions must give competitors written notice of them before the day of the event. however, Part 5, Rule 6 does not give organisers the right to modify Competition or other Rules in the events specified in this Handbook.

NOTE 2: Races which are not part of the above Championships (such as club racing) are free to adopt all or any part of these rules. (For example different bodies may be used). However, it is important that competitors are informed of the rules prior to the meeting.

5.7 The Victor Ludorum Trophy at the National Finals shall be calculated by adding the points obtained in each class overall. Points shall be allocated 50 for first place, 49 for second, etc. down to one point for 50th place.

5.8 At the National Finals. The organisers may require post race scrutineering of motors for all the overall Saloon, Novice grade Saloon and Production Finals. The organisers may decide that any cars taking part in the final will be impounded after the race and then scrutineered. Any infringement will result in disqualification. and the driver being notified in writing. The driver will then have thirty minutes from receipt of such notification to lodge any protest and the appropriate fee with race control. The protest will be considered by the stewards and their decision will be final. The protest fee shall be returned to the competitor if the protest is upheld.

PART 5: National British Championships 1/24th Scale

The Association shall each year hold a meeting or meetings to decide the National British Champion for 1/24 scale slot racing in the following classes.

(a) Individual Open Group 12 (BSCRA Class 6)

(b) Individual Eurosport (BSCRA Class 7)

These classes will be open to all members.

PART 6: Competition Rules

I. The organisers shall appoint a race controller, three Stewards - at least two of whom shall be visitors and sufficient scrutineers to run the event efficiently.

2 The Race Controller shall have general control of the meeting. He may stop a race for reason of a false start or other reasons and order a re-run. Any question arising out of the running of the meeting shall be referred to the Race Controller whose decision shall, subject to the over-riding decision of the stewards, be final.

3 A rerun is required if the laps achieved by one or more competitor cannot be established to the Race Controllers satisfaction.

4 A track call for a car in an unmarshallable position will normally result in the race being suspended until the car is marshalled.

5 An aggrieved competitor has the right of appeal to the Stewards. The appeal must be lodged before the commencement of the next race, unless the appeal concerns track conditions which become apparent in that race. Should the competitor not be satisfied with the ruling of the Stewards and the Competition Secretary is present at the meeting, they may refer the question at issue to the Competition Secretary and at least two other Council members for a ruling. The stewards decision can only be reviewed after the meeting if the Competition Secretary decides that the question at issue may have a direct bearing on BSCRA racing in general. In this case the question at issue shall be decided by at the Competition Secretary and at least two other Council members. The review may set a precedent for all future meetings, but the result decided on the day will stand.

6 Supplementary Regulations and entry forms shall specify the classes to be raced, the format of the racing., and any variation to the Competition Rules. Supplementary Regulations will specify if home members are allowed to race. If no variation is specified, these Competition Rules shall apply.

7. Entries received after the official closing date shall not be accepted.

8. A car or chassis that has been raced by one driver at a meeting, may not be raced by another driver at the same meeting except in team races.

9. Proxy driving is not permitted.

10. The track power shall be turned on for familiarisation laps for a minimum of thirty seconds before each three minute race and for one minute before longer races.

11. If, when a race is ready to start, any competitor is missing, he shall be allowed one minute to bring his car to the grid. The race shall then be started and the competitor may join the race thereafter.

12. If, when a race is started, all the cars do not leave the starting grid, the Race Controller shall declare a false start and order a restart. Power to the lanes shall be checked and if on the restart, all cars do not leave the grid, those cars shall be presumed faulty and the race shall continue.

13. If, at the first corner, half or more of the cars are deslotted, the Race Controller shall stop the race and order a restart. At the National Finals, in the actual Finals only, the race shall be restarted if half or more of the cars are deslotted at the first or second corners.

14. Any finals, sub-finals or semi-finals may be run over a fixed period of time or over a set number of laps, as set out in the supplementary regulations.

15. In finals, sub-finals and semi-finals, the fastest driver has first choice of lane, the second the second choice of lane and so on until all the lanes are taken.

16. A driver qualifying for a final, sub-final or semi-final with more than one car may elect to drive any one of them. The others are then withdrawn. A competitor must race one of the cars he qualified with.

17. A driver may remove, or ask to have removed, his car from the track at any time during the race, to make a repair or adjustment to it. When such repairs are being made: a) they must be made off the track, b) the race will not be interrupted.

18. The Race Controller may have removed from the circuit for attention any car that he believes is creating a hazard either to other cars or the track, whether due to faulty mechanical, electrical or physical condition. The track will be switched off during the inspection only. The car thus removed may not be replaced on the track to continue racing until such time as the Race Controller is satisfied with the repairs or corrections that have been made.

19. If a track fault has caused a race to be stopped, the repair takes more than thirty seconds and the race has completed less than one minute duration, the race shall be declared void and restarted. If this occurs in the first minute of a race segment, the segment will be restarted with the cars returned to the laps and track positions where the segment started.
When the race has run for a minute or more prior to the race being stopped (and some competitors were not affected by the fault) the race will be completed and any necessary re-runs arranged. In a segmented race, or races of more than 5 minutes duration, the race controller shall have discretion to hold a rerun OR estimate the distance a competitor has lost or gained due to the track fault, and appropriately adjust the competitor's total.

20. In the event of a competitor being granted a re-run after the end of a heat, only the competitors whose race was affected by the cause of the re-run will be allowed to count their re-run time. If possible, these competitors shall be fitted in spare spaces on the appropriate lanes in later heats, but if the heat has to be re-run, the non-counting drivers must drive, but need not use the same car as long as it is eligible for that particular class.

21. In events where home members are not allowed to race, competitors shall not race or practice on the circuit in the month preceding the meeting. (If home members are allowed to race this does not apply.)

22 Use of tracks prior to championship meetings - - see BOC rules for restrictions on track use prior to 32 BOC meetings
23. Cars scrutineered before a race must comply with the rules as specified in Parts 2 and 3 of this Handbook.

24 If cars are scrutineered after a race, the scrutineer must satisfied that the car was legal at the start of the race, mindful that a car is not necessarily illegal if minor damage or tyre wear sustained during a race renders it temporarily outside the Regulations.

25. A car cannot be allowed to continue racing if it suffers major damage, such as the loss of the main bodyshell or one or more rear wheels or in F1 & F2 only one or more front wheels, etc.
NOTE, In all classes except in F1 & F2, it is no longer a requirement to stop and replace front wheels lost due to crash damage during a race. Cars still have to have front wheels (or "sticker" fronts) correctly fitted at the start of each race.

26 Conduct

26.1 Competitors must maintain acceptable standards of conduct at all times. The following are absolutely unacceptable:
Obscene or abusive language
Excessively loud or continued shouting

26.2 Smoking e- cigarettes in the track room is not permitted.

26.3 Race Controllers are responsible for ensuring acceptable conduct is maintained, particularly during racing. At the start of a meeting, the Race Controller must remind competitors of the standards required. Race Controllers are responsible for imposing sanctions as described in 26.4, 26.5, 26.6.

26.4 In the event of unacceptable conduct during a race the Race Controller must issue a verbal warning to the competitor concerned and keep a written record of this. The race may be stopped while the warning is issued and then resumed.

26.5 If the competitor continues or repeats unacceptable conduct the Race Controller must stop the race, and advise the offending competitor of the penalty to be applied. The race will then be resumed. The Race Controller must keep a written record of this.

26 6 Supplementary regulations or announcement shall state what penalties will be applied for conduct infringements. Generally this penalty will be the deduction of a number of laps. It is important that penalties are of a type which the stewards can reverse if they deem it necessary. Only in the most extreme cases will a driver be excluded from the race.

26.7 In extreme cases the Race Controller may impose the sanctions in 26.5 and/or 26.6 immediately if in the circumstances, competitors conduct warrants it. Any dispute over sanctions must be referred to the Stewards.

27 The organisers of a meeting are responsible for providing lane stickers. The driver is responsible for sticking appropriate lane stickers to his / her car.

28 Goop

28.1 Changing the grip conditions of the track either by adding goop or cleaning the track is only permitted as follows:-:
i) Gooping or cleaning the track is only permitted during official practice periods with the permission of the organisers who may take a vote of the competitors.
ii) Tape cleaning is not permitted during races, but is permitted at any other time providing it does not interfere with cars being driven round the track. In addition the race controller may order a general tape cleaning period.
iii) The race controller may permit re-gooping and/or cleaning any part of the track where an incident has changed the conditions. As far as reasonably practical, the track will be returned to the conditions immediately prior to the incident.
iv) The following restriction applies at the start of races and warm up laps for racing. Cars may only be placed on the start line or other section of the track specified by the organisers.
v) Solvent may be added to the braid before putting the car on the track for the first time prior to each race. No goop or further solvent may be added before the end of the race. More than one car may be tried in the pre-race 'warm-up ' but second or subsequent cars can only be put on the track in the position defined in rule 28.1 iv. It is not permitted to transfer extra goop/solvent to the track by using two or more cars with excess goop/solvent.

NOTE: For the purposes of this rule goop is any substance intended to be spread on the track surface, or likely to be spread on the track surface. Cleaning the track includes any action likely to remove or modify the goop on the track.

28.2 Tyre dressings containing oil of Wintergreen are not allowed.

29. When video recording of the start line is used, the following shall apply. The Race Controller may call for the video recording to be viewed. Drivers may lodge a request for the video recording to be viewed and lodge the appropriate fee with race control. Two stewards who have no vested interest in the outcome of the protest shall be appointed to view the video recording. The Race Controller shall advise the stewards which lanes are to be viewed and any other information he considers relevant. No other discussions are permitted prior to viewing the video. The viewing will be in a separate room if possible. The stewards decision will be final. The protest fee shall be returned to the competitor if the protest is upheld.

30 In any meeting where qualifying for a class takes place on the day prior to the race, who practiced for that class on that day and who elects, who elects (for whatever reason) not to qualify until the following day, cannot, regardless of time or distance covered, qualify higher than the previous days bottom qualifier. Racers who genuinely arrive on the day of the race can qualify as normal.

31 Justified track calls -
Areas of the track that the race organisers deem to be beyond normal marshalling access shall be clearly marked as "track call" areas. If a car needs to be marshalled within those areas the driver and/or a marshal should call "track" and the race controller shall turn off track power. The driver is also allowed to call track if his car drops into another lane (rider).
If a car leaves the track and the marshal has to move away from his/her marshalling area to retrieve the car only he/she shall call track. If a marshal feels he/she has too many cars to deal with safely only he/she can call track.
After a track call, when the car concerned is returned to the correct slot by the marshal or passed to the driver/mechanic, power shall be turned on.

32 Work during track calls
If a car directly involved in a track call needs attention before being replaced on track the marshal is only allowed the minimum amount of work to make it safe to be driven. If more attention is needed the marshal shall make the car available for repair by passing it on or leaving in an accessible location. Once repaired the car shall be returned to the track in the pit zone. It is the race controller's prerogative to turn power on if a car requires too much attention and has not been replaced in the slot. (For clarification, normal work by the marshal would be pointing the braids in the right direction or pulling the body out from the back wheels or guide, not extensively flattening the braids or removing the body from the gear). During the track call, no cars should be touched that weren't involved in the incident requiring the track call.

PART 7: Driving Permit Regulations

1. The BSCRA Driving Permit is the only proof of a driver's membership of an Area or a Club.

2. A BSCRA member may hold one current permit only.

3. Area Co-ordinators may issue a receipt for applied membership which will be accepted as a temporary Driving Permit for 28 days from the date of issue.

4. In the event of a member changing his club, his Permit should be returned to the Association Secretary (not the Membership Secretary) for amendment. The application for amendment will be investigated and, if found to be bona fide, will be passed to the Membership Secretary for action.

Return to Rules Start Page