Practice
On Tuesday Practice evenings and before each meeting, there is time to practice the track. Tuesday Practice evenings there is plenty time to work on setup changes to your buggy as well as learning the layout of the track.
Heats
At SHRCCC on our club nights, we generally run three heats of 5 minute timed qualifying rounds. This means you are racing the clock, not each other. So be respectful – if a faster car approaches you, let them pass. There will be time to race in your finals.
Once you have done a sighting lap, you line up your buggy shortly before the timing loop. You then wait for the race director for further instructions. If your personal transponder has not been assigned to your name, you will be asked to go over the loop a couple of times. Once all personal transponders have been checked, you then line up your buggy again ready to start the Heat.
Important – Check before the Heat which number you are starting from.
When the Heat starts, the computer takes over and will announce the numbers one by one. You then set off across the timing loop and your 5 minute qualifying Heat begins. Once you have completed your 5 minutes, when you cross the timing loop, your number will be called. You then park your buggy to the side of the track and wait for all buggies to finish their 5 minutes. You then come down from the rostrum and collect your buggy. Turn your buggy off along with your transmitter, set them on your table, and go out to your marshalling point for the next Heat, remembering to wear your Hi-Viz vest.
Your qualifying position is then determined on the best results out of X number of qualifying Heats. So for Thursday night racing, this is best 2 of 3 Heats.
Finals
There are 2 leg finals on Thursday nights and depending upon time, either 1, 2, or 3 leg finals on Sundays.
For your Final, please do a sighting lap, crossing the timing loop at least once. This makes sure your personal transponder is counting.
All buggies then line up in grid order on the main straight with a staggered grid. Once the Race Director is ready, the race will start. There will be a countdown of 10 beeps, a random pause, then a warble. On the warble, the race has started and you set off from the grid for 5 minutes of fun, respectful racing.
If you have a collision with another racer that was your fault, please wait for their buggy to be marshalled, then carry on your race. It is open wheel racing, so contact can happen but generally there are few occasions where you will have to cede a position.
Once the 5 minutes of racing have counted down, you then continue racing until you cross the timing loop line. You will then hear your buggy number so you know you have completed your race. Same procedure of waiting on the rostrum for all cars to finish applies as the Heats. Once all buggies have crossed the timing loop line, a tone will sound and you will then descend the rostrum to collect your buggy, turn off the buggy and your transmitter, return them to your pit table, ensure you are then wearing your Hi-Viz vest and go out to marshal the next Final.
Your overall result will depend on the position(s) you finish in your final.
