N.I.R.C.M.B.A.
Northern Ireland Radio Controlled Model Bike Association
COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS
MEETING PROCEDURE
HEALTH AND SAFETY
For NIRCMBA recognition a championship round must meet with certain safety and hygiene requirements. A minimum of flushing toilets and running water must be supplied. Details of all facilities offered must accompany details of race procedure and awards in all invitations for entry. These will be sent to the club secretary of each individual club.
In order not to interfere with people's peace and quiet in the on-site caravanning/camping areas (if available), generators must not be run between the hours of 10:30pm and 9:00am.ENTRY PROCEDURE
Details of each meeting must be made available at least 4 clear weeks before the intended date. Entry fees (each day) will be as follows:1. Single category - £5. Both Categories - £7.50
2. Juniors, OAP's and F/T students - half priceJuniors are classed as being 16 or under on the date of the first round of the championship. F/T students must produce their student card.
N.B. - No profits will be made from any meeting. All proceeds belong to the NIRCMBA and all expenses will be refunded to the hosting club upon receiving receipts. £25 per race day will be paid to the Race Director who should not be a member of any club. The NIRCMBA will find persons to take on this duty and provide them with a manual of all rules and regulations. All other money remaining from the meeting will be put into the bank account of the NIRCMBA and used to further promote both the hobby and the safety of meetings. Any person wishing to view the associations funds will be sent a copy of the most recent bank statement upon request. When funds allow and such an event occurs funds will be used to help pay for a team to travel to international events.
All entries must be entered by the Tuesday immediately before the intended meeting. A limit of 50 entrants per class (solo standard, solo modified, sidecar standard, sidecar modified) will be allowed at any meeting. All entries will be on first come basis. All late entries will be succumbed to a £1.50 premium and these will be placed in separate heats regardless of ranking. No entries will be allowed after 8:30am on the morning of the days racing. Drivers will be placed into heats on a merit basis.
All entry fees pre-paid are non-returnable except in exceptional circumstances agreed by the NIRCMBA. Any entry is a commitment to pay the set fee. Any unpaid money will be brought to the attention of the Race Director who will not allow that entrant to compete further until money has been received or other arrangement agreed.
Where the meeting is over subscribed any pre-paid entries received before the Thursday of the intended weekend will be refunded.
All drivers wishing to partake in any championship round must be a member of the NIRCMBA or other R/C organisation offering full comprehensive insurance. Proof of membership must be shown on either the entry form (membership number and association) or at the Race Control on morning of the first day of a meeting.
Each entrant must have a minimum of 2 crystal sets for each radio set being used. These should only be either 27mhz or 40mhz. If there is a frequency clash in any final the person qualifying highest will have first choice, providing it is possible for drivers to change to the available frequencies.
RACE PROCEDURE
4 rounds of heats will be run for each competitor unless the total number of entrants exceeds 100. In this case only 3 rounds of heats will be run.There will be a break of 3mins between each heat for competitors to come off and get onto the rostrum safely. Any competitors not at the start line when called will have to start from the pitlane when all other bikes have passed by.
The Race Director will be in control of racing standards, interference decisions, protests, rule applications, etc. and will be appointed by the NIRCMBA. All interference claims and protests must be referred to the Race Director. The Race Director will consult with the Referee (appointed by the club hosting the event) and any subsequent action will be agreed. The decision of these officials shall be final.
Any driver claiming interference must switch off and see the Race Director immediately while the race is still in PROGRESS. The following guidelines will be used by the Race Director:
1. To ensure continuity no qualifying heat will be stopped unless the Race Director is satisfied that 2 or more competitors have detectable interference.
2. The Race Director will aim to provide each competitor with at least one heat free from interference.
3. The Race Director will check interference possibilities with all drivers before the start of the finals and these will not be stopped unless the Race Director is satisfied that on site interference is occurring. A competitor claiming interference in his final must switch off and report to the Race Director immediately.
4. At the discretion of the Race Director any competitor found with equipment causing on site interference will be disqualified from a meeting.
5. The Referee will also monitor racing standards and competitor behaviour. For a first offence the Race Director in consultation with the Referee will normally impose a 10 second penalty off that heat (adjusted at the end of the heat). For a second offence, a one lap penalty will be given and for a third offence disqualification from that heat. If the competitors standards still have not improved for the next round of heats he will be disqualified from the days racing completely. The Race Director may however disqualify a competitor from a days meeting without warning if he feels the infringement or misbehaviour warrant such penalty. Warnings are accumulative for each days racing only. As a guide to competitors the following standards are expected:
Slower machines being caught and lapped should give way as quick and safely as possible and the person should call his intentions of which way he will move to ensure a safe passing manouvre is completed. Deliberate collision from behind with another machine at a corner (T-boning) will be regarded as an unacceptable practice.
6. Any competitor not fulfilling his marshalling duties will be penalised by loss of FTD (Fastest Time of Day). Competitors must arrange a competent substitute if they are unable to marshal for any reason. Unless the Race Director considers special needs apply, marshalling obligations will be as follows:
Competitors to marshal the heat following the one in which they race except last heat racers who marshal for heat 1. Competitors for the last final will marshal for the first final. All other finalists will marshal for the final immediately after there own.
7. A Race Director or Referee may request inspection of any entrants machine, at any time, to cover any or all applicable specifications.
8. Any part of a machine may be substituted during a race meeting except for the chassis. The chassis may be changed with the approval of the Race Director. The essence of this is that a machine cannot be replaced or substituted once entered into a days racing (as per full size racing).
9. The appointed Race Director or Referee may not compete in that days racing.
10. Racing will commence at the start of day (8:30am) and no race, heat or race programme will be stopped, or delayed, due to change in the weather (If the weather becomes too wet and a majority of the entrants agree, then the race meeting will be stopped and resumed when the weather fairs).
11. A Race Director can also act as the Referee.
12. The pitlane must be kept clear at all times. All machines must stop and be immediately lifted from the track into a marked pitbox. Only one pitman per driver is allowed in the pit area during a race.
13. Where possible, depending on the Rostrum facilities, a Transmitter pound will be in operation. Transmitters must be placed in the Tx pound prior to the start of the first heat. Failure to do so will result in lose of FTD. The only time that a transmitter may be removed from the pound by someone not taking part in a heat or final is by permission of the Race Director (for servo adj., etc.), or if the competitor has finished racing fro the day and is leaving the track.PENALTIES
Any infringement of the rules regarding equipment or chassis will result in either loss of FTD or disqualification from the race meeting completely depending of the severity of the situation.
Infringement of the rules regarding tyres will result in loss of FTD.
Failure to use an illegal bodyshell will result in loss of FTD and if the competitor cannot change to a legal bodyshell he will be excluded from the race meeting.
Any infringement of any rules listed previously will result in loss of FTD.START PROCEDURE
Starts for heats to be staggered.
3 Rounds 4 Rounds
1-10 for rd 1 1-10 for rd 1
4-10 and 1-3 for rd 2 3-10 and 1-2 for rd 2
8-10 and 1-7 for rd 3 6-10 and 1-5 for rd 3
8-10 and 1-7 for rd 4Any machine infringing the start will be penalised one lap at the discretion of the Race Director. Any bikes missing the start or bikes returning to a race after repair must start from the pitlane.
FINALS
All championship meetings will feature a Premier final and A to I finals (depending on turn out for each class). For solo machines a staggered start will take place with machines spaced approx. 2metres apart. For sidecar machines a rolling start will take place and no overtaking is allowed until your car has passed the line. Any machine passing before the start line will be given a 10 sec stop/go penalty. This will be performed in the pits and the Referee will operate the stopwatch. All finals will be 5mins in duration.
Premier Final - Top 10 qualifiers
'A' Final - Next 10 qualifiers
'B' Final - Next 10 qualifiers and so on.The minimum number in a final will be 6.
If less than 40 competitors enter a given class there will be a break of 10mins between each final.
If more than 40 competitors enter a given class there will be a break of between 3 and 5mins between each final depending on the total number of entrants.CHAMPIONSHIPS
National Championship meetings will be decided by the NIRCMBA. The series will consist of 12 rounds of which your 3 worst results will be dropped. All National Championship rounds will consist of a 2 day format unless otherwise agreed by the board of committee. All clubs registered with the NIRCMBA will be sent notice of such proposed meetings to allow each club member to give his opinion.
No meeting will be on the same weekend as a major full size bike meeting such as the North West, Ulster Grand Prix, Isle of Man TT, etc..Points will be awarded for each meeting ranging from 100 down to 1 as follows:
Premier Final - 1st place = 100 points.
10th place = 91 points'A' Final - 1st place = 90 points
10th place = 81 points'B' Final - 1st place = 80 points
10th place = 71 pointsThis format carries on through all the necessary finals. In the event of a championship tie the first dropped scores will be looked at. If necessary the second and third dropped scores will be looked at. If this still does not find a winner then the number of first place will be added up and this will continue through the seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. until a clear winner is found.
A junior championship will also be run and the same rules apply for ties in the championship. It is possible for a junior to win both championships.Trophies will be given out to all finalists at the end of a meeting. No prize money will be awarded. If other prizes are donated these will be given to the winner of that particular competition. The top 3 finishers of the overall championship will receive championship trophies along with a trophy for most improved competitor and rookie of the year (Rookies do not count in most improved driver).
CUP RACES
Each Cup Race will be run as per championship round with the following changes:
1. Instead of qualifying for Premier, 'A' and 'B' finals, etc. all competitors will compete for a place in the main final.
2. The top 2 qualifiers will automatically take up the first 2 positions of the main final.
3. All other competitors will enter a series of knockout finals until only 8 remain to fill the last remaining places in the main final.
4. Each knockout final will consist of a maximum of 10 drivers with the top 4 going through to the next round.The overall winner of the cup will keep the cup for 1 full year and must bring the cup back when the next cup meeting is being held. Every winner of the cup will have his name and the year the cup was won added to the cup.
RESULTS
The NIRCMBA will keep records of all results for a minimum of 10 years. These will be made available to any person upon request. A report and full list of results for each meeting will be sent to each affiliated club.
BEHAVIOUR
Any competitor, or his representative, using foul or abusive language towards other competitors or race officials or found under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be excluded from the meeting.
APPENDIX
Official Solo Motorcycle bodywork recognised by the NIRCMBA.
All Kyosho 1:8 scale 500cc Grand Prix machines.
Official Sidecar Motorcycle bodyshells recognised by the NIRCMBA.
Alan Watkinson Scratch design LCR
Ian Johnston Scratch design LCR
Northern Ireland Technologies Sidecar Racer LCRIf you wish to design and use your own bodyshells a finished product must be presented to the NIRCMBA for type approval. Once approved the bodyshell must be made available for purchase by the first National Round of the following season. The maximum retail price for any bodyshell is not to be above £35.00 for composite materials and £20 for lexan types.
This site is maintained by N.I. Technologies in conjunction with the NIRCMBA.