Suggested Electric 1/8th section rules

[Marvin]

I've written a set of draft rules to run alongside the 1/8 rallycross rules set out in the BRCA handbook.

Here they are.

[Marvin]

Ahem. Bump. Ahem.

[dodgydiy]

spot on there, nice, easy and open. the most important thing covered too, proper protection of soft cased lipo's rather than insisting on far more expensive hard case

[Marvin]

Thanks, keep the feedback coming.

[Marvin]

Updated to clarify the 3rd channel/mechanical brakes rule, and to change suggested final length to 10 minutes.

[James]

Hi Marvin,

Great work doing more on this, i wrote to Jim spencer about a year ago with some bits and bobs to get the ball rolling, PM me your email and i'll share the correspondance..

Some thoughts so far:

rule 2B b - you suggest 22v, isnt this a bit high, im sorry its probably me who doesnt understand your reference to other classes

rule 2B d - you suggested 2 straps - wont work as a number are held down 'long ways'

rule 11q - I really think for actual BRCA events the classes should be in separate heats.. Club discretion for other events...but to run an event on BRCA rules as a guide your suggestions make sense..

rule 11 general - 3x 8 min legs may be beter than 2 for the A and single 8 min legs for all other finals - however this will only work and be practical if there is a high enough entry..

[Northy]

Some feedback:

2b. - What would be a 'suitable manner' and should they really be checked at booking in? Who by? Not scrutineering?

2i. - Why?

2j.- That rules out using standard 10th packs then using 4mm corally style sockets?

6. - Would that be the tech officer?

11. - Fianls, agree with Ralph on this (Smokin) Three with best 2 is much easier to run - check out 10th rules

q. - Buzzer? How does that work then?

r. - Pitting - confusing

G

[c0sie]

Marvin,

If you are looking to start up a section under the BRCA for 1/8th Electric Offroad then you will need to get some form of Committee members together, a loop-hole free set of rules together (from experience!) and approach the BRCA.

The way that we (the Micro Section) did it was to approach a section of the BRCA, the 12th Circuit Section, and ask them to take us under their wing. They gladly did this and voted within their committee to action this.
If the Micro Section want to become a section within their own right then we will need to get this voted upon by the BRCA.

My advice would be to get some RELIABLE and enthusiastic peeps together, find your leader and elect him chairman, get someone who is good at writing a story to do your PRO work, find a treasurer (someone reliable and good with numbers), and find someone who is willing to run around like a crazy man to be your secretary.
Approach a BRCA section and put forwards your proposal. If they arent willing to take you under their wing then email the BRCA Secretary (Mick Hill) and ask his advice.

Oh, and remember that we do this for the love of the hobby/sport, but dont expect it to be plain sailing..
If you need anymore advice let me know

[Northy]

Good advice there from Cris, he sat in on our AGM to see how the "Pro's" do it

G

[c0sie]

I learnt muchly

[Marvin]

I was only really writing these as a framework, I don't have the ability to try and organise a section body mainly due to lack of transport.

Not only that, at the moment we do not have enough being raced around the country to even consider their own section. I wrote these to slot into the 1/8 Rallycross rules, so I guess I'd need to contact the section chariman about it, so that clubs who are approached by those with 1/8 electric cars know what to do with them.

To answer your concerns Northy:

2b: A suitable manner is where they cannot fall out, move around etc. If they are held in by a rubber band then obviously this won't work. It's down to the conscience of the suitability scrutineer as to what passes and what doesn't. I suppose that by a scrutineer would work, but I was also writing these for clubs - at the end of the day, it's their decision whether they allow them to race or not. If the club don't feel the batteries are retained in a safe way, then they aren't allowed to race.

Also, I wanted to keep it quite open, as many people have invested a lot of time and money into this already, if I simply said that they must be retained in a battery box with velcro straps, then this eliminates those people who have (perhaps) come up with something different or even better.

2i: These are also construction guidelines for users. Directly-soldered would be more efficient than using connectors, and this was to also clarify that people are allowed to direct solder, as well as use connectors.

2j: Hmmm - I need to correct that, though it is best if 4mm Corallys aren't used. People need to understand that they run far better on dedicated LiPos. I can see many people just putting any old 1/10 packs in there and destroying them. If you are running two seperate packs in series or parallel, they must be the same age, condition, same number of cycles etc. It is sometimes easier if you just get new LiPos.

6: Oh, maybe! We could decide names later. My original thought was technical scrutineer person. So I'd need some help with names (for all the difference that it makes).

11: The reason for this is that the US has FAR more experience with 1/8 off road electric than us, so I copied their format. Also, I always saw Rallycross as much as an endurance event as an all out race. If you are allowed to drop a result, it defeats some of the point in my opinion.

11q: That's one thing that I'm not sure on yet. At my club's AGM, we decided that an electric in a nitro heat is dangerous as they are hard to hear over the nitro noise. I argued that you should use your eyes and have an awareness about you as well. I put that in there as a rule should a club want to enforce it. I'd rather that an electric is allowed to run, rather than be turned away. I guess it'd just be a cheap 6V buzzer type device (probably from Maplin) that'd plug into the receiver. They don't take much power to run, and if they are the right pitch, would be discernable from nitro.

11r: I will admit you're the first person to say that (not just on this thread). Basically, if running without stopping, the electric must be called in for a pit-stop by race control/the referee at some point (when the pit lane is clear preferably), and then be picked up, before being allowed to continue. This is to prevent cars from using the pit lane as another main straight which is potentially dangerous.

I don't know about setting up a section yet, I don't think I'm the right person for it to be honest.

Simon