You've been practicing and you now fancy entering a race!
The Nene Valley Raceway Off Road Model Car Club endevors to run one meeting a month on its all weather track so visit the clubs calendar to ensure you are available for one of our meetings.
Meetings are run either in line with BRCA national guidelines or a varient on these for Large Scale Off Road, 1/8th Rally Cross (Nitro or Electric) or 1/10th racing with timings down to 1/100th of a second..
A typical day trackside will invlove -
a) On site confirmation and payment at race control (The office where the race meeting will be run from) normally commences at 8.30 and goes on until 9.30.
b) A drivers briefing commences about 9.45 with the first heat getting underway around 10pm.
c) Depending upon numbers and weather conditions and a number of heats are undertaken (Length and numbers depends upon numbers etc.). - With the driver marshalling the following heat to that which they have just participated in.
d) Once the heats are over, its onto the finals with either double or single sided Christmas tree finals run with the lower finals seeing the top 3 drivers (1st, 2nd and 3rd) being prompted to the next final. - Duration of typical large scale finals are , 30 minute main final, 20 minute semis and all others being 10 minutes.
e) Once the finals are over its onto the prize giving and then time to back up and return home with your silverware
Still interested?, Here's our race directors view on what you need to do.
Before You Arrive
Assuming you fancy attending the Nene then the first thing I would recommend is that you use the clubs online booking facility to book yourself into your meeting.
Doing this does not excuse you from attending race control on the day to confirm your attendance but helps the Race Director on the day by allowing him to populate the time software before he arrives at the track!
Once you've booked in online, just sit back until the day before the event when I would then recommend that you :-
1. ensure you are aware of where you are going, the weather forecast and what time the gates open and the meeting starts. The heats will commence without you if you get struck on route to the venue.
2. ensure that your racer is ready and batteries are fully charged ready for the days racing ahead of you, likewise pack your spares as something is likely to break - it happens to us all!
3. if you are not using your own Personal Transponder then please ensure you have a suitable mouting point for the handout trandsponder you will be using.
Trackside
Upon arriving at the Nene make yourself at home, with plenty of parking available and all that we ask is that you take home any rubbish you create during your visit.
After unpacking your racer, have a walk around and speak to other racers, and if you're a newbie or want any information then ask for assistance from a Nene committee member to help you through the day ahead. - You will soon see that we are a friendly bunch of racers at the Nene.
Whilst you are having a look around make your way to race control and introduce yourself to the race director, he will willingly take the race fee from you with a smile! He might ask to see you BRCA membership so please ensure its valid, without it you will not be allowed to race!!
Once all the drivers have booked in the Race Director will create the list of heats and call the drivers briefing (which normally happens near to the rostrum) - keep listening to the PA through out the day.
Once the Race Director has done his bit make your way to check the heat listing to get your race number (will need to pick up your race numbers to have them stuck to the car) and to check your frequency (No radios are to be switched on until you have taken a peg from the peg board and are in the pit area about to race).
Following the drivers briefing that is it, the rest of the days events lay solely in your hands.
The first heat will commence around 10, with drivers and marshals being called from 9.55 to ensure we start on time.
As a rule of thumb:- it is important that you arrive in the pit area 5 minutes before your heat so that you can fit your transponder (device used for timing purposes) - the transponder number to take equates to your car number. Prior to taking the transponder for the first time please ensure you have somewhere to fit it, and its not likely to get damaged either from the heat of an exhaust or whilst out racing. Any transponder damaged or lost during the meeting will have to be replaced by the racer who is using it at a cost of £120 (over £135 to buy new!).
Once your heat is over then leave your car in the pits, remove the transponder and turn the radio off and get out to marshal as quickly as possible, whilst marshalling it is important that you wear the fluesent bib provided. These may not look fashionable but will hopefully allow the drivers to see you whilst you are out on the track. Also wear suitable footwear and if you think they are required strong gloves.
Whilst marshalling, do not place yourself in danger but try and be responsive as you would expect someone else to be for you.
Once you have marshalled then its time to fix your car before participating in the next round of heats.
Your starting position in the finals is based upon your overall position form the heats and once again you are requested to marshal the heat after your final, or if the Race Director calls for more marshals. Also you will need to obtain a new set of numbers for your starting positon within the final, and to also check your frequency - YOU MIGHT HAVE CHANGED!
The award ceremony will take place within 15 minutes of the end of the A final and upon the completion of this your days racing is over and you will leave the Nene with a smile on your face
It is the Nene's aim to have all timed results online within a week of the meetings completion, and you can impress your mates, wife, and girlfriend on your days performance so keep watching the NVR website.
