Although this championship is primarily for FUN!, for it to operate smoothly there are a few things to consider.
Etiquette
I said it in capitals above because its true. Your not going to get scouted as the next big superstar while racing at one of these races. Everyone is just here for some fun. Yes obviously everyone wants to do the best they can and on the track I want people to be competitive and drive like they want to win. But off the track we are all just a bunch of amateurs there for a good time so please, keep it friendly. Anyone showing abusive behaviour will politely be asked to perhaps find another group of people to go karting with. If this is a member the balance of their membership fee will be refunded.
Penalties / Flags / Track Rules
Please be on time. The track will stop you from racing if you miss the briefing and there is nothing I can do about that and no refund will be given.
Races will take place rain or shine. Tracks will provide wet weather suits if its a wet race.
Kart numbers will be randomly allocated by the track.
We will be using the rules and regulations of each track we visit. Some tracks are a bit stricter than others and some use their flags slightly differently to others so please pay attention in the briefing even if it is deathly boring and we’ve all heard it a million times before. All penalties handed out by the track are final. All of that said its quite rare to get a penalty, especially if you are racing well.
Swapping Karts
If during qualifying you feel you kart is not performing properly then by all means come into the pits and politely ask if you can change it. As long as the track has enough spare karts they are usually very accommodating.
If your kart develops a fault during the race again come into the pits and ask to change but remember to ask the marshals to credit your laps back and to put you back out in the position you entered the pits. If you don’t ask them they may well just send you out at the back of the field and several laps down.
Bear in mind though that changing karts during the race is entirely at your own risk and even if you ask, the marshals may not credit your laps back!
Equipment
Don’t worry if you have no karting equipment of your own. Each track has plenty of hire suits, helmets and gloves and its all included in the price. Some tracks also provide rib protectors which are optional to wear. I’d also suggest wearing comfortable lightweight trainers.
If you have your own helmet , gloves, boots or even your own race suit please feel free to wear those. If your helmet has a tinted visor perhaps bring a clear one with you as well just incase for any reason the track steward deems it a low light race, in which case tinted visors are not usually allowed.
Classes
I’ve given this area a lot of thought as while I want to make the championship as even as possibly for all weights and abilities, I also need to keep the cost down and keep it easy to manage (bearing in mind I arrange this in my spare time). There are other championships that run minimum weight categories where the driver is required to provide their own customised weighted seat insert but not only do these championships cost much more to enter but there is the hassle of making the seat insert and having the weight categories strictly policed.
So I’ve decided to run 2 simples classes for 2016. ‘Pro’ and ‘Club’
Pro Class – Any driver under 85kg without race suit and helmet
Club Class – Any driver over 85kg without race suit and helmet and any driver under 85kg who is 2 seconds or more off the fastest lap pace.
For those that raced in 2015 I will base your race pace on your previous races. I may also move people between categories during the first 3 rounds depending on your ability. IE if a driver just over 85kg is on similar lap times to the ‘Pro’ category, they may get moved. I’ll see how it goes. Some tracks are more weight dependant than others but I’ll do my best to make it fair and interesting for everyone.
Points
All of the races can be entered as a one off event as long as there is space. Races with only 20 available places will be offered to members first.
All drivers in the race will receive points as if they are racing in the championship and regardless of what class they are racing in, although only the championship members will be displayed on the overall championship table. The scoring system is as follows.
| 1st – 25 points 2nd – 22 points 3rd – 20 points 4th – 18 points 5th – 16 points 6th – 15 points 7th – 14 points |
8th – 13 points 9th – 12 points 10th – 11 points 11th – 10 points 12th – 9 points 13th – 8 points 14th – 7 points |
15th – 6 points 16th – 5 points 17th – 4 points 18th – 3 points 19th – 2 points 20th – 1 point |
Any drivers lower than 20th will also receive 1 point
There is also 1 point for qualifying on pole and 1 point for fastest lap in the race.
Championship positions that are tied on points will be ordered based firstly on number of wins, then on number of pole positions, and then on fastest laps and finally, if its still a tie, it will be based on overall positions gained and lost.
NEW – Members can drop their lowest score out of Rounds 3, 4, 5 or 6. This can include a race they were unable to attend. The first 2 rounds at Whilton Mill cannot be dropped, nor can the last round. I will select the lowest score from these eligible rounds and update the championship table accordingly after Round 6 is complete.
Awards
Most tracks will present the top 3 drivers in the Pro class with a little trophy. In some cases the track will also provide the Club class trophy but where they cannot do this I will provide a small trophy for Club class.
For 2016 there will be overall championship trophies for the top 3 drivers in both Pro and Club classes.
The Hire Kart Cup 