BRITISH UNIVERSITIES KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP 2012

RULES AND REGULATIONS

1 Championship

1.1 Overview

The 2012 championship will consist of 2 Qualifier race days termed the “Qualifiers” followed by 9 further rounds spread over 5 race days termed the “National Championship”. For teams that do not qualify for the National Championship, there are 2 extra race days termed the “Rookie Championship”.

The top 52 teams from the qualifiers will qualify for the National Championship. All other teams that do not qualify will instead be eligible to race in the Rookie Championship.

The results from the Qualifiers will count as one round towards the National Championship results. However the results from the Qualifiers will not count towards the Rookie Championship results.

In addition there are several test days for drivers to familiarise themselves with the performance of the karts.

The Qualifier race days will consist of:

4 x Sprint Races followed by
2 x 1hr Endurance Races

The first 4 race days of the National Championship will consist of:

Sprint Race Format in the morning
Endurance Race Format in the afternoon

The final race day of the National Championship will consist of:

Sprint Race Format in the morning

The two race days of the Rookie Championship will consist of:

Sprint Race Format only

1.2 Signing On / Late Arrivals

1.2.1 All race days unless indicated otherwise will start at 7.30am.

The briefing unless indicated otherwise will start at 8.45am.

1.2.2 Teams that are not present and FULLY SIGNED ON in their entirety at the start of briefing (8.45am) may be refused entry into the race day. No refund will be given.

Teams should ensure that they should have enough time spare to deal with potential traffic problems. Teams should therefore aim to arrive at 7.30 at the very latest.

2 Eligibility

2.1 Team Constitution

2.1.1 Teams must be made up of 4 drivers only, except for Test Days where less than 4 drivers are allowed.

2.1.2 Drivers must only compete for one team at each race day except as defined in rule 2.5.

2.2 University Status

2.2.1 All drivers for each university team must be current students at that university.

2.2.2 Union cards will be checked at every race day to verify university status.

2.2.3 Those who cannot prove their university status will be refused entry into the event. No refund will be given, and the team may not be eligible for points if it can’t find a suitable replacement driver from their university. See Rule 2.5.

2.3 Driver Experience

2.3.1 Drivers will only be allowed to race in one of the race events in the National Championship or Rookie Championship if they have:

Raced or Tested in the BUKC between 2002 and 2011 or
Tested at a BUKC 2012 Test Day or
Raced or Tested a Club100 event between 2006 and 2012.

2.3.2 3T Racing Limited maintains a database of all entrants from the BUKC between 2002 and 2012 and has access to Club100’s database.

If a member's name is not on one of these databases and they have not attended a Test Day of the BUKC 2012 then they will not be allowed to race in The Championship and no refund will be given.

2.4 Minimum Weight

2.4.1 All male drivers must weigh at least 75kg with all of their karting gear on.

2.4.2 All female drivers must weigh at least 70kg with all of their karting gear on.

2.4.3 Competitors who fail to reach the minimum weight threshold can use up to 16kg of lead ballast which must be securely fastened to the specific weight posts on the Club100 karts, and / or use lead flashing attached securely to a seat insert. For more information contact 3T Racing.

2.4.4 Weight inspections can be carried out at any time.

2.4.5 Failing to meet the minimum weight threshold during a weight inspection will result in disqualification of that driver from that race.

2.4.6 A DNF will be recorded in this situation and no points will be awarded to the team.

2.6 Non University Teams

2.6.1 Teams consisting of entirely non-university members may also race in the championship at the discretion of the 3T Racing.

2.6.2 Such teams will not be eligible to receive any Championship points.

3 Sprint Race Format

3.1 Overview

3.1.1 To take the form of six 25 minute races known as Sprint-Races.

3.1.2 Each team may only race in four of the six Sprint-Races.

3.1.3 No driver changes are allowed during any Sprint-Race.

3.1.4 Points are added up from each race to determine the finishing positions of the team for that Round.

3.4 Points Allocation

3.4.1 Points will be awarded per Sprint-Race in the exact same way described by Rule 6. These points shall be known as Sprint-Race Points.

3.4.2 The finishing positions for a Sprint-Race Format Round will be worked out according to the accumulative total of the points allocated to the team’s best 3 Sprint-Race results.

3.4.3 In the event of a tie on Sprint-Race Points between teams at the end of the Sprint-Race Format Round, the higher placed team shall be the team with the most first places among their best 3 Sprint-Race results. If the teams are still tied, we go to second places of their best 3 Sprint-Races, and so on until a result is achieved. In the unlikely event of a tie at this point, the team with the fastest lap taken from all the lap-times of the 4 Sprint-Races will be the winner.

The reason why the result of the dropped race is not counted in a tie situation is because the aim of dropping a race is to account for bad luck / crash damage / poor kart. If a poor result was caused because of one of these factors then it wouldn’t be appropriate to use that result in a tie situation. Instead the best lap from that dropped race can be used as well as the best laps from the other 3 races to work out which team should be placed higher.

3.4.4 Championship points for the Sprint Format Round(s) will be awarded as described in Rule 6.

4 Endurance Race FORMAT

4.1 Overview

4.1.1 To take the form of three one hour races known as Endurance Races.

4.1.2 Each team may only race in two of the three Endurance Races.

4.1.3 Teams are split in to two teams of two (known as a Pair) and each team must declare which drivers will be racing in each Endurance Race at sign on time.

4.1.4 Points are added up from each race to determine the finishing positions of the team for that Round.

4.2 Format Specific Rules

4.2.1 Only two of the four drivers in a team may race in a single Endurance Race.

This group of two will be known as a Pair.

4.2.2 2 stops must be made in each Endurance Race.

Both stops must be fuel stops.

Driver changes can also be made at either fuel stop.

A driver change must be made during one of the fuel stops.

Fuel stops must only be made during specific times. See Rule 4.2.3

4.2.3 The pit-lane will only be open for refuelling during specific times.

The pit-lane will be open / closed during the following times:

0 – 5 mins: CLOSED

5 – 25mins: OPEN

25 – 35mins: CLOSED

35 – 55mins: OPEN

55 – 60mins: CLOSED

One fuel stop must be made in each pit-lane OPEN period.

Teams that come into the pit-lane to refuel when the pit-lane is not open will be forced to rejoin the circuit without being allowed to do their fuel-stop.

Teams that do not complete both fuel-stops by the end of the last pit-lane OPEN period will be forced to make a 30-second stop-go penalty. Failure to take the 30 second stop-go penalty will result in a lap deduction from the final race results.

A driver may however bring the kart in if it is suffering from crash damage or to retire.

4.2.4 Drivers must not have any body part in the seat of the kart until the fuel nozzle is completely out of the fuel tank. Club100 reserve the right to tell drivers to step out of the kart until refuelling is finished and the nozzle is out of the fuel tank.

4.2.5 Each driver may only race in one Endurance Race only unless their team consists of less than 4 drivers as defined by rule 2.5.

4.3 Grid Positions

4.3.1 A grid generator program, that is available for inspection on request, determines grid positions for the Endurance-Race Format.

4.3.2 The program is designed to give each team the same grid position on average over 2 races as every other team.

4.4 Points Allocation

4.4.1 Points will be awarded per Endurance Race in the exact same way described by Rule 6. These points shall be known as Endurance Race Points.

4.4.2 The finishing positions for an Endurance Format Round will be worked out according to the accumulative total of the points allocated to the team for both Endurance Races. In the event of a tie on Endurance Race Points between teams at the end of the Endurance Format Round, the higher placed team shall be the team with the most first places in the two Endurance Races. If the teams are still tied, we go to second places of the two Endurance Races and so on until a result is achieved. In the unlikely event of a tie at this point, the team with the fastest lap taken from both Endurance Races will be the winner.

4.4.3 Championship points for the Endurance Format Round(s) will be awarded as described in Rule 6.

5 Qualifying Race Day Format

5.1 Overview

5.1.1 To take the form of four 25 minute Sprint-Races and two 1 hour Endurance Races. Together they shall be known as Qualifying Races.

5.1.2 Points are added up from each team’s best 5 Qualifying Race results to determine the finishing positions of the team for the day.

5.1.3 There will be one qualifying race day for universities based in the North of the UK (the Northern Region) and one qualifying race day for universities based in the South of the UK (the Southern Region)

The divide between North / South will be determined by 3T Racing.

5.1.4 The top 52 teams from the qualifiers will qualify through to the UK Championship. The number of teams qualifying in each region will be proportional to the number of teams entered into each regional qualifier. The final number qualifying from each region will be confirmed on the day of the qualifiers.

5.2 Format Specific Rules

5.2.1 The format specific rules for the Sprint-Races will be exactly as the format specific rules defined by rule 3.2.

5.2.2 The format specific rules for 2-Man Relay races will be exactly the same as the format specific rules defined by rule 4.2

5.3 Qualifying/Grid Positions

5.3.1 A grid generator program will determine the grid positions for the six races constituting the qualifying race day.

5.3.2 The program is designed to give each team the same grid position on average over the 6 races as every other team.

5.4 Points Allocation

5.4.1 Points will be awarded per Qualifying Race in the exact same way described by Rule 6. These points shall be known as Qualifying-Race Points.

5.4.2 The finishing positions for a Qualifying Race Day will be worked out according to the accumulative total of the points allocated to the team’s best 5 Qualifying Race results.

5.4.3 In the event of a tie on Qualifying-Race Points between teams at the end of the Qualifying Race Day, the higher placed team shall be the team with the most first places among their best 5 Qualifying-Race results. If the teams are still tied, we go to second places of their best 5 Qualifying-Races, and so on until a result is achieved. In the unlikely event of a tie at this point, the team with the fastest lap taken from all the lap-times of the 6 Qualifying-Races will be the winner.

The reason why the result of the dropped race is not counted in a tie situation is because the aim of dropping a race is to account for bad luck / crash damage / poor kart. If a poor result was caused because of one of these factors then it wouldn’t be appropriate to use that result in a tie situation. Instead the best lap from that dropped race can be used as well as the best laps from the other 5 races to work out which team should be placed higher.

6 POINTS ALLOCATION

Points will be awarded per Round and per Race as follows:

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
Points	60	59	58	57	56	55	54	53	52	51
Position	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th	19th	20th
Points	50	49	48	47	46	45	44	43	42	41
Position	21st	22nd	23rd	24th	25th	26th	27th	28th	29th	30th
Points	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31
Position	31st	32nd	33rd	34th	35th	36th	37th	38th	39th	40th
Points	30	29	28	27	26	25	24	23	22	21
Position	41st	42nd	43rd	44th	45th	46th	47th	48th	49th	50th
Points	20	19	18	17	16	15	14	13	12	11
Position	51st	52nd	DNF
Points	10	9	0

7 RACE PROCEDURE

7.1 Before the race

7.1.1 The karts are randomly allocated. Teams may not select their own karts.

7.1.2 Prior to each race, teams should check the following items on the kart allocated to them in the pit lane:

Fuel
Tyres & Rims
Plug Cap
Exhaust & fittings
All steering components
Chain (for tension)
Seat Stays
Seat
Nose Cone
Side Pods
Front and Rear Bumpers
Brakes
Accelerator and associated cables.

7.1.3 Teams are reminded that they must help each other to bump start the karts to get the race under way.

7.2 Practice

7.2.1 Practice will precede each Race in the first round of a race day only and will be a minimum of 2 laps.

Rule 7.2.4 applies to kart changes during these practice laps.

If a driver makes the change after the chequered flag that marks the end of the practice laps, then they will not be allowed to re-test their kart. They will have to join the pack and then pick up the grid position without re-testing their kart.

Once competitors receive the chequered flag they should form up behind the Pace Kart that will then be on the circuit.

Competitors should then take up their correct grid positions during the subsequent rolling up laps.

7.2.2 Once a team starts the race, it will be assumed that they are satisfied with the performance of their kart.

7.2.3 Karts are hand built therefore each and every kart will be different. Drivers should explore the handling capabilities of their kart during practice.

7.2.4 During practice, if a driver finds a serious problem with their kart, they may return to the pits whereupon they will be allocated another kart, if one is available. Only one kart change per race will be allowed, but should the replacement kart have a serious engine problem (NOT handling) then a second change can be made. However, if the kart testers find that the original kart was acceptable, then that driver will be given a DNF for that particular race.

7.3 Rolling Up / Grid Formation

7.3.1 Grid formation for each race will be 2 by 2.

7.3.2 It is the responsibility of every driver to start in his or her correct grid position. Drivers who are out of place and higher up on their side of the grid than they should be and who do not make every effort to signal to other drivers to pass will be penalised by means of a black flag after the race starts. All drivers who are out of position should raise a hand as high as possible to signal to the Starter that they are out of position.

7.3.3 Drivers must always follow the path of the leading pace kart unless directed otherwise by Club100. Any driver who breaks away from the path of the pace kart, such as cutting through a cut through in an effort to get some free space to warm up the kart will be penalised by means of a black flag after the race starts.

7.3.4 If a driver spins during rolling up laps, the Starter may start the race without them.

7.3.5 Drivers in trouble should also raise a hand and return to the pits as soon as possible. Furthermore, following drivers may overtake competitors obviously in trouble i.e. significantly not keeping up with the pack.

7.3.6 The pole-man will control the pace as the pack approaches the start line.

7.3.7 No other driver may overtake the pole man before the start line.

7.3.8 Any driver jumping the start will be black-flagged.

7.4 Spinning off / Stalling

7.4.1 If a driver spins and stalls, they must move the kart to a safe position off the racing line and await a pusher kart.

7.4.2 Drivers are not allowed to push start themselves. If they do they and their team will be disqualified from the Round and awarded no points.

7.4.3 Competitors must accept the safety of the pusher kart drivers is of paramount importance; therefore, they are at liberty to refuse to start a kart in a dangerous position.

7.5 Kart Malfunction

7.5.1 During the race, teams suffering the following circumstances will be allocated another kart if there is one available:

Engine seizure
Complete ignition unit failure
Complete carburettor failure,
Complete brake failure (unless sustained by driver error)
Complete failure of a major mechanical component (unless sustained by driver error)

7.5.2 No replacement kart will be immediately allocated to a team that becomes involved in any accident, either sole or multiple, that renders the kart broken. See Rule 7.7.

7.6 Race Finish

7.6.1 To be classed as a finisher, the kart must cross the line with the driver correctly seated, and the engine providing the motive power.

7.6.2 After the chequered flag has fallen and the driver has passed the finishing line, the driver must slow down and continue round the track back to the pits as if under Yellow Flag conditions.

7.7 CRASH DAMAGE

7.7.1 During the race, if a team sustains obvious crash damage they will have to wait for it to be repaired.

7.7.2 If however, it is not repaired within 10 minutes, another kart will be allocated to that team.

7.7.3 Please Note: If a kart has obvious crash damage the above rule will apply regardless of fault or blame.

7.7.4 If the kart cannot be repaired before the end of the race then another kart will be provided.

7.7.5 If the driver does not complete the race a DNF will be awarded.

8 FLAGS

8.1.1 The following flags must be adhered to whilst on the circuit:

Union/Lights - Race starts

Red - Race stopped, slow down and be prepared to stop on any section of the circuit where directed. The pitlane will remain closed until the race has been green-flagged once the incident has been cleared.

Yellow - Obstacle ahead, caution advised & no overtaking allowed until the obstacle has been passed. See Rule 8.2.

Red/Yellow striped - Caution, slippery surface ahead

Black/White diagonal - Driver warning for contact, kerbing etc.

Black - Driver excluded / Stop Go penalty, return to pits

Black/Orange circle - Mechanical failure, return to pits

Blue - Give way to competitors behind, you are being lapped

Chequered - End of race or practice, return to pit or get into your grid position behind the Pace Kart, respectively.

8.2 Yellow Flags.

8.2.1 A driver should not overtake between the point of the track adjacent to a yellow flag and the incident for which the yellow flag is being waved.

8.2.2 During this time the driver should ease off the throttle but must not slow down so much that the kart stalls and becomes an obstacle itself.

8.2.3 It is advisable, but not essential, unless directed so by Club100, that each driver should acknowledge the yellow flag by raising his/her hand in the air.

8.2.4 All other drivers should treat the raised hand in the same way as a yellow flag and hence should not overtake.

8.2.5 Should a driver overtake on yellow flags, except to avoid stalling the engine, and realise the mistake, it is permissible for this driver to decelerate and signal for the other driver to re-pass.

8.2.6 It is incumbent on the other driver to re-take his position immediately, or the first driver is at liberty to carry on racing without penalty.

8.2.7 It must be noted that common sense should be exercised by all drivers; for example a driver should slow down a safe distance before an incident if the yellow flag is situated in close proximity to the incident.

8.2.8 Drivers that fail to act with common sense and a decent regard for safety will be warned, then, should he/she continue to drive irresponsibly, will be black flagged.

8.2.9 Penalties, specified by Club100, will be given to drivers who ignore these signals.

9 GENERAL

9.1 Competing in the BUKC

9.1.1 No member of any team shall be allowed to drive any kart round any part of the track on the day of the round for which it is being used for the British University Karting Championship prior to the BUKC briefing-of-the-day actually commencing.

9.1.2 Each driver must complete at least one lap of the circuit, though this maybe a lap which comprises of leaving the pits and re-entering at the earliest opportunity.

9.2 Penalties / Safety

9.2.1 Carburettor adjustment is strictly prohibited and considered a serious offence.

Any team caught adjusting the carburettor, for whatever reason, will be disqualified from the rest of the day's racing without appeal and no refund.

All points accumulated from races in that round will be removed for that team, shifting every team below that upwards by one place in each race. Please note this may affect the final round score of other teams.

Any adjustment of the carb from any person not related to that team will also penalise the team in the same way.

3T Racing and Club100 will accept video evidence as proof of carburettor adjustment so long as it 100% certain the video was recorded on the day and that it proves that a driver adjusted the carburettor. Video footage will not be used for any other kind of evidence.

9.2.2 Any team caught adjusting the carburettor after a race has finished, either on the track, or in the pit lane with the aim or ruining the next driver’s race will be disqualified from the whole championship. No appeals, no refunds, no points.

Previous round results will stay the same except that the offending team will be given 0 points. Other teams will not be shifted up in the points table to take the disqualified team’s place.

9.2.3 Any team caught adjusting the carburettor more than once in the championship will be disqualified from the rest of the championship. No appeals, no refunds, no points.

9.2.4 Deliberate and excessive use of rumble strips / kerbs is prohibited. Warnings will be issued thus: 1st Offence: Kerbing board and/or 1st Warning Flag. 2nd Offence: 2nd Warning Flag or Black Flag 3rd Offence: Black Flag.

9.2.5 Deliberate use of contact is prohibited. Warnings will be issued thus: 1st Offence: No Bumping board and/or 1st Warning Flag. 2nd Offence: 2nd Warning Flag or Black Flag 3rd Offence: Black Flag.

9.2.6 Drivers who gain a position advantage by contact will receive a black flag. Penalty - Stop Go (minimum 20 seconds).

9.2.7 Furthermore, drivers who attempt a manoeuvre that results in an accident may receive either a warning flag or the black flag depending on the severity of the incident.

9.2.8 Drivers who fail to respond to the yellow flag (i.e. overtaking under yellow) will receive a black flag. Penalty - Stop Go (minimum 20 seconds).

9.2.9 Drivers who knock over or make contact with a cone will receive a black flag. Penalty - Stop Go (minimum 10 seconds).

9.2.10 A driver may not receive a Stop Go Penalty on the same lap as a Fuel Stop.

To clarify, a driver must exit the pits after a fuel stop (and prior to executing a Stop Go Penalty) before re-entering the pits to receive the Stop Go Penalty OR a driver must exit the pits after a Stop Go Penalty (and prior to a fuel stop) before re-entering the pits to execute a fuel stop.

9.2.11 The Clerk of the Course has the right to make post race decisions after an inquiry.

9.2.12 A team or an individual competitor may receive an official verbal warning. Any further misconduct by the competitor may result in his/her exclusion from the event or the whole series.

9.2.13 Suits, helmets and gloves must be worn correctly and securely. Drivers will black flagged if they fail to comply with this rule.

9.2.14 Drivers must not use dark or tinted visors at any time when floodlights are on. In such circumstances the driver may be black flagged and excluded from the rest of the race. Result DNF.

9.2.15 Any driver leaving the track more than twice in one stint may be excluded from that stint.

9.2.16 If a driver is deemed to have left the track and has gained a time advantage by cutting across to another part of the track then the driver will be black flagged and held in the pits for the time gained from cutting the track plus 10 seconds.

9.3 Insurance

9.3.1 Club100 Racing Ltd and 3T Racing Ltd are covered by their own public liability insurance.

9.3.2 Competitors are responsible for their own personal accident insurance.

9.3.3 It is recommended that all competitors take out their own personal accident insurance.

9.4 Behaviour

9.4.1 Competitors are reminded that anyone using foul language or threatening behaviour may, at the discretion of 3T Racing and / or Club100, be excluded from the meeting.

9.4.2 Competitors are responsible for the behaviour of their supporters, family and friends

9.4.3 It is expected that all competitors act in good faith and with common sense.

9.5 Rule Modifications

9.5.1 Club100 & 3T Racing reserve the right to modify the rules at any time, especially on the day of an event. Such changes to the rules are likely to only be in the interests of safety or maintaining high driving standards.

9.5.2 Any further regulations will, where possible, adhere to MSA Blue Book.

10 TYRE PRESSURES

10.1.1 The Club100 technicians will set tyre pressures on the day. Teams are not allowed to alter tyre pressures. Staff will happily check pressures if requested.

10.1.2 Any team found to be adjusting tyre pressures will be disqualified from the race. No Points.

11 CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS

11.1.1 The best 7 results from the 10 rounds will count towards the results for the National Championship where the results from the Qualifier Race Days count as the 1^st round of the championship.

11.1.2 In the event of a tie on points between teams at the end of the season, the winner shall be the team with the most first places. If the teams are still tied, we go to second places and so on until a result is achieved. In the unlikely event of a tie at this point, the team with the earliest highest round position will be the winner

11.1.3 Both the 2 rounds of the Rookie Championship will count towards the results for the Rookie Championship.

11.1.4 In the event of a tie on points between teams at the end of the season, the winner shall be the team with the most first places. If the teams are still tied, we go to second places and so on until a result is achieved. In the unlikely event of a tie at this point, the team with the earliest highest round position will be the winner

12 RULES OF APPEAL

12.1.1 Club100’s and 3T Racing’s decisions are final.

12.1.2 No appeals may be made to revoke a decision that Club100 or 3T Racing have made.

12.1.3 Should you suspect a team of breaking the rules with regards to the setup of the kart, the eligibility of the drivers, the weight of the drivers including all race gear and ballast, the composition of the team, or if someone push-started the kart whilst on the track and this can be verified, then the 3T Racing will attempt to make an informed decision upon whether to invoke an appropriate punishment as specified by the rules. There will not be any other type of appeals.