A. PROFESSIONAL

Race prize payout will be in cash.

1. PRO GROUP 7

a. All drivers with exceptional driving ability

b. Any driver sponsored by a major manufacturer must race in this class.

2. PRO GROUP 27

a. All drivers with exceptional driving ability

b. Any driver entering Group-27 who is sponsored by a major manufacturer must race in this class not Amateur.

c. Any driver entering Group 27 who has won the National Championship in Group 27, Semi Pro Group 7 or Pro Group 7 must race in this class, not Amateur Group 27

d. Any driver entering Group 27 who has entered the Pro Group 7 class at the National Championship in the past five years must race this class not Amateur Group 27.

B. SENIOR OPEN

All Drivers age 45 or over are permitted in this class. Pro Group 7 rules will be followed

C. AMATEUR

Race prize payout will be in merchandise certificates and or trophies, with at least 50% payback to top 8 finishers.

1. SEMI-PRO GROUP 7

2. GROUP 27

3. INTERNATIONAL 15 (15A)

4. COBALT 12/15

5. BOX STOCK

a. Restricted

b. Unrestricted

D. Amateur racer’s may enter any amateur class with these exceptions.

1. You may not run restricted Box Stock and Semi Pro Group 7 at the same event.

2. No Amateur or Semi Pro entrant may also race the Pro Group 7 Class.

3. No Pro Racer may enter any Amateur class

4. No racer who has raced in any Main event at the National Championships in any Division I class in the past five years may enter Restricted Boxstock.

5. No racer who has won a National Championship in Group 27, Semi Pro, or Pro may enter Amateur Group 27.

6. No racer who has raced Pro at the National championship in the past five years may enter Group 27.

7. No racer may run both Unrestricted and Restricted Boxstock

8. No racer may run both Amateur and Pro Group 27.

E. Cars are to comply with USRA National rules.

II) DRIVER CLASSIFICATION DIVISION II

A. EUROSPORT and GT-12

1. All Driver’s are encouraged to enter these classes regardless of ranking with the following exception

2. No one racing Junior Group 10 may enter Eurosport at the same Nats

B. All other classes will be divided into Amateur and Expert

1. Amateur

a. Racers with average driving or technical ability and newer racers

b. The Amateur class will be contested with hand-out motors

c. Racers must use the motor assigned them no switching

2. Expert

a. All drivers with exceptional driving or technical ability

b. Any driver sponsored by a major manufacturer must race in this class.

c. Any racer who has finished in the top three places in any Amateur class at the Nationals must race Expert in all classes at any future Nationals

III) COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE

Major components for Group and restricted racing (motor, motor parts, chassis, chassis parts, bodies) must be readily available to all participants, sufficiently far in advance of the race event for all participants to be able to compete on an equitable level. Commercially available means that the product must be readily available through retailers and a minimum of 3 national USRA member Commercial Distributors at least 120 days prior to the USRA National Event (or other USRA competition event in which they will be used). The number of pieces required to be available for a product to be considered commercially available is 500 pieces for Box Stock 12/ 15 motors, tagged armatures, restricted chassis, any restricted component, and bodies. A product will be considered to be no longer commercially available after production has ceased; products in this status which have been approved for competition will continue to be legal for USRA competition for a period of no longer than 2 years after production ceases. All products which are considered to be commercially available and restricted products must meet retail specifications and must be sold at standard industry discounts through approved dealers. Any product that is restricted in retail price by the USRA may be adjusted in retail price according to the annual cost of living, maximum 5% annually. These items include: Group 12, 15, and 27 armatures, and Box Stock 15 chassis.

IV) RACE PROCEDURE

A. REGISTRATION

All cars shall be inspected and impounded prior to qualifying,

1. No cars will be accepted after announced registration closing time.

2. The chassis should be engraved with the drivers entry number, class, and the initials of the tech inspector. The body should be marked with a spot of non-removable paint or ink.

B. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

All racers entering an event should be aware of the rules governing it, and withdrawal is not an option in the case of a protest

IV) NO SMOKING

Smoking is prohibited within the raceway at all USRA events.

V) NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

No alcoholic beverages may be consumed within the raceway or within close proximity. Consumption of these beverages must be confined to those establishments properly licensed for this use.

VI) DRIVERS MEETING

It is suggested that a drivers meeting be held prior to qualifying to discuss race and qualifying procedures, marshaling responsibilities, racer conduct, glue rules, track calls, disqualifications, track tech, etc. Drivers with specific questions should ask them at this time

VII) TRACK PREREQUISITES

In all USRA events, qualifying voltage for all classes will be limited to a maximum of 16.0 volts, and race voltage will be limited to a maximum of 14.0 volts. This voltage is to be measured, unloaded, without the cars on the track using accurate digital voltmeters to record the values.

VIII) TRACK CONDITIONS

A. LIMITED GLUE

1. Glue zones must be clearly marked. Glue may be applied in these areas only. Glue may not be removed or spread from those zones by any other means other than the normal running of the car.

2. Glue may be removed from the turns with a clean, dry, rag only. Care must be taken to avoid changing conditions on adjacent lanes.

3. All gluing and cleaning of the track braid and straights must be completed before the power comes on. Nothing may be put down or removed during the racing.

B. SPRAY GLUE

1. The track will be cleaned and sprayed prior to the racing and may be re-sprayed as deemed necessary by the race director(s).

2. The track surface in the turns may not be touched or altered in any way. No addition, deletion, or redistribution of the glue is allowed without specific and prior race director approval.

C. TRACK CLEANING

All braid and the track surface of all straight sections may be cleaned in both spray glue and limited glue conditions.

D. ACCIDENTAL SPILLAGE

If an accidental spill occurs, the race director may re-spray the affected area to restore fair racing conditions.

PLEASE NOTE:

Most cleaning solutions are FLAMMABLE! Care must be taken during their use. Fir e extinguisher s should be located in the immediate area and other necessary precautions taken to insure safety.

IX) QUALIFYING

A. ORDER

1. PROFESSIONAL GROUP 7

Determined randomly, such as drawing from a hat.

2. Other classes

a. Limited glue - Qualifying will be in reverse order of registration

b, Spray Glue - Qualifying will be in order of registration.

B. FORMAT

1. Time - A two minute run is allowed to establish the fastest single timed lap. Back up times will be recorded to alleviate tie breakers.

2. The first qualifier will receive one extra minute qualifying time.

3. Byes - A racer may take one bye for any reason (may abort initial qualifying attempt and re-attempt during the bye round).

a. Thirty seconds will be deducted from the racers remaining time as a penalty for using a bye,

b. Cars will be technically inspected prior to their bye round,

c. Times made during the initial attempt and the bye round will count

d. Byes will be run (racers remaining time less thirty second deduction) at the end of qualifying for each respective class, Order will be the same as the original round.

4. If a lap timer is not available, qualifying may be conducted in tile form of a one minute run for total laps and sections. Good marshaling must be assured.

5. Each racer will be given a specified amount of time (not to exceed fifteen seconds) to get hooked up to begin his/her qualifying round. This should be set into the computer to automatically start the time and make it uniform for all racers. Any registered racer not present to quality when called will be given an automatic bye. Any racer unavailable for the bye will stand by his/her previous best, or if no times are recorded, will be placed in the first (lowest) level of consolation races.

6. Local Option Format (excluding National Competition)

a. One minute with no byes

b. One minute with bye with no loss of time

X) EUROPEAN (STAGGERED) LANE ROTATION

A. USRA events will follow the European or staggered system, This rotation for tracks marked with American raceways colors is described as follows:

1. Consi - Racers will race on either the red or the black set. Racers on the red set (red, green, blue, purple) rotate down the track to purple and then jump to red continuing rotation down the track. Racers on the black set (black, yellow, orange, while) rotate tip the track to white and then jump back to black continuing rotation up the track.

2. Quarterfinal, Semi, and Main Event Races - Racers running on the red set will rotate down the track to purple, keeping on the red set. After running purple, rotate to the black lane of the black set. After running white, jump to red and rotate as indicated for the red set. Continue until all eight lanes have been run.

XI) AUSTRALIAN RACE FORMAT

A. All entrants will contest a series of consis, heats, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals depending on the number of entries.

B. All races designated as "consis" will be contested over 4 lanes only, running on either the red set i.e. red, green, blue, purple or the black set i.e. black, yellow, orange, white.

C. All other races will be contested over 8 lanes.

D. All races will be on a "move up" basis. The following schedule has been adopted to ensure that a minimum of four drivers will move up from each race.

1 to 8 entries: Final only

9 to 11 entries: Round Robin

12 to 22 entries: two round-robin semis and final. Top 4 in each semi move up.

23 entries: one round-robin heat, two semis and final. Fastest 12 qualifiers into semis - top 4 in heat move up.

24 to 44 entries: Four quarterfinals, two semis and final. All entrants start in quarterfinals, top 4 in each move up to semis, top four in each move up to final

45 to 46 entries: Two round-robin consis, four quarterfinals, two semis, and final. Fastest 24 qualifiers into quarterfinals, top 4 in each consi move up.

47 to 60 entries: Four round-robin consis, four quarterfinals, two semis, and final. Fastest 16 qualifiers into quarterfinals, top 4 in each consi move up.

61-76 entries: Four sub-consis, four consis, four quarterfinals, two semis, and final. Fastest 16 qualifiers into quarterfinals, qualifiers 17-32 into consis, top four in each race move up.

> 76 entries: For races with over 76 entries create sub-sub-consis (and sub-sub-sub-consis if needed) using the same procedures as for sub-consis. Top four in each race always move up.

E. Lane choice will be determined first by qualifying position then by lap total and position from previous heat.

F. In moving racers up from Consis, Quarterfinals, or Semis, the same logic applies. Lane choice selection order is determined by the total laps turned by the winners of the qualifying race

1. For main event move-ups first pick goes to the racer with the most laps out of the two semis, second pick goes to the racer with the most laps out of the other semi.

2. Choices are then alternated between semis. Third pick goes to the second place finisher in the semi that had first pick, and fourth goes to the second place finisher in the semi with second pick etc.

G. Racers are seeded into the appropriate semis, quarterfinals, or consis according to the following pattern (example given for semis and quarterfinals, consis same pattern as quarterfinals).

24 or fewer entries Semi-A Semi-B

Qualifier # 1 2

3 4

5 6

7 8

9 or winner Heat-A 10 or winner Heat-B

11 or second Heat-A 12 or second Heat-B

13 or third Heat-A 14 or third Heat-B

15 or fourth Heat-A 16 or fourth Heat-B

25 or more entries Semi-A Semi-B

Quarter A or B winner with most laps Quarter C or D winner with most laps

Other winner of Quarter A or B Other winner of Quarter C or D

Second place from Quarter with first pick

Second place from Quarter with second pick

Continue alternating for remaining picks

Quarterfinal-A Quarterfinal-B Quarterfinal-C Quarterfinal-D

Qualifier # 1 2 3 4

9 7 6 5

9 10 11 12

16 15 14 13

17 18 19 20

24 23 22 21

25 26 27 29

32 31 30 29

H. Heats, Consis and Quarterfinals are run D, C, B, A,

1. Semis are run B, A

XII) DURATION OF RACES

Key: Race-Segment-Lane-Length-Change

A. Mains

1. Pro/Semi-Pro Group 7 8 5 minute 4 minute

2. Group 27/Pro 27 8 4 minute 4 minute

3. All other Div. 1 8 3 minute 4 minute

4. Eurosport 8 5 minute 1 minute

5. GT- 12 9 3 minute 1 minute

6. All other Div. 11 8 2 minute 2 minute

B. Semis

I Pro/Semi-Pro Group 7 8 3 minute 3 minute

2. Group 27/Pro 27 8 2 minute 3 minute

3. All other Div. 1 8 2 minute 3 minute

4. Eurosport 8 3 minute 1 minute

5. GT-12 8 2 minute 1 minute

6. All other Div. II 8 2 minute 2 minute

C. Quarterfinals

I Pro/Semi-Pro Group 7 8 2 minute 3 minute

2. Group 27/Pro 27 8 2 minute 3 minute

3 All other Div. 1 8 2 minute 3 minute

4. Eurosport 8 2 minute 1 minute

5. GT- 12 8 2 minute 1 minute

6. All other Div. 11 8 2 minute 2 minute

D. Consis & Sub Consis

1 Pro/Semi-Pro Group 7 4 3 minute 3 minute

2. Group 27/Pro 27 4 2 minute 3 minute

3. All other Div. 1 4 2 minute 3 minute

4. Eurosport 4 3 minute 1 minute

5. GT-12 4 2 minute 1 minute

XIII) MISCELLANEOUS PROCEDURES

A. BLACK FLAG

The race director is obliged to black flag any car which is dragging, interfering with other cars or continuously de-slotting due to mechanical problems. Upon being black flagged, the driver must bring the car in for repairs immediately. If the problem is not corrected, the black flag may be enforced again as required.

B. TRACK CALLS

1. The power will only be turned off for extremely unfair or dangerous situations. The following are the only acceptable reasons:

a. Braid up.

b. Power failure (one lane or all).

c. Debris in slot.

d. An un-marshalable car.

c. Lap counter or track equipment failure.

2. During a track call, there will be absolutely no work performed on the cars or lane preparation. Doing so will result in a 20 lap penalty. A second infraction will result in disqualification. This includes the pit helpers or the driver.

C. LAP COUNTER

1. The lap counter will be considered correct unless it can be proven otherwise. The counter should be corrected if necessary (as when a car crosses in the wrong lane). If a major error occurs in the counting process that cannot be corrected, the race director may:

a . Assign responsible stewards to count laps or verify the counter.

b. Add or subtract mutually agreeable laps as established by race officials and drivers.

c. Restart the segment.

d. Restart the race from the latest possible point.

2. Laps should not be added or subtracted unless the race director is certain the counter is incorrect.

3. For a major error in counting, the steps taken should preserve as much or the race as possible, while remaining as fair as possible to all.

D. MARSHALING

All drivers are expected to marshal the race(s) preceding their own. Substitute marshals must be acceptable to the race director and drivers. Good racing is not possible without good marshals. Every racer is expected to do his/her part both before and after racing if necessary. Failure to fulfill marshaling responsibilities will result in lap penalties and/or disqualification. All cars will be impounded after all races to insure fair and proper marshaling responsibilities. Cars will be returned and move-up drivers will be given equal time to prepare for upcoming races.

E. LANE CHANGE

1. Following each lane change, all cars must be returned to the track where they stopped. Putting a car back on the track in an advantageous position, will result in a rive lap penalty. A second infraction will result in disqualification. It is the drivers responsibility to know where the car stopped. When a car is removed from the track during racing, the same rule applies. Corner marshals should notice the cars stopping in their section and pay close attention to cars near the lap counter section. At the conclusion of each race, cars will be left on the track until the order of finish is positively determined.

2. Lane change cards are required to be used for the National Championships

F. UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

1. Unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of a driver or turn marshal will be subject to immediate disqualification at the discretion of the race director. Verbal abuse or profanity will not be tolerated. The race director may first warn drivers, marshals or pit helpers if their behavior is unacceptable. Serious or repeat violations will result in a five lap penalty for the first infraction and disqualification for the second.

2. Repeat offenders of any of the unsportsmanlike conduct guidelines may be prohibited from future USRA events.

G. PROTEST

A competitor may protest another racers equipment by officially informing the race director. Special provisions for armature protest are in the following section.

1. A racer must be aware of the rules when entering and withdrawal is not an option in the case of a protest

2. Any racer in a USRA sanctioned race whose motor is protested and then refuses to have his/her motor torn down shall be banned from competition in any USRA race for a time of one year from the date of said infraction

ARMATURE PROTEST (RESTRICTED CLASSES ONLY)

1. Any competitor may protest another person’s armature. He/she must officially inform the race director, at which time the race will be stopped.

a. The protester may buy a look by posting a $2.00 fee. He/ she is then entitled to look at the suspected armature in the car.

b. If not satisfied, he/she may formally protest which requires posting a fee equal to double the current manufacturer suggested retail price of their respective armature. The buy a look fee is transferable.

d. At this time, the armature must then be non-destructively and indelibly marked (suggest unique Dremel marks on the shaft). Extreme care must be exercised to avoid damage to armature balance and delicate components such as ball bearings, motor brushes, etc.

c. An impartial race steward must then be charged with the responsibility of observing and verifying the authenticity of the armature for post race inspection. The race will then be restarted.

2. Thorough disassembly and inspection must be conducted immediately upon completion of racing, and must be conducted in a manner assuring accurate technical verification, This can be accomplished by destroying any epoxy or similar binder with extreme heat (a common torch does this nicely), Then dissecting the armature with a Dremel and carefully measuring the wire and counting the turns.

3. The fees will be held by the race director until resolution of the matter, then promptly surrendered to the appropriate party. Likewise, any winnings and/or points will be held pending the outcome of the inspection.

4. Buy a look proceeds go to the protested party if not applied to a FORMAL PROTEST.

5. There is a maximum limit of $100.00 for protesting Group 27 armatures.

XII) HOSTING A NATIONAL EVENT

Any raceway or persons involved in slot car racing may make a bid to host a National Event. Following is a list of guidelines which may be helpful in preparing presentations.

A. The raceway or promoter should be well established with a reputation for organizing and directing a well run race. The more racers that have attended one of your races, the better. That would allow the USRA directors more input on how well organized your business is.

B. If you plan to bid for the USRA Nationals, you must notify the USRA Director of your intentions to do so. This must be accomplished in writing no later than ninety (90) days prior the current year’s Nationals

C. The bids for the next Nationals are presented at the General Meeting at the current year’s Nationals. Your presentation should include:

1. Pictures of your raceway or host site, and of previous races (if possible).

2. A summary of some of your previous races, including your race schedule, number of entries, etc.

3. Details about your track and your lap counter system, include information about track power, batteries, color, braid recess, power polarity, etc.

4. Information concerning lodging, airlines, restaurants, and places of interest.

5. Pictures of pit space.

6. Letters of approval from your City Directors, radio or television stations.

7. A mock race schedule of dates, times, and activities for each day of the National Event. This is a requirement that must be included in any bid.

8. Your presentation should be placed in book form (such as a photo album), so that it can be passed around for all interested parties to view. Two or more copies of your presentation would be advantageous.

9. Talk to previous National Hosts.

10. Each bid for the National Event will include financial details of the race to include: Guaranteed purse, entry fees, warm up race entry fees, pay-outs, cost of track time.

D. Each bid for the USRA Nationals will be accompanied by a refundable deposit of $500.00 (cashiers check or money order). The deposits will be returned promptly after the site selection voting to the unsuccessful bidders. The deposit for the successful bid will be returned after the National Event (two weeks) provided there are no financial problems such as bad checks, failure to deliver advertised pay-outs, etc. If financial problems occur, the deposit will be forfeited and the USRA treasurer shall use it fully to correct bad checks or other losses in an equitable way. The dispersal of funds is to be included in the Treasurers report.