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Rules & Regulations

BFPCR Rule Book

Last updated and effective from February 3rd 2008

See also:

• IPCS (International Pedal Car Specification)
• Number plate requirements and templates
• Team sheet (PDF file)

This rule book and supporting documents are also available as PDF files:

• Rule book (PDF, 154kB)
• International Pedal Car Specification (PDF, 22kB)
• Number plate requirements (PDF, 52kB)

Definitions

BFPCR - The British Federation of Pedal Car Racing.

Team Sheet - The document completed by each team before the start of each round and submitted during Scrutineering.

Scrutineering - The compulsory safety check which each car must pass before the start of a round.

IPCS - The International Pedal Car Specifications.

Race Official(s) - Race Officials may include the race organiser and any other supporting person elected by the race organiser. All Race Officials must be introduced at the pre-round Driver Briefing.

Driver Briefing - A briefing given to all drivers regarding the safety aspects of the course, any and all changes to the rules specified herein and introducing all Race Officials.

PART 1 - Championship Rules

1. Teams

1.1. Registration and Identification

a) A team must be registered with the BFPCR to compete in the championship.

b) All drivers within a team must be registered with the BFPCR.

c) A team must race using the number allocated to it by the BFPCR.

1.2. Class Qualification

a) A team will qualify for championship points in each class in which it meets the class-qualification criteria (Table 1).

b) A team must register all drivers participating in a particular round of the championship on the Team Sheet.

c) A team who register more drivers on the Team Sheet than allowed in the class-qualification criteria will not qualify for points in that class.

d) A team found to use drivers not registered on the Team Sheet will be disqualified from that round.

Table 1: Class Qualification Criteria

1.3. Class Racing-Time Restrictions

a) PC3, PC4 and PC0 teams are limited to racing a maximum of 18 hours at 24 hour events and are not permitted to race between the hours of midnight and 6am.

2. Championship Points

2.1. Qualification for Championship Points

a) A team will qualify for championship points in each class in which it meets the class-qualification criteria if it completes over 20% of the laps achieved by the overall winner of that round. This minimum requirement is reduced proportionally in the case of teams prevented from racing an entire event due to their class.

2.2. Points Scale

a) Championship points are awarded per round to the team championship number.

b) Championship points are awarded to each class as shown in Table 2.

c) Championship points are not transferable between classes.

d) Championship points are officially awarded after the 14 day provisional results period following each event.

Table 2: Championship Points

2.3. Championship Standings

a) The team with the highest number of championship points in the PC1 class are the overall championship winners.

b) The team with the highest number of championship points in each class at the end of the season are the class winners.

c) In the event of a tie in any class, the class winner will be decided using the following criteria, applied in the order shown:

1. The team who attended more events.
2. The team who beat the tying team(s) more times in their class.
3. The team with the highest overall race finish of the season.
4. The team with the biggest winning margin over the tying team(s) at any race, based on a percentage of the laps recorded by the leading tying team.

PART 2 - Race Rules

3. Team Entry

3.1. Points Qualification

a) To qualify for championship points a team must satisfy all criteria outlined in the Championship Rules.

b) Teams who qualify for certain classes are subject to racing restrictions as outlined in Championship Rules 1.3.

4. Race Standards

4.1. Race Protocol

a) All cars must conform to the pedal car specifications defined in the IPCS.

b) All races will start at the advertised start time. Any cars not ready to race 30 seconds before the start time will be removed from the grid.

c) Any car that is not conforming to either rule 4.1a or 4.2 at the advertised start time will not be permitted on the track.

d) A team may use only one car at any given round.

4.2. Race Safety

a) To race, a team's car must pass Scrutineering before the start of a round.

b) In the event that a car is deemed unsafe (or illegal) by a Race Official the car:

1. will not be permitted to start the race;
   or, if the car is racing:
2. must be pitted immediately

The car will only be permitted to start/re-join the race after the Race Official is satisfied that the maintenance to the car has made it safe (or legal).

c) Inadequate braking ability, inadequate turning ability, lack of drive, lack of visibility and unsuitability of a car for the size of the drivers are amongst the issues that are considered to make a car unsafe.

5. Maintenance

5.1. Scheduled Maintenance

a) Scheduled maintenance must take place in the pit lane.

b) Teams conducting scheduled maintenance outside the pit lane will be subject to a penalty (see rule 16).

5.2. Unscheduled Maintenance

a) Unscheduled maintenance of any description (e.g. the failure of car components), must take place off the race track and in a safe location.

b) Teams who conduct un-scheduled maintenance on the track or in an unsafe location will be required to move their car immediately to a safe location and will be subject to a penalty (see rule 16).

6. Drivers

6.1. Helmets

a) Drivers must wear a correctly fitting modern bicycle helmet that does not impair hearing at all times in the car.

b) Helmets must be worn with the helmet lying on top of the head with the chinstrap fastened under the chin.

c) A team whose driver enters the car without a helmet at any point during the day of the round are subject to a penalty (see rule 16) for every offense.

6.2. Clothing

a) Drivers must wear appropriate clothing and footwear at all times in the car. (i.e. no sandals or flip-flops).

6.3. Driver Changes

a) Driver changes must take place in the pit lane in all race conditions excepting where there has been an injury to a driver which prevents them continuing in the car at this time.

7. The Pit Lane

7.1. Types of Pit Lane

a) The type of pit lane in operation will be announced by a Race Official at the pre-race Driver Briefing.

b) One of two types of pit lane will be operated:

• segregated - the pit lane is marked by a series of cones, tyres or other physical barrier.
• open - the pit lane may be marked by a line of tape.

7.2. General Rules

a) The pit lane is not part of the race track. Any car travelling in the pit lane at racing speed, using the pit lane to over take other cars, or gain a racing advantage will be subject to a penalty (see rule 16).

b) A stationary car must not impede access to or from the pit lane for any other car.

c) It is the responsibility of the driver leaving the pit lane and entering the track to ensure it is safe to do so.

7.3. Segregated Pit Lanes

a) There is a single entry and exit for segregated pit lanes which must be used at all times. Cars cannot enter or exit the pit-lane between cones (or tyres etc) marking the boundary of the pit lane.

b) It is the responsibility of the 'moving-off' driver to ensure it is safe to do so, without impeding other pit lane traffic.

7.4. Open Pit Lanes

a) Cars are permitted to enter and exit the pit lane at any point along the length of the pit lane.

8. Overtaking

a) The driver of the faster car is responsible for executing a safe overtaking maneouvre and may advise the slower car of the side they intend to pass.

b) Overly aggressive behaviour and intimidation of any other driver will be considered dangerous driving and subject to a penalty (see rule 16).

c) The driver of a slower car has no obligation to surrender track position.

d) The driver of the slower car is free to take any reasonable racing line but must not deliberately impede any other car.

9. Dangerous Driving

9.1. Dangerous Driving

a) Dangerous driving includes (but is not limited to): excessive or deliberate bumping, barging, taking short cuts, swearing, cutting-up of other cars, and deliberate weaving or swerving.

b) Any team guilty of dangerous driving will be subject to a penalty (see rule 16).

9.2. Distractions from Driving

a) All devices that may cause driver distraction are banned. These include any use of musical devices (e.g. MP3 players or radios) and mobile telephones.

b) Nothing may be transferred to or from a moving car, including water bottles.

9.3. Dangerous\Performance Enhancing Substances

a) The use of substances designed to give a driver a competitive advantage and/or are outside the spirit of amateur sport is prohibited, this includes caffeine tablets.

b) Any team whose driver is found to be using substances described in Rule 9.3a will be disqualified from that round.

c) Any driver or other responsible person who consumes or is under the influence of alcohol immediately prior to, or at any time during, a race will be disqualified from the championship and the team will be disqualified from that round.

10. Flags

10.1. General Rules

a) Race flags are to be obeyed at all times.

b) Failure to observe a race flag will result in a penalty (see rule 16).

10.2. Start/Finish

a) A race will be started by an appropriate signal which will be advised by a Race Official.

b) At the race finish, a chequered flag will be first shown to the lead car on the final lap of the race.

c) Every remaining car on the track may complete the lap they are on and take the chequered flag.

10.3. Safety Flags

a) A yellow flag indicates there is a hazard and drivers must slow down and show due caution.

b) A red flag indicates that the race is suspended and drivers must stop where indicated.

c) Driver changes and maintenance are not permitted under a red flag unless a car is pitted before the red flag (see Rules 5.1 and 6.3).

d) A team whose driver fails to observe a red flag, overtakes whilst pulling over, changes driver or applies maintenance will be subject to a penalty (see rule 16).

e) A red flag period does not stop the race clock and will be counted as part of the duration of the race.

11. Number Plates

a) Each car must display the team's championship number and any additional markings for the class(es) they are competing in as described in the number plate requirements.

b) Any team failing to display the correct championship number will not qualify for points from that round.

c) Any team failing to display the markings, described in the number plate requirements, will not qualify for points any class for which they are not displaying the required markings.

12. Supervision of Junior Teams

a) PC2, PC3 and PC4 teams must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times.

b) Any PC2, PC3 or PC4 team which is not supervised by a responsible adult will pit immediately and only allowed to return to the track when supervised by a responsible adult.

13. Lights

a) Lights must be carried by all cars within any statutory lighting up period and must meet the minimum criteria outlined in the IPCS and below (see 13c & 13d).

b) A team whose car fails rule 13a must be pitted immediately and maintenance conducted until a Race Official is satisfied the said car's lighting meets rule 13a.

c) Front lights must be white (or close to white) in colour and, as a minimum be 2: off fitted as close to the extremities of the car as possible pointing forwards (i.e: one each side of the car minimum).

d) Rear lights must be red in colour and, as a minimum be 2: off fitted as close to the extremities of the car as possible pointing rearwards (i.e: one each side of the car minimum).

14. Transmitting Equipment

a) No transmitting equipment, including mobile phones, is permitted within the electromagnetic exclusion zone around the lap counting equipment and loop. Any team using a transmitting communication device in their car must guarantee to the race organiser that they will not transmit within the exclusion zone.

15. Complaints

15.1. Racing Complaints

a) All teams have the right to complain to a Race Official if they feel that a team is breaking any rule, compromising track safety or gaining an unfair advantage.

b) Complaints must preferably be made and dealt with within the time frame of the race itself or, if this is not possible, a maximum of 15 minutes after the end of the race. This 15 minute post-race period does not apply to technical infringements (rule 16.2).

c) Any penalty arising from a complaint will be notified to the team concerned by a Race Official within the time frame specified in rule 15.1b and appeals must be made at this time.

15.2. Results

a) Complaints about the results may be made during the period that the results are considered as provisional.

16. Penalties

16.1. The Penalties

a) Penalties are in the form of lap deductions from the total number of laps achieved by the team in breach of the rules during the race, as specified in Table 3.

b) Penalties will be applied for technical infringements (16.2), safety breaches (16.3) and performance advancing infringements (16.4) as detailed.

Table 3: Penalties for Infringements of BFPCR rules

16.2. Technical Infringements

a) For first offence, penalty 1 will be applied; 2nd offence = penalty 2; 3rd offence = penalty 3; 4th and subsequent offences = penalty 4.
For technical infringements only, a subsequent offence is defined as the failure to remedy a reported infringement. Once remedied, a subsequently reported technical infringement, of the same or other rule(s), is another first offence.

b) Technical infringements are:

• Damage to car / bodywork resulting in rule infringements
• Defective number plates
• Fading brakes
• Defective front lights

16.3. Safety Breaches

a) For first offence, penalty 2 will be applied; 2nd offence = penalty 3; 3rd and subsequent offences = penalty 4.

b) Safety breaches are:

• Helmet infringements (see 6.1)
• Pit lane infringements (see 7)
• Overtaking infringements (see 8)
• Dangerous driving (see 9)
• Ignoring flag rules (see 10)
• Defective rear lights
• Poor visibility from car
• Inappropriate clothing

16.4. Performance enhancing infringements

a) For first offence, penalty 2 will be applied; 2nd offence = penalty 3; 3rd and subsequent offences = penalty 4.

b) Performance enhancing infringements are:

• Using more drivers than those permitted for your class
• Running a car that does not comply to the IPCS

Example:

A car is seen to have defective number plates (i.e: a number might have fallen off) and is reported to a Race Official.

The Race Official then enacts penalty 1 and informs the team that the car must be brought into the pit lane immediately to have the problem fixed.

The Race Official then stays at the team and sees that the numbers are now adequate before allowing the car onto the track.

The stop to make repairs is deemed a sufficient penalty in this case.

If, however, the Race Official informs the team of the problem and the team fail to bring the car into the pits (either by not informing the driver or by the driver ignoring the signals) then penalty 2 is imposed and the car deducted 1 lap.

The next time the car passes the pits without stopping, penalty 3 is imposed and the car deducted 2 laps.

The next and subsequent times the car passes the pits without stopping to sort it out penalty 4 is imposed, 4 laps are deducted and the driver in question will take no further part in the race.

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