Rule Change Proposals

BSCRA Rule Change Voting

A majority of BSCRA members voted for proposal D1 and a majority have voted against all the other proposals
Proposal D1 is simply a vote on the principle of a new production chassis. The detailed design work will now be completed, a prototype of one or two options tested and made available to see before a fully detailed proposal is put to the membership for voting at the end of 2012.

Chris Frost
BSCRA Secretary, March 2012

BSCRA Rule Change Proposals

Members are asked to vote on the following proposals. Please give your votes to your Area Coordinator by 14 February 2012. (Most areas can accept votes a few days after the deadline, if you haven’t already voted please get your votes in straight away !)

Please remember theses are just proposals, they will only become rule changes if they are voted in. If passed all the proposals will come into effect on 1st June 2012 except C1 which will apply at the 2012 1/32 Nationals.
This is the complete list of proposals and amendments , the closing date for amendments was 1st February.

A. Proposals on the driver grading system

A1 Drivers will no longer be promoted to the premier grade because of their 1/24 BOC results

Amendment to A1 - That the top 5 in the 1/24th BOC are promoted to premier grade for 1 year (not 2 as at present).

A2 Drivers will no longer be promoted to the premier grade because of their 1/32 BOC results

Amendment to A2 - That the top 5 in the 1/32nd BOC are promoted to premier grade for 1 year (not 2 as at present).

NOTE A1 and A2 will change the existing rule 2.2 iii which says "The top 5 drivers in both the 1/32 and 1/24 British Open Championship in the previous 2 seasons. (Note the top 5 in the 2003/4 1/32 BOC will be ineligible for Main Grade for the 2004/5 and 2005/6 season; the top 5 in the 2003 1/24 BOC will be ineligible for Main Grade for the 2004/5 and 2005/6 season)"
The proposer of the amendment says the BOC's represent the top level of our sport outside the Nationals & as such deserve to be given some recognised status in the grading system. Whilst occasionally in poorly supported years the odd racers may have got promoted 'on the cheap' this certainly has not been the case in the last 2 years. The top 5 feature adds interest to racers and with it attendances.

Also in the case of the 1/24th BOC it is the only means of being promoted as a 1/24th racer - the unamended proposal would return us to 1/24th winners being eligible for Clubmans at the 1/32nd Nats.

The amendments are put forward as a compromise level which recognises the BOC's whilst still attaching greater weight to the the 1/32nd Nats.

B Proposals on Nationals qualifying and the British Open Championships

B1 1/32 BOC is no longer a qualifying route for the 1/32 Nationals.

B2 - The 1/32 Nationals shall be an OPEN event. No qualifying necessary.

Amendment to B2 - That 'Open' entry be restricted to British Citizens.

NOTE Area rounds used to get people racing at different clubs, now there are other series which do that. We can free up some space on the calendar if we drop area rounds. Areas can still hold a championship if they wish.
The reason for the amendment is the extra strain on the timetable of accommodating 10-20 foreign racers at the 1/32nd Nats. would make the event completely unmanageable without using more days.

B3 - Home members should be allowed to race at their home rounds of the 1/32 BOC.

Amendment to B3 - Home drivers to be awarded points for where they finish overall and visiting drivers are awarded points for where they finish excluding home drivers (see example) This will see home drivers being able to test themselves in the BOC, without affecting the travelling drivers and points towards their overall championship. It also removes the drivers that have a home round from being able to compete in less rounds. Home and away drivers to be defined under the same rules as currently implemented

Example 1st overall - First Visitor: - first place points

2nd overall - Second Visitor; - second place points

3rd overall - First Home Driver ; - third place points

4th overall - Third Visitor; - third place points

5th overall - Second Home Driver ; - fifth place points

6th overall - Fourth Visitor; - fourth place points

NOTE - The following Handbook and 1/32 BOC Rules will be removed:

Home members are not allowed to compete at their home round
If you hold a home round, you will count the average of your best 3 rounds.
If you do not hold a home round, you will count the average of your best 4 rounds.

Competitors are not allowed to run on the track in the 2 months prior to the meeting.

If you vote against the amendment, points will simply be awarded on the overall finishing positions.

C Proposals on the 1/32 Nationals racing format

C1 - The format for the Saloon class at the 1/32 Nationals to be: 1 minute qualifying and segmented heats for all competitors and segmented finals for overall, main and intermediate grade

NOTES on C1

Now that more people are interested in racing abroad, this would more closely reflect the international style of racing and give British racers a better understanding of what would be required to compete on an international level.

If the Nationals became an open event where qualifying (from area meetings etc.) was not necessary, it would make it much easier to organise the racing and finish at a reasonable time each day

D Proposals on production chassis policy

D1 Would members please vote on the principle of replacing existing 1/32 production chassis with a simple "laser" cut chassis with easy to measure dimensions and minimal parts. The drawing will be made available to all manufacturers and must be produced for a set price.
If the membership is in favour of the principle, a fully detailed proposal will be put to the membership for voting at the end of 2012.

The 1/32 Super Production class will remain unchanged.

NOTE

The reasoning behind this proposal is to make the introductory class more robust and require less technical knowledge to assemble a competitive car. The suppliers would be encouraged to supply an agreed set of parts to assemble a fully working slot car. This would make it easier for a new racer to approach any supplier and purchase a kit, without having to know all the pieces they need. There would also be less maintenance required on the chassis and it would be able to withstand greater impacts without bending. It would also make a much better introduction into the assembly and build of a modern slot car.

It is also worth mentioning that BSCRA Council members and other officials are appointed each year (except for the magazine editor who is appointed for two years). Very often the existing Council member is the only candidate for their post, so they are reappointed unopposed. However, other BSCRA members can be proposed for these posts (subject to some limitations). If there is more than one candidate for a Council post, then an election is held – and all BSCRA members have the opportunity to vote.

I should point out that there is a lot of work for officials to do, so the posts are only suitable for people with the time as well as the enthusiasm to do the work. Some of this work will be obvious to members but a lot of the work needed to run the Association takes place “behind the scenes”. Anybody who is thinking of standing would be well advised to find out more about what’s involved first – this might best be done by contacting the Chairman, Secretary or the official currently in the post. Nominations for candidates (proposed and seconded by BSCRA members) need to be received by the BSCRA secretary (Chris Frost ) by 20th February 2012.

Chris Frost

BSCRA Secretary, December 2011 (amended January 2012)

Original Request for Proposals

BSCRA members are welcome to propose changes to BSCRA rules. This year BSCRA is in the middle of a two year freeze on car and track standards. (You may remember that BSCRA members voted for this in a postal vote) However if there are any other changes you’d like to put forward, please talk to any member of the BSCRA Council. The proposal needs to be endorsed by a BSCRA Council member and received by the BSCRA secretary (Chris Frost ) by 1st December 2011. The proposals will then be published so all BSCRA members discuss and vote on them.

Perhaps I should mention that the 2 year rule freeze doesn’t apply to adding new products to the approved list. Nor does the freeze apply where an existing rule is unclear, and needs an interpretation. The approval of new products and rule interpretations are organised by the BSCRA Competition Rules Committee (Chairman Ian Fisher). As most of you know, new bodyshells are added to the approved list several times a year.

Chris Frost

BSCRA Secretary, October 2011