FRC will be having its final event for 2016 on Saturday 3rd December. This will be a special event for any full-bodied cars, regardless of body type (hence the term "Formula Libre"). Open-wheel cars are excluded. Cars will be raced in time-bracket categories. In addition, races will be run on a handicap basis with slower cars starting before faster cars.
Here are the special regulations for this event:
Class Name: Formula Libre Handicap.
Eligible cars: Any full-bodied car. Open-wheel cars are excluded.
Procedure:
- All cars will be qualified in the normal manner, one car at a time over three timed laps. This is a significant part of the event's activities because drivers will get full race points for their qualifying grid positions and with the anticipated number of car entries, its likely to take up half of the total time for the event. Cars with lap times under 5.0 sec will not be permitted to race.
- Once all cars have a qualifying time, the races will be run in groups of six cars starting with the fastest six eligible cars (group A), then followed by the next fastest six (group B), and so on.
- Race laps:
Group A - 150
Group B - 130
Group C - 115
Group D - 100
etc.
These race lengths should all result in approximately 15 minutes of racing per race. - Where any car's fastest race lap is less than 95% of its qualifying lap, such car will be demoted to last place.
For each race, cars will start in reverse grid order, separated by a calculated handicap time. Each car's "total race time" will be calculated by multiplying its qualifying time by the number of race laps, minus five (we want to have a few open laps for everyone). Their handicap time will be this time minus the pole car's total race time.
For example, if the pole car's qualifying time is 5.2 sec and the race is 150 laps, its calculated total race time is 5.2 x 145 = 754 sec. Now if the 6th car's qualifying time is 5.95 sec its calculated total race time is 5.95 x 145 = 863 sec (rounded). Subtracting the pole car's calculated total race time from the 6th car's calculated total race time gives the 6th car's handicap time (863-754 = 109). The 6th car therefore starts 109 sec before the pole car.
Here's an example chart showing the car start time intervals:
Its important that you bring along cars with varying lap times, otherwise you may only end up doing one or two races.
So, grab a bunch of your cars of varying lap times and come on out to the 2016 FRC finale for a great event packed full of unusual competition. Track opens at 3:00 PM.
It's going to be slot racing experience you won't want to miss!
