Now that your craft has been scruiteneered you should go and pay your race and site fees. For this you will need the craft's log book, signed by the scruiteneer, your racing license and some money. In return you will be given a wrist band that shows you have payed your sit fees and a small insurance sticker to stick on the front of your craft to show that you have payed insurance. Without an insurance sticker you will not be allowed to take your craft out of the paddock.
You should also collect an ELS tag for the lap scoring system. This small electronic device fits onto the duct of the craft in a specially made holder. If your craft doesn’t have a holder fitted, you can get one of these too and securely mount it to the top of the duct.
At the end of the race meeting you should return your tag but leave the holder fitted to the duct.
Practice.
At around 10 o'clock on Saturday morning the practice sessions will start. Keep an eye on the large wooden board at the paddock exit. The paddock marshal will indicate which formula is practicing. At each change of formula the paddock marshal will sound a siren and change the number on the board. At the end of a formula's practice session the checkered flag will be shown.
You will be expected to prove that your lanyard, engine kill switch, is working before you are allowed onto the course.
Paddock open.
At the end of the practice session the paddock will be opened to the general public. From this point until the paddock is closed again you are not allowed to start your craft so make sure you are where you need to be in platy of time.
You are of course allowed to work on your craft if practice has shown up anything that needs to be done but you're not allowed to run you engine(s).
Racing (10, 5, 2, 1, Go)
Races are organised in two blocks with a paddock open period between blocks.
Keep an eye on the large wooden board at the paddock exit.
The paddock marshal will sound a siren and put up the formula number on the board at the paddock exit along with the number 10, before each race to warn the drivers. This means that there are ten minutes to the start of the race. At this point you should start getting yourself organised. Get your life jacket, body armor on etc. and head out of the paddock. The paddock marshal will test your ELS tag and make sure it's OK before sending you out on to the grid.
As you get to the grid, wait to be "gridded" by the marshals. As you enter, it helps them if you swing the craft a little sideways so that they can clearly see the number on your duct. You will then be directed to your grid position. The marshal will ask you to kill the engine(s) by pulling the lanyard to prove that the engine kill is working. As the grid is a noisy place they will probably indicate this to you be making a signal involving raising an arm.
The next siren will sound five minutes before the start of the race. Things are afoot now so if you're not on the grid by now, get moving.
2 minutes to go.
Two minutes before the start of the race to marshal will hold up a board with a large figure 2 on it. Now is the time to start your engines, put on your lanyard and get ready to race.
If you haven't made it to the grid by now you will not be allowed to take your grid position. You will have to start the race from the back of the grid.
Holding?
If there is a problem that will delay the start of the race, the marshal holds up a large capital H alongside the the two minute board. If this happens, don't bother to to start the engine. Just sit tight and wait. When the race can continue, the marshal will display the two minute board and things move on from there.
The last minute.
The one minute board means just that, one minute to go. The marshals will have checked that you have the lanyard fitted and that everything is ready to go.
Go.
The start marshal will indicate that we are ready to go by pointing at the start lights. First the red light will show and then, after a random delay, the green light will show.
We're off.
Now just race. In novices it’s ten minutes plus one lap. Make sure you know the flags used and what the last lap board looks like (it’s a yellow board with a black, diagonal cross on it). You can find that information in the racing driver’s handbook which you should have a copy of.
Sunday.
Sunday follows a similar format to Saturday but the practice session is shorter and there is no scruiteneering for craft that have already been checked..
Prize giving.
This is held around half an hour after the last race of the weekend. Stick around and see the trophies handed out. Who knows, you may even be taking one home.
Course dismantling.
Just as we start with an empty field, so we must leave one behind. Please stick around to help take the course down. Also please pick up any litter you find, whether it's yours or not. It's very important that we leave our sites tidy.
Don’t forget to hand in the ELS tag.
The end.
So that's it. You've taken part in your first race meeting. Good wasn't it? To be fair, by now you've probably got some work to do. You may have mashed the craft is little or found something that needs your attention. Get these things sorted out in good time so that you can enjoy your next meeting.