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Please read the rulebook closely. There have been many changes and clarifications in the new edition.
Because we are starting the program with several new Racing to the Future™ personnel, we are limiting the number of student entries to 4 Students Per School.
General Rules:
- All cars participating must be an HO Scale chassis and body (approximately 1:64th scale). Chassis classification will follow the rules listed below. All chassis types will race within the same class. Age groups will be the only grouping criteria; Elementary School (Grades K-5), Middle School (Grades 6-8) and High School (Grades 9-12). Please see below for examples of chassis types that are recommended. Modifications that are allowed are listed below.
- The car’s chassis, including wheels, tires and axles must not exceed 1-5/16th of an inch wide. The car’s body must not exceed 1-3/8th inches wide and no more than 6 inches long.
- Armatures (Motor) CANNOT measure less than 5.8 Ohms per pole in resistance. Any armature that measures less than 5.8 Ohms per pole will not pass technical inspection and will not be allowed to compete. See the “Parts Guideline” for what parts may be altered or changed. EXCEPTION- Lifelike T-Chassis cars in stock format will be permitted to compete. However, the Lifelike motor in the T chassis cannot be used in other chassis/cars.
- Any tires, wheels, magnets, motors, gears, pick up system, weights and body is legal so long as it meets the requirements in Rule #2 and Rule #3 and does not pose a hazard to the track, cars, drivers, racing officials or spectators. See the “Parts Guideline” on the Racing to the Future™ website for what parts may be altered or changed.
- Cars must be powered only by the track system. No additional power sources are allowed.
- Competing cars must have a complete body shell (Molded Plastic, Lexan or Similar Material, Metal or Cast Resin) mounted to the chassis and must complete the run intact.
- Any car that is deemed a hazard to the track, cars, drivers, racing officials or spectators will be disqualified from competition and not allowed to run.
- All cars will be submitted to a pre-race tech inspection, prior to the racing competition, to ensure that the width, length, armature restrictions and safety rules are being followed. The Student Racer may be asked to disassemble their car for inspection purposes. If the tech inspector is asked to disassemble the car, all possible caution will be taken during inspection, but it is the responsibility of the Student Racer to be able to have the car in racing form after inspection. Student Racers may ask for the volunteer mechanics for assistance if needed, in assembling their cars. Any car found in violation of the rules will have a chance to be repaired or changed by the driver/owner before the tech inspection ends. If the car cannot be altered to comply with the rules or fails to meet the rules by the end of tech inspection, it will be disqualified and not allowed to race.
- The Design Competition segment will not be held in 2024 but will return in 2025.
- Stand ins or substitutes are allowed if they are from the same school and in the same grade. This must be approved by the Race Director and the student’s teacher/STLP Coordinator.
- Cars may be substituted prior to Tech Inspection. The substitute car must pass inspection and must be done under the 1-minute rule (Racing Format Rule #6). If the car has already passed Tech Inspection or staged to run its first race it cannot be replaced by another car.
Racing Format:
- Races will be divided into 3 groups: Elementary School (K-5th Grades), Middle School (6-8th Grades) and High School (9-12th Grades).
- After Student Racers Sign-In, their car is submitted to the Race Officials.
- Student Racer’s Cars will be tech inspected and impounded.
- A bracket for each age group will be randomly generated for each of the age groups.
- Student racers will compete by bracket pairing. First to the finish with no fouls is the winner. If both racers foul, the first racer to foul loses the race. The brackets will be a “Double Elimination” format. After a 1st loss the Student Racer is moved to a Secondary Bracket and must race their way back to the Primary Bracket. If a Student Racer loses a second time, they are out of the competition. The overall winner of the Primary Bracket and the overall winner of the Secondary Bracket will meet to race for the championship in a final, a “Best of 3” series of races to determine the winner of their age group. The Student Racer to win 2 races in the Best of 3 series is the Champion
- Drivers will have 1 minute to have their car lined up and ready to race once they are called to the track. All drivers (and/or substitutes) must be ready when their age group is called to race. If the Student Racer is not ready and lined up for the called race, that driver will be marked as forfeiting that race/pass, the opposing driver receives a win.
- The race will start with a Xmas tree lighted countdown: Red-Yellow-Yellow-Yellow-Green. Any driver jumping the start before the green light will trigger an automated “Foul Light” and forfeit their run and be counted as a loss. If both drivers foul, the first driver to foul loses the race. The first driver to foul will be displayed by the drag race system.
- Drivers/Cars will run one pass per race. The Winner will be displayed by the drag race system.
- At the Race Officials discretion, a staged race may be re-staged if any of the following occurs:
• The car(s) were not staged properly by the Race Official
• The Track malfunctions (i.e. controller fails)
• The Timing System malfunctions or is not configured properly
• Cars that de-slot or fail to start (not due to track malfunction), will be considered as a DNF (Did Not Finish) and will forfeit their race and will not be re-staged.
Track Details:
- The Racing to the Future™ drag strip is a Viper Scale Racing PVC commercial track with steel rail and power leads in each section of track, every four feet. The race length is 20 feet, 7 inches, a 1:64th scale quarter mile. The last 10 feet of track is not powered and allows for a controlled shut down of the cars, with a padded catch box at the end of the track.
- A TrackMate DP2000 race management system will be used to control the Xmas tree and timing systems. The track is equipped with Pre-Stage/Stage capabilities (cars will be manually staged in the competition), a foul sensor, a speed trap and finish sensors. The system will display and record Reaction Time, Elapsed Time and Speed in Miles Per Hour of each lane and each pass.
- Power will be a commercial DC unit set at 24 Volts and 10 Amps with circuit breakers in each lane.
Racing to the Future™ Volunteer Resources at STLP State Competitions:
There will be Racing to the Future™ volunteers at the STLP State Championship event to assist student racers in emergency repair of their cars. These volunteers are there to assist and guide the student racers in emergency repairs, NOT to update, improve, tune or enhance the student racer’s entry. There may be a limited number of spare parts available for these emergency services, but it is the student racer’s responsibility to bring spare/repair parts for their cars. The volunteers will NOT have parts for all of the various chassis that could be entered. Parts will be used in a first need, first served basis. The part supply will be limited and should not be relied on by the student racer. Student racers may share spare parts they have, if they wish to.
Awards and Recognition:
- Each Age bracket, Elementary School (K-5th Grades), Middle School (6-8th Grades) and High School (9-12th Grades), will be eligible for the following awards and recognition:
• Champion – Racing Competition (First Place)
• Runner Up – Racing Competition (Second Place)
• Fastest Elapsed Time (ET)
• Fastest Speed (MPH)
Chassis Approved for Racing to the Future™ Competitions
| Brand | Chassis Models & Notes |
|---|---|
| Aurora Model Motoring | ThunderJet* – Wild Ones* – Tuff Ones* |
| Aurora AFX | AFX* – MagnaTraction* – Specialty 4-Gear* – G+ Super G+ – Super Magna-Traction (Cat’s Eyes, Blazin’ Brakes, Speed Shifters) |
| Auto World / Playing Mantis | Thunderjet 500* & Thunderjet Ultra G* XTraction* & Xtraction Ultra G* 4-Gear* – Super III |
| Dash | Blizzard* – Mondo* |
| Harden Creek Slot Cars | HCS AMG Super 7 – (6 Ohm Versions Only) |
| JAG Hobbies | JAG Chassis: TR-3***, DR-1***, NC-2***, PR-5***, and RS-6*** JAG Chassis are available in a “GT” performance option. These “GT” chassis have 3.5 Ohm armatures and are NOT allowed. |
| Life-Like | Fast-Trackers – M-Cars – T-Chassis** |
| Mattel / Tyco | TycoPro (I & II) – CurveHugger – HP2 – HP7 Magnum 440 – Magnum 440-X2 – HPX2**** ER NASCAR |
| Micro-Scalectric – JWL Racing – Riggen – Cobramite – Dynabrute | These are older or European import brands that are competitive, but difficult and more expensive to purchase and are allowed but are best avoided for this competition. |
| Rokar | M-Cars – X-Chassis (AMRAC/Cox) |
| Tomy AFX / AFX RaceMasters | Turbo – SRT – Super G+ Mega G 1.5 & 1.7 Mega G+ 1.5 & 1.7 |
| Wizzard | WizzJet* – Patriot***** – Storm***** – Fusion***** Wizzard chassis, Patriot, Storm and Fusion must use 5.8 Ohm or higher armatures. |
| Racing Designed Chassis: BSRT-G3 – Viper VSPEC SlotTech – Hammer – Scratch Built | All of these “racing designed” chassis are allowed if they meet the 5.8 Ohm armature rule and the other rules listed above. When ordering any of the “racing designed” chassis, be sure to get the versions that have the 5.8 Ohm armature or higher. |
*- These chassis are “Pancake” design and the out of the package versions usually run slower than the “Inline” style chassis. They can be made to run as fast but require additional parts and building efforts to match the speed from the “Inline” designs.
**- Lifelike T-Chassis may be raced in Stock form with the factory stock 3.5 armature. However, the Lifelike 3.5 Ohm motor in the T-Chassis CANNOT be used in other chassis/cars.
***- JAG Chassis are available in a “GT” performance option. These “GT” chassis have 3.5 Ohm armatures and are NOT allowed.
****- the Mattel / Tyco HPX2 battery powered race sets came with chassis (HPX2) that are NOT allowed in Racing to the Future™ competitions. The stock armature in these chassis are 3.0 Ohms and are NOT allowed. The Chassis may be raced if the armature is changed to the 5.8 Ohm or higher armature.
*****- Wizzard chassis Patriot, Storm and Fusion must use 5.8 Ohm or higher armatures. Make sure when ordering one of these chassis that you ask for the 5.8 Ohm armature or higher.
Resources and Reference Materials:
- Parts Guideline for Slot Car Chassis Modifications https://racingtothefuture.com/rttf-resource-pages/important-announcements-for-competitions/racing-to-the-future-parts-guideline-for-modifying-slot-cars/
- 5.8 Ohm Armature Rule Explanation https://racingtothefuture.com/rttf-resource-pages/important-announcements-for-competitions/the-5-8-ohm-armature-rule-explanation/
- Setting Up Your Car for Sensor Detection https://racingtothefuture.com/rttf-resource-pages/important-announcements-for-competitions/how-to-set-up-your-car-for-sensor-detection/
Racing to the Future™ Sponsors:
Speed Inc………………………………………………https://www.speedinc-slotcars.com
Auto World Slot Cars……………………………… https://www.autoworldstore.com
AFX Racing………………………………………………………..………. https://afxracing.com
Hardin Creek Slot Cars……………………………………..………………..www.hcslots.com
Viper Scale Racing……………………………………….…. https://viperscaleracing.com
JAG Hobbies……………………………………………….……………….www.jaghobbies.com
Super Tires…………………………………………………..…………… https://supertires.com