Competition Rules

GENERAL CLUB RULES

1.    Any club member wishing to take part in any competitive event must have received suitable tuition prior to the event.

2.    Drivers must produce a valid RS Clubman license and a membership card when signing on for a competitive event if requested.

3.    Drivers must be 17 years or over, be a club member, and hold as minimum a UK category B or F Driving Licence (as per Road Traffic Act) which must be produced to the secretary of the meeting upon request.

4.    Members are reminded that alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited at all competitive events, club promotional days, treasure hunt, and green lane runs (tt includes guests of members and spectators).

5.    Smoking by vehicle occupants at any club run event is strictly prohibited this includes e-cigarettes.

6.    No more than two people in any vehicle when negotiating a section at competitive events.

7.    A navigator shall not ride with more than one competitor unless the clerk of the course gives their consent.

8.    Vehicle manufacturer’s passenger capacity must not be exceeded at any club run event.

9.    Passengers must sign on and be a minimum of 14 years of age to passenger in a closed roof vehicle and 16 years of age for open top vehicles.

10. Seat belts must be worn by driver and passenger(s) whilst they are in vehicles at all times, this includes while recovering other vehicles and being recovered. Minimum seat belt requirements are lap strap and diagonal for Road Taxed Vehicles and full four point harness for Cross Country Vehicles.

11. Drivers deemed to be driving in a dangerous manner either whilst negotiating a section, traveling between sections, or at any competitive event or other club run event will be disqualified from the meeting. Further action may be taken at the discretion of the committee.

12. All vehicles competing in competitive events will be scrutineered, normally one hour before the start of the event. Any vehicles not meeting requirements will not be allowed to compete.

13. Spectators vehicles must be parked in the designated parking area at all times and must not be driven onto, or around the site under any circumstances.

14. There must be no driving about before the start of the competitive event, during lunch breaks or after the event, unless permission has been given by the event organisers.

15. Signed on drivers and officials are the only drivers permitted to drive during the trial or club event.

16. Engines must not produce visible smoke or exhaust emisions during an event. (condensation and the odd occasional puff are acceptable)

17. Exhaust noise should not exceed 100db @ .5m or 88db @ 2m from the vehicle as shown in chart 5.18 0f the MSUK Blue book (pg. 155)

18. There is a 15 mph speed limit at all club events for any vehicle not driving on a competitive trial section under the instruction of the clerk of the course. This limit includes all driving days and club promotional days.

19. Any infringement of the above rules will render the driver liable to disqualification from the meeting, further action may or may not be taken at the discretion of the committee.

20. All doors and seats must be securely fastened and the bonnet must be in place as must the floor and transmission covers. Any modifications to panel work must not leave the transmission exposed.

21. All soft top vehicles must have as minimum requirement, the windscreen erect and at least a rear hoop with stay bars securely mounted to the chassis or reinforced body member. All hard tops and truck cabs comply with R.T.V. regulations provided they are mounted correctly. Full roll cages are not required.

22. A spare wheel need not be carried, but if one is it must be securely fixed.

23. All loose items inside the vehicle must be removed, or restrained correctly.

24. All vehicles must carry a tow rope of adequate length with a soft spliced eye at both ends. Knotted ends, wire ropes, load straps, lifting straps, towing straps and kinetic energy recovery ropes are NOT permitted, Ropes must be of nylon construction, NOT polypropylene. Shackles must has a minimum pin diameter of 19 mm and be rated at not less than 3.75 tons these must be scrutineered before use at any event.

25. The steering wheel must be securely fitted and be of sound construction. It is recommended that the rim outside diameter is not less than 13 inches. Steering shall be effective on the front axle only.

26. A electrically operated starter is mandatory, operated from the driver’s seat.

27. The hand brake must operate efficiently, operation of the foot brake must be effective on all four wheels (ie: no fiddle brakes / independent brakes or skid steering).

28. A return spring must be fitted for each carburetor throttle spindle to the engine, to close the throttle in the event of linkage failure (includes diesel). (drive by wire vehicles are exempt of this requirement)

29. Batteries must be securely mounted and restrained with a metal clamp or metal strap and must have spillage caps fitted. If battery is moved from original location they must be covered to avoid spillage into the passenger compartment in any situation. The positive terminal must be covered with a non-conductive cover wherever the battery is mounted.

30. Engine air intakes must NOT be ducted from the passenger compartment.

31. The exhaust system may be altered but must NOT pass through the passenger compartment. Any exposed parts of this system MUST be guarded and system must provided adequate silencing.

32. If fuel tanks are not in their original position they MUST be securely fixed in place with metal straps. Tanks MUST be of sound construction and fit for purpose, a leak proof cap must be used. No part of the tank, filler neck or filler may be in the passenger compartment. All fuel tanks, or any part of the fuel tank / fuel filler, which is fitted above the floor, MUST be suitably housed within a container or box of metal construction.

33. Towing points must be provided front and rear. Any tow jaws, ball hitches etc. that are designed to be bolted must be mounted securely using bolts of the correct size and grade, and reinforced from the reverse side with a metal plate. Any fabricated tow points are subject to the scrutineer’s approval. Closed towing hitches are strongly recommended. Towing and recovery from lashing eyes and directly from bumpers is Not permitted under any circumstance with the one exception of factory designed and fitted towing rated bumpers as fitted to some modern pickups.

34. Rearward vision whilst properly seated within the confines of the vehicle’s bodywork or ROPS must be possible. Vehicles with solid rear bulkheads or an obstructed view along the centreline of the longitudinal axis must be fitted with either external rear view mirrors or a reversing camera. Mirrors and/or cameras must be operational during competition.

35. All classes of vehicles need to have an operational hand brake (emergency brake) that will function even if main hydraulic brake system fails. This can be accomplished with either a standard cable operated system as is normally fitted on production vehicles or with an independent hydraulic system that does not share components with the the primary system. Line lock on the primary hydraulic system is not acceptable.

Road Taxed Vehicles Rules

36. All competing vehicles must hold current or be exempt from Road tax and MOT test.

37. Tyres MUST be road legal. Implement, cut or open centred tyres, chains, re-cut, paddle or dumper tyres will NOT be permitted.

38. Banded or reverse centred, welded or modified wheels will NOT be permitted.

39. All competing vehicles must be driven to the event. Trailered vehicles will not be allowed to compete in the R.T.V. Class but are permitted to compete on the same sections.

40. Vehicles substantially modified will be encouraged to compete in the modified class.

41. It is highly recommended that a NAFFF or NAS S3 foam fire extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 1.75 litres is mounted in the vehicle within reach of the driver. The club recommends a 2.0 litre extinguisher is used for financial reasons as they tend to be cheaper than a 1.75 litre.

Trailered Vehicle Rules
AS PER RULES 36 TO 41 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FOLLOWING:

42. Vehicles trailered to an event will not be allowed to compete in a Road Taxed Vehicle class as this is not deemed “in the spirit of Road Taxed Vehicle trialing”. However, such vehicles are permitted to compete across the same terrain as Road Taxed Vehicles providing they meet all of the safety requirements and rules of the Road Taxed Vehicle class with the exception of rules 20. Trailered R.T.V. vehicles will not directly compete with R.T.V. class vehicles actually driven to events.

Use Of Winches And Equipment

43. Winches will only be permitted to be used at a trial or competitive events (other than a winch challenge, punch hunt, or club promotional day) under the supervision of a marshal or clerk of the course and then only for the purpose of recovering another vehicle. Winches and winching equipment, such as, but not limited to, tree straps, shackles, snatch blocks, winch sails and ground anchors will need to be inspected during scrutineering.

All winches MUST have an isolation switch clearly marked.

Winches and equipment used on club promotional days, winch challenge and punch hunts MUST be inspected before use and vehicles must have a clearly marked winch cut off switch. Care must be taken so that damage is not caused to trees or any winching points.

No Winch Sail, No Safety Isolation Switch - No Winching
No Exceptions

Cross Country Vehicles Rules
(Modified Class)

44. Full roll cages MUST be fitted. Mounted to the chassis or suitably reinforced body member and to comply with Motor Sports Association regulations in design, construction and materials used.

45. Four point full harness seat belts as a minimum MUST be worn at all times, whilst driving a section or course, recovery or being recovered. 3 point full harness seat belts, lap strap or lap strap and diagonal will not be permitted under any circumstances.

46. Tyres need NOT be road legal. Implement, or open centred tyres, chains, paddle or dumper tyres will NOT be permitted. Cut or re cut tyres will be allowed.

47. Banded or reverse centred, welded or modified wheels will be allowed but must be inspected by a scrutineer before tyres are fitted

48. Fuel tanks MUST be securely fixed in place with metal straps. Tanks MUST be of sound construction and fit for purpose, a leak proof cap must be used. No part of the tank, filler neck or filler may be in the passenger compartment. All fuel tanks, or any part of the fuel tank / fuel filler, which is fitted above the floor, MUST be suitably housed within a container or box of metal construction.

49. Modified or fabricated bodywork must have no sharp or protruding edges.

50. Radiators and coolant systems mounted to the rear of the vehicle must be suitably shielded or covered to stop any fluids (or steam during over heating) entering the passenger compartment.

51. Occupants of vehicles in modified classes must wear an approved crash helmet if the vehicle is not fitted with a solid roof of metal construction (or of other solid construction subject to the scrutineer’s approval) whilst driving a competitive section or engaged in recovery.

52. Petrol powered vhicles require a NAFFF or NAS S3 foam fire extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 1.75 litres is mounted in the vehicle within reach of the driver. It is highly recommended that diesel powered vehicles also carry an extinquisher but it is not mandatory. The club recommends a 2.0 litre extinguisher is used for financial reasons as they tend to be cheaper than a 1.75 litre.

(Super Modified Class)

53. Any vehicle with more than one steering axle or ‘pivot’ steering will be placed in the Super Modified Class.

54. Any vehicle with a single steering axle with no mechanical connection between steering wheel and the wheels that are steered (ie: hydraulic/hydrostatic steering) will be place in the Super Modified Class.

55. Any vehicle fitted with independent (fiddle) brakes will be placed in the Super Modified Class unless such brakes can be locked in a disabled position for the duration of competitive driving (ie: the brakes must be disabled whilst driving the competitive section but may be ‘unlocked’ and rendered useable to aid recovery etc. if appropriate or necessary).

56. Any vehicle with less than two seats will be placed in the Super Modified Class.

57. Occupants of any vehicle entered in the Super Modified Class (even with a solid roof as described in Rule 64) must wear an approved crash helmet whilst driving a competitive section or engaged in recovery.

58. The Clerk of the Course (COC)has the final say in the scores awarded for any trial section during competitive events.

59. Any one failing to obey the direction of the COC or appointed Marshal will be sanctioned as the committee finds appropriate.

60. Petrol powered vhicles require a NAFFF or NAS S3 foam fire extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 1.75 litres is mounted in the vehicle within reach of the driver. It is highly recommended that diesel powered vehicles also carry an extinquisher but it is not mandatory. The club recommends a 2.0 litre extinguisher is used for financial reasons as they tend to be cheaper than a 1.75 litre.

 
ALL OF THE ABOVE POINTS ARE SUBJECT TO THE SCRUTINEER’S APPROVAL AND THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AS SET OUT BY THE MOTOR SPORT ASSOCIATION IN THE M.S.A. (Trial setup)

 61. A Trials Section is a test laid out over undulating ground designed to bring Competitors to an involuntary stop.

62. The course comprises a series of ‘gates’ defined by marker canes where Competitors’ performance is measured according to the number of gates ‘cleared’ without stopping, leaving the course or touching a course marker.

63. The Start and Finish of observed sections must be marked by signs and the Starts should be reasonably flat and wide so that all Competitors can at least enter the section.

64. The layout of sections should take account of the location of possible failure points.

65. The layout should facilitate Marshalling by the minimum possible number of Officials.

66. Sections should be as wide as possible to allow a choice of route and as winding as possible to place a premium on driving skill (although the radius of all corners must be adequate for all vehicles entered).

67. Minimum gate width is 3 metres

68. Course markers should not be placed against trees.

69. The use of trees or natural hazards as course boundaries should be avoided. 

70. If possible, alternative routes should be planned in case of changes of weather condition.

71. Sections will be laid out using a minimum of 10 pairs of marker stakes of an approximate height of 1m, and with colour coding to clearly identify each side of the route. 

72. Metal rod markers should not be used. 

73. Markers should be placed to avoid the likelihood of Competitors putting all wheels out between markers, or where they are likely to be moved by bushes or

branches. Clearly visible sub-section numbers should have a minimum figure height of 50mm.

74. Approaches to and exits from sections must not present any unreasonable hazard or difficulty.

75. There should be sufficient Marshals at each observed section to ensure safety procedures are followed.

76. All drivers will walk the course with the COC/course constructor at the same time.

77. Unless specified otherwise during the course walk through at no time are competitors allowed to cross their tracks when negotiating a section.

78. Start Marshal will use whistle to indicate a car is entering the course

79. Whenever physically possible 2 ways radios will be used to ensure positive communication between all officials.

80. Minimum number of officials required are: COC, Start Marshal, and at least 1 more Marshal or the event does not go forward.