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RULEBOOK (revised for 2008) |
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(Click here to Download pdf file of 2008 Rule Book) CLASSIC THUNDER 1/10 SCALE HYDROPLANE RACING Classic Thunder is a club
whose goal is to emulate the competition and style of real unlimited hydroplane
racing. All boats are 1/10th scale replicas of actual hydroplanes.
The club emphasis is on quality workmanship and scale accuracy.
Unique features of the club include electric power, scale skid fins for
realistic cornering, and left hand turning. All
boats competing in Classic Thunder are separated into divisions. Division I:
Hulls that competed in the 50’s and 60’s plus some round nose boats that
competed from 1970 and later, with the approval of the Executive Committee.
Division II: Hulls that competed from 1970 through present time.
2008 Classic Thunder Rule Book Club
Membership Club
membership is $10.00. You must be a club member to drive at club
events. Boat
registration is $5.00. Entry
fee per race is $2.00 To drive at a Classic
Thunder event, you must belong to the
APBA. Club
membership, boat, and race fees provide: Race
schedule, Club rulebook, Club directory, Newsletters and points updates,
Banquets, Ribbons or Trophies, and club supplies Boat
Registration and Appearance Members are allowed two boat
registrations per division at any one time. A boat must be registered to compete in
Classic Thunder events. Boats are registered by mail or in
person (only at an official club function) with the registrations officer.
Include fees along with the boat(s) name and year. Boat
registrations are on a first come first serve basis. At the end of the season, a member has the
option to keep or forfeit their registrations. This option lasts until
January 1. A registered boat must compete in at least three
races
during the season for the registration to remain valid. A member that
fails to race a registered boat is not allowed to re-register that boat before
January 1. What boats are allowed to be
built? Any
boat that was actually built (some sort of photo verification is necessary if
in question) and did, or was capable of, racing in the unlimited class of
hydroplane racing the year it existed.
Prototype boats that were “plans only” are not allowed. Boat
appearance and design: All members
will be required to build their boats as closely as possible to the original
boat and have a photograph of the real boat for verification. This
includes paint colors. Tolerances on the length and width of club hulls will
be (Length +or – ½”) and (Width +or – 10%). Length and width tolerances will be
enforced on hulls built for 2008 and later
seasons. Hulls that raced in the club prior to the
end of the 2007 race season will be allowed to run even if outside of these
tolerances. Dimensions will be confirmed by the RCU master hull roster. If it is not listed, the builder will need to
provide documentation of the dimensions as verification to the tech inspector. Offset cowlings and Asymmetrical sponsons should be accurately
represented. Boats must run in their most
recognizable form for the year of the real unlimited that is registered. A real boat that raced damaged can not be the
version used as a pattern for the model, no cop-outs. The following items must be present for a boat to enter
competition: (If applicable) Driver
complete from the wait up with proper helmet Life
jacket Windshield Steering
wheel and dashboard with instruments Air
scoops or vents Exhaust
pipes and or manifolds Flash
pans Bow
spoiler Accurate
wet sponson detail Radio
antennas must be painted black or be music wire. Full cowl or open dummy motor, verified by photo,
stacks may not simply be glued to outside of the cowl on full cowl boats.
Stacks must come through the cowl. Boats are to be built 1/10th scale to fit the RCU master hull roster. Scale paint
job to be verified by photo or Newton plans. An air dam may be
added to the bottom of a boat, regardless of if the real boat ran with one. However, it must be back 1” from the front of
the sponson tunnel (or from the ram wind/bull nose in the case of pickle forked
boats). They can be no more than 3/8”
tall. They must be made of clear plastic
or painted to match the bottom of the boat.
They can not be an obvious change to the scale look of the model while
on the water. Losing any significant part of the boat (something necessary
to the performance of the real boat) during a heat is a disqualification and
the boat must stop. For instance, the motor, driver, or cowl, if no dummy
motor is underneath. To compete in following heats, the lost part(s) must
be replaced within reason. Damaged boats must be repaired by
the 2nd race after damage has occurred. To re-enter competition, the boat
must pass the appearance inspection. All boats must have a boat stand with prop guard. The guard must not allow hands
to have direct access to the propeller while the boat is on the stand. Technical
Inspections: For a boat to compete in Classic Thunder
events,
it must first pass a tech/appearance inspection covered in these requirements.
If a boat fails its tech/appearance inspection, but a majority of the
club executives agree that the boat would not have a competitive advantage, it
could be allowed to compete under the damaged boat rule. If boat repairs
or other changes are made to a boat after it has passed an inspection, the
owner/driver should ask for a new inspection. A reminder of this will be
given at the drivers meeting. A spot inspection can be given at any time
during the racing season. Boat Class Specifications The top four finishers of a final heat and
the consolation heat winner may receive an inspection to check for rule
compliance. A competing boat that fails a post heat inspection will be
penalized as follows: First
offense: Disqualification from the heat. Second and
subsequent offenses: Disqualification from the heat and from the next race. Boats with brushed motor(s) can
run up to 12 cells. Cells are sub-c type Ni-Cad or NIMH with any maH rating. Boats with brushless motor(s) can
run up to 10 cells. Cells are sub-c type Ni-Cad or NIMH with any maH rating. Gearboxes are
allowed. Skid fins will be no longer than 1 1/2 “ from
front to back and will be no deeper than 3/8”. All skid fins must be
mounted against the inside of the left sponson.
No curved skid fins. It
can be angled, but must be flat from the water line down. Only “Off the Shelf”
propellers that are generally available on the market to all hobbyists
are eligible to be run. Modifying these
propellers is allowed. (No custom-made
propellers.) A portion of
the propeller must be under the boat’s transom. The transom is the aft vertical flat
surface in which the rudder is attached. The rudder must be attached to the boats transom
and the leading edge cannot be more than 1” away from the transom. No
flex drives. No
double rudders. All rules are the
same as those in Division I except as noted below: Any
motor or motors may be used. Up to 14 sub-C NiMH
and NiCad type cells of any maH rating or 4
Lipo cells (4S1P or two 2S1P configuration) can be used for Div II. Lithium Polymer cells must
have a minimum 3300 Mah capacity and 20C cell rating. *Note: If you wish to charge
Lipo cells at the race site, you must 1. use
only a dedicated Lipo charger (a
charger designed to charge only Lithium batteries). 2. contain your Lipo battery within a
LipoSack, an ammo box or suitable bunker while charging. 3. be
aware of the location of and have the ability to use a suitable fire extinguisher available in the pit
area. Flex drives are allowed but must be mounted so
that a portion of the propeller is under the transom and the cable runs inside
a straight tube under the hull. Skid fins will be not larger than 1 ½” deep
(Measured from the bottom of the sponson) and 1 ½” front to back. The
total skid fin must fall within the 1 ½" by 1 ½" window. Any
fin shape within this window is considered legal. No curved skid fins. The skid
fin must be flat from the water line down.
However, it can be mounted at an angle. The rudder must be attached to the boats transom
and the leading edge cannot be more than 1 1/2” away from the transom. On boats with driver canopies, the canopy must be
clear enough to see the driver inside and the driver must be visible from his
armpits and up. Race
Rules All races will begin at
11:00AM, with the drivers meeting taking place 10:30AM. Exceptions
to this, like the Gold Cup race will be announced one week prior to the event
(see Special Rules section). Drivers must be present at the 10:30AM roll call
to be drawn into the first heat. Drivers late for the meeting will start their
first heat as a rookie. A race is considered official when three boats
make a legal start. Preliminary and final heats are five laps run
counter-clockwise. A race may be planned and run with more or fewer laps
based on course size, but must be approved a week in advance by the Classic
Thunder board. The change must also be announced to the racers a week
prior to the event. A race day adjustment in the number of laps per heat
can be made due to course size, but only by majority decision of the club
officials in attendance at the driver’s meeting. A five-minute audio count down clock will be used
to start each heat. Unless a flag has been
approved for use. (See special rules section
for flag starts.) A boat must be in the water by the 30 seconds on
the count down and may not be touched inside the 30-second mark. A boat
not in the water by 30 seconds or touched inside the 30 second mark is
disqualified and will not be allowed to start that heat. All boats must fully circle the right and
left hand turns
(in that order) immediately prior to making a start. If a buoy is missed
during the mill, a penalty lap can be avoided by once again fully circling the
right and left turn in order. A missed buoy once the heat has
started is a one-lap penalty. A boat may “park” out on the course and await the start
but may not be passed the point buoy on the right hand turn as seen from the
driving area. Once a boat passes the right hand point buoy, it must
remain on a plane to the start. A boat off plane past the right hand
point buoy will be given a one-lap penalty. All boats must maintain a straight line (parallel to the
buoys) from the exit pin to the starting line at the beginning of the race.
This means no lane changing in this area. Drivers/boats changing
lanes at this time will be given a one-lap penalty. Circling in the infield once the race has
started is a one-lap penalty. All driving rules apply at all times on race
day. All ties will be decided by number of laps
completed. Jumping the gun at the start is a
one-lap penalty. Hitting a buoy and knocking the visual devise (Ball or some other
marker) completely off the buoy is a one lap penalty. Hitting a
buoy that is missing the visual devise is a one-lap penalty. Hitting a
buoy without dislodging the visual devise off the buoy is a legally passed
buoy. A RACE PENALTY results in disqualification from the heat (or
the immediate heat) and will be required to make 3 trailer starts for the next
3 heats entered. Causing an accident is a RACE PENALTY
as determined by the race officials. Definition of an accident is;
contact between two boats that impedes the progress of one boat by another
and/or causes visual damage (broken or missing parts, hull cracks) before
and/or during the race. Striking a called dead boat is a MAJOR RACE
PENALTY (Dead Boat). Striking a called
dead boat will also incur a $25.00 penalty. The money will be paid to the
damaged boat camp before the guilty driver is allowed to compete in the next
event. The damaged boat camp may choose to defer the money in which case the
penalty money will be paid to the club treasury. The official definition of a dead boat is “a called boat
that is not moving”. A
MAJOR RACE PENALTY (Dead Boat) results in disqualification from the heat
(or the immediate heat) and disqualification from the next 2 heats of racing.
This penalty may be enforced into the next race event depending when the
infraction occurred. This covers the BOAT in the Division the incident
occurred. If the drive has two boats entered in the event, the boat not
involved in the incident can still be run. Striking a duck is a MAJOR RACE PENALTY (Duck). Striking a Duck will
also incur a $25.00 cash penalty. The money will be paid to the club treasury
before the guilty driver is allowed to compete in the next event. A MAJOR RACE
PENALTY (Duck) results in disqualification from the heat (or the immediate
heat) and disqualification from the next 2 heats of racing. This penalty may be
enforced into the next race event depending when the infraction occurred. This
covers the DRIVER of the boat in the Division the incident occurred and
includes any boat(s) in that same Division. If the driver has two boats entered
in the same Division of an event, both boats are not allowed to run. Race
points: Points are awarded the same as the real
unlimiteds. 1st
Place = 400 points 2nd
Place = 300 points 3rd
Place = 225 points 4th
Place = 169 points 5th
Place = 127 points 6th
Place = 95 points Season points do not transfer to an identical
replacement hull. A hull is defined as the center section of the boat.
A replacement hull will be scored independently. Sponson
replacement would be considered okay. All
races count towards season points, no dropped races. Substitute drivers are allowed, but
must be declared prior to the start of the five-minute clock. Race formats are based on the
number of entrants as follows: (A minimum of three boats to make a legal race) 3-5
boats: Race based on total points 6
boats: 5 boat final, no consolation race or
trailer 7
or more boats: 5 boat final plus winner of the consolation as a
trailer, Second place in consolation race is
first alternate. Consolation
and Final heat rules: A trailer boat for the final heat will be decided by a
consolation race. The first five boats in the final heat are determined
by accumulated point earned in preliminary heats. The next six boats are
eligible for the consolation heat. If the fifth and sixth place boats are
tied in points for the final, both boats are automatically advanced to the
final. The consolation race would determine the alternate spots only.
If the fifth, sixth, and seventh place boats are tied for placement in
the final, the fifth, sixth and seventh placed boats will race in the
Consolation heat with the eighth, ninth and tenth place boats. The
eighth, ninth and tenth place boats will start the Consolation heat from the
trailer position. The Consolation heat winner can advance to the Final
heat as a front line starter while the second place finisher can advance as the
trailer in the Final. Third place in the Consolation can be the
alternate. Consolation heats are
run for half points. Those who qualify to advance from the Consolation
race may forfeit the half points to run in the final. If a driver chooses
to decline advancement and keep the half points, then their option falls to the
next in line per consolation finish order. Second place in the consolation becomes the first
alternate for the final. The trailer boat may move up to the front
line
only if one of the regular starters is not in the water by the 30-second mark
of the count down. Otherwise, the trailer will start 5 seconds after the
primary count down expires. The alternate boat for the final should be charged
and ready to launch. If a final heat boat withdraws or is unable to start,
the alternate boat will be allowed to launch by the 20-second mark of the count
down, and then start as a trailer. Driving
rules All drivers are required to count their laps out loud as
completed. This is very important to keep track of the boat positions and
the total number of completed laps. A driver will be reminded only once
and then a lap penalty will be assessed. Maintain your lane and leave enough
room for the other boats on the racecourse. It is always better to take a
second place than to try a difficult or impossible move that could result in an
accident. The goal of this club is scale racing and no one benefits from
reckless driving and damaged boats. Please race with respect to others. When another boat is overtaking yours, you should maintain
your lane and not try to get out of the way. It is the responsibility of
the overtaking boat to make a safe pass. Drivers must immediately alert the other
drivers
if their boat spins out or dies on the racecourse. If failing to call a
dead boat results in an accident, the dead boat driver will receive a RACE
PENALTY. (Heat judges will also relay this warning to the other
drivers). Official calls are final. A driver may ask for an explanation of a call, but at no time will
an official listen to arguments. Arguing an official’s call is a RACE
PENALTY and will be called. A five-boat length (15 feet) overlap is required to
change lanes. Cutting off another boat will be called as a lap penalty. If a boat is off plane, the driver must let
other boats pass before trying to re-enter the race. This has to be done
as not to interfere with the progress of boats on the course.
Interference will be called as a lap penalty. A driver may stop a heat at any time, but is
not eligible for the restart and will be penalized to make 3 trailer starts for
the next 3 heats entered. Withdrawing a boat for an event: When a driver makes the decision to withdraw
his boat from an event that decision is final and the boat will not be allowed
to compete in any more heats for that day. Driver Sanction rule: Drivers
will be allowed to compete until such time that they have been officially
penalized for causing 3 accidents during a floating span of 5 races during the
season. Once that limit is reached, the
offending driver will be suspended from racing for the next scheduled
non-exhibition race. This is a driver sanction
and does overlap all divisions of racing. (Example: two caused accidents in division
1 plus one in division 2 during the floating 5 race period would incur a
suspension.) After the next 4 races, the
caused accident(s) from 5 races earlier will have fallen off due to the
floating time span. Serving a suspension under
this rule eliminates on caused accident from your count for time served. Voluntarily missed race(s) will be included
in the floating span of 5 races. Un-sportsman
like conduct: Every club
member or crew member shall be subject to all rules at club events, from arrival
to two hours after the last heat and at all club meetings. Un-sportsman
like conducts defined as; Endangered persons, property, or the club reputation.
(i.e. swearing, unprofessional behavior or throwing of equipment in public
view) Any member has the right and obligation to make club officials
aware of these violations. The PENALTY
for each violation shall be any one or combination of the following: a verbal
warning, heat disqualification*, race disqualification*, or suspension from
Classic Thunder Club*. ( * = also required to make 3 trailer starts for the
next 3 heats entered) The Club
Officials shall have the power to impose a penalty for un-sportsman like
conduct at a race or club event and will notify the offending party of the
offence as soon as possible. Records will
be kept and used to determine the level of penalty to be issued. Race
Officials: Each heat of competition shall have 3
officials
to call the heat. The heat head official will call the start and inform
participants of hazards and penalties called. The other two officials are
to observe the corners and make calls if necessary. They will contact the
head official by any means available. Only the 3 officials will make a
call, with no outside commentary from non-officials. The heat head
official will make the final determination and inform the offending parties.
The penalized driver should acknowledge the call to the heat head official.
The heat head official is also responsible to start the clock when the
course is clear and have a chase boat volunteer ready to go out to retrieve
dead boats or fix dislodged buoys if necessary. Rookies: A rookie is anyone who is new to
Classic Thunder. To qualify for racing, a rookie driver
must make a legal start within five seconds of the starting gun and drive four
clean consecutive laps. All rookies will be required to make 6 starts
from the trailer position. This is not designed to punish or handicap the new
driver but to give them race experience with less risk to anyone’s equipment,
including your own. Rookie starts may be carried forward for one season,
counting towards the six legal starts. A driver’s official rookie season is counted as the
season in which he completes his sixth trailer start. Rookie of the Year is selected by the
Executive Committee and is based on season point totals and sportsmanship. A non-rookie
driver
who has not been in a competitive heat for two years must re-qualify by making three rookie trailer
starts. (This applies to ERCU
drivers also).
Those drivers in this category who are new to CT will forfeit their
rookie status. Special
Rules Qualifying for the Gold Cup will require three
timed laps and tech inspections will be done on the 3 fastest qualifiers. A boat may
make three attempts as time allows, but must give priority to unqualified boats
or drivers. Qualifying
will last no more than 2 hours. Points will be awarded for Gold Cup
qualifying,
but these are for season points only and will not count towards getting a boat
into the final heat. The Gold Cup will have four
flights of preliminary heats instead of three, plus the consolation and final
heats. If a Club Member shows up to a race event
with multiple boats
for one Division of racing, the Club Member’s boats will be automatically drawn
into separate heats for the first two heat drawings only. Afterwards, the
boats will be drawn into heats as normal. Leaving garbage at a race site is a
500 points penalty and or a $50.00 fine. Drivers may clear their propellers without being
disqualified during a race only when pre-determined and announced by the race
officials that conditions warrant this exemption. To keep the event moving, the clock will be
started for the next heat when the course is clear from the previous heat.
Delays can only be called by the heat’s head official when conditions
warrant. (i.e. ducks, swimmers, boaters, etc.) The clock will not be
stopped for a driver who isn't ready to compete in their drawn heat. If a boat is showing a
considerable amount of radio control problems out on the course, the
driver may be asked to show the club officials that he or she has regained
control by performing a radio test of at least 25 feet (with antenna down)
between the radio transmitter and the boat.
If control is demonstrated, the boat will be allowed to run in its next
heat. This test can be requested by any
driver or official who feels the boat is out of control. The test must be requested before the start
of the 5 minute clock for the boat in question.
If a heat is being delayed, only one test will be allowed for any given
boat. When flag starts are used, these special rules
are to be followed: The boat drivers will pick lanes as determined by the
draw or points. When lanes are determined, boats will be called on to
prepare for the start and be placed in the water. When all drawn boats
are ready to start, the boat in the outside lane (Pace Boat) will proceed out
around the course in the normal staring procedure. The pace boat will
continue at approximately half throttle around the course so that the other
boats may get into their respective lanes. The starting official will help with
directing boats into the correct positions. After reaching the exit pin
buoy of the final corner, the pace boat has the option to continue at reduced
speed or start to pick up the pace. The start of the heat is when the
pace boat crosses the start line. Any boat over the starting line before
the pace boat has jumped the gun and is given a one lap penalty. Club
Courtesy Rules Drivers will
return frequency pins to the board before leaving the race site. Race winners
of Division 1 will pick up the buoys (cut off and discard the string and place
buoys and weights in the bag) or arrange for someone else to do it for them. There will
be no walking in front of a driver at any time if he has a boat on the water. No boats
will test while the course is being set up.
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