Divide your racers by class
Classes can be designed to segregate your racers by age or by level of equipment. Some dealers even bump drivers who repeatedly win a particular class to a more advanced class so that other, newer racers have a better chance. Once your drivers are divided by class, you can enter them into the heat sheet.
Enter your racers into the spaces under “1st Round Race.” You can put them in any order that you prefer. Once all of the racers are entered onto the form you may begin your first round.
Recommended Race Classes
Tamiya recommends the following race classes to keep things simple.
- Box Stock (12 and under): The cars MUST be built per the instructions with ALL the included parts. No car modifications are permitted. No option parts are permitted.
- Box Stock (all comers of all ages): Same as above except any age group is permitted to race. No car modifications are permitted. No option parts are permitted.
- Super Stock: The included stock motor must be used and you may use ANY Tamiya Tune-Up Part available. Chassis and part lightening, cutting and modification are strictly prohibited. You may only tune your car with Tune-Up Parts and Accessories.
- Modified: Anything goes! Make you Mini 4WD car go as fast as possible with any Tamiya motor, and Tune-Up Parts. Modify your car with creative chassis cutting and lightening, but make sure your car abides by the “dimension” rules.
Run Round One
Assuming you are using the 3-lane track (the Heat Sheet groups the racers into threes for that reason), you will bring the first group of 3 up to race. Have the racers turn on their cars and hold them above the track in their assigned lane, motors running and the wheels spinning free.
When the starter signals, the racers drop their cars onto the track. At the end of the prescribed number of laps, usually 3, 6, or 9, the first racer to cross the start/finish line in the lane they started is the winner.
Write the winners name in the column marked “Round 2,” the losers names will go into the spaces under “2nd Chance Race.” Continue in this fashion until all of your racers have completed the 1st Round.
Begin the Second Chance Round
The Second Chance Race is next. Proceed with this round just as you did the last, with the exception that only the winner will advance to the next round. Write the winners name in the spaces under “Round 2.” The two losers are now retired.
Run Round 2
Round 2 consists of the winners from round 1 and the winners from 2nd chance. Run this round in the same way that you ran the 1st round and the 2nd chance round. Move the names of the winners into the semi finals column where those racers will perform one more round in order to advance to finals.
Run the Finals Round
The Finals round is just a continuation of the Semi Final format. Continue to run finals until you have a winner. The more racers you start out with the more final rounds you will run.
Give Out the Awards
Once all the Finals are completed, it is time to reward your winners. Prizes do not need to be elaborate or expensive, but you should hand out something that the racer can take home and brag about. You would be surprised how much a simple ribbon can mean to a novice racer. Some dealers prefer to use “Race Bucks” which the winner may apply to a purchase at the host store, some use simple plaques or Tamiya Tune-Up Parts. Whatever you choose it is your way of thanking your racers for their business.