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This section is applicable to all Race Officials, Chief Steward, Steward’s on the panel, Clerk of the Course/Race Director and Assistant Clerks of the Course.
Ensure you arrive early at the circuit and meet with the other race officials.
You should have your kit with you which should include –
•KartSport cap, shirt, jacket plus wet weather gear.
•ID badge
•ID stamp
•KartSport Manual fully up to date
•Set of flags
•Number board
•All the pads and forms
•Helmet stickers
•At least two pens
•A little notebook
•Water bottle
Before any of the proceedings get under way the Chief Steward should call a meeting of all race officials including the Chief Technical Officer.
If this is a Group E permitted event or higher, all personnel will know what they will be doing for the day. The Chief Steward will advise of any changes to the Supplementary Rules, changes to the timetable and reminder of any recent rule changes. You will be issued with a radio and advised of the channel to be used. The Clerk of Course/Race Director will advise where the assistant Clerks of the Course will be stationed.
If the event is a club day the minimum number of officials is controlled by the host club’s Track and Safety Plan. At a minimum there will be a Chief Steward and Clerk of the Course. A minimum number of assistant Clerks of the Course may also be determined by the Chief Steward. For a Club day the Chief Steward will appoint one Assistant Steward from the club membership to serve as the second panel member of the Stewards panel. Once the names are determined the Chief Steward will prepare an Official Notice for the notice board. This will include the starter/s, pit marshal/s and technical officer’s (if any) names.
The Chief Steward and Clerk of the Course plus a club representative will carry out a track inspection.
•General track condition
•Safety fences, protection etc.
•Flags in position
•Fire extinguishers in position
•Sound system operational
•Update information, race order and the days programme on the notice board
•Safety plan in place, checked and up to date
•Scales operational
•Permit (including Club Day Permit) on the Official Notice Board
•Track and Complex Certificate valid
Anything that is not in place or damage to fences/crash bags etc has to be put right before tuning runs can commence.
Before the tuning runs get under way, scrutineering and documentation takes place. You could be either assisting the scrutineers or assisting with documentation. Documentation is checking licences, race suits, helmets etc.
Drivers briefing follows documentation. The Clerk of the Course/Race Director normally takes this.
The briefing will be introduced by a club official who will introduce the Clerk of the Course/Race Director.
The Clerk of Course/Race Director would advise who the officials for the day are and notify any late changes to the days proceedings.
If you are the Clerk of the Course/Race Director you must deliver the briefing from written notes so you don't forget anything important like what you want them to do if a RED flag is displayed. After you have introduced your team of officials, start with these two sentences or something similar in intent.
These days SAFETY is everyone's responsibility. If you consider something about this facility or the event is unsafe please see me after this briefing or at any time during the event.
Be aware that we have a changing club membership over time so at least every three to six months or more if you feel it's necessary, give a briefing on the meaning of each flag or light signal. It's particularly important that the flag marshalls know when and how to display the warning flags.
The remainder of the briefing could follow this example;
Drivers Briefing Notes for a Club Day
Officials
Advise who the officials are for the day and introduce them.
Promotional Stickers
All karts and drivers are to comply with their requirements to place the KartSport New Zealand stickers in the correct place.
Minimum all up Weight
In all classes drivers may be weighed after any heat.
Flag Marshals
Drivers on grids 1 – 6 will provide a flag marshal for their race.
Race Direction
Confirm the race direction and track configuration to be used.
First Aid
Advise competitors of First Aid facilities/personnel and remind all competitors that Should they have a medical condition it is the competitor’s responsibility to report, prior to competition, such condition to the event First Aid personnel (See Rule Q6).
Fire Extinguishers
Advise the location of all fire extinguishers.
Red Flag
If this flag is presented. All karts are to cease racing and provided the track is not blocked make their way slowly and stop at [place on track to be identified] unless requested by a race official to do otherwise. No mechanics/pit crews are permitted onto the circuit until the Clerk of the Course advises otherwise.
Starting Procedure
Location of the ‘no go’ line. The Start Zone line and starting procedure is to be observed at all times.
Recovery of Karts
No trolleys or crews are to enter the race confines until the last kart has entered into the pit shute or alternatively no trolleys permitted within the race confines as a recovery vehicle will be in operation.
Tuning Runs
There will be one (two) tuning run per class/group.
Tuning Bay
This will/will not be available for the tuning run or racing.
Safe Areas/Helmets
Advise of any safe areas to be used including flag points. Competitors must wear a helmet at all times when within the racing confines including while waiting for a race, time trial or practice to be concluded and while riding on a recovery vehicle/trailer. The only exceptions are when the helmet needs to be removed under the supervision of medical personal or the competitor is standing in a designated safe area, eg Flag Point.
Licence Rating Assessments
If not already dealt with at documentation, advise that licence rating assessments will be conducted and to which Race Official competitors are to request a rating assessment.
Closing
In closing, I wish you a great day, but before we get under way I would like to see all un-rated drivers and those who are on a One Day Licence on the grid immediately after the briefing please.
Tuning runs are about to start. If you are the Clerk of the Course/Race Director or assistant Clerk of the Course make your way out onto the circuit with your kit to your designated position. If the host club is making lunch available for race officials ensure you have put in your order.
What to observe
Do not prejudge any situation. If a competitor gets into your ear and tells you that a certain person in the Cadet class keeps changing lines and chopping people off in corners - ignore it. It is against common law to prejudge. Everyone on the circuit is equal and what they had done at a previous event or at a practice yesterday is not to be taken into account.
The best way to observe a race is to read the race. Follow the groups, don’t worry about the singles unless they are in a position to be lapped. If you see an incident and the Clerk of Course asks for a report, be brief and to the point. Your statement should be “61 came in too hot and hit the back wheel of 77”.
Now let’s look at this statement, if 61 came into a corner too hot and hit the back wheel of 77, he/she 61 did not have the corner and was not in a passing move.
So we look at what may have happened after the contact.
1.Kart 77 half spun taking another kart with him/her and kart 61 picked up 3 places while the other two karts manage to continue but a couple of placings back.
Advantage gained. Officials Report under rule J1.2. While the race continues, watch for retaliation from kart 77.
2.No advantage gained and 77 continues in the same place. Take no action but note the incident or get the Clerk of Course to issue a warning to 61.
3.Kart 77 half spun taking another kart (49) with him/her and 49 was not able to continue and 61 slotted back in behind 77.
Advantage gained. Officials Report under rule J1.2. While the race continues, watch for any further incidents from 61 but do not prejudge.
Radio the details to the Clerk of the Course who will complete an Officials Report PNR.
The procedures for this are covered in the Modules on the Judicial Procedures and Forms.
The racing has concluded and the tech team are doing their thing. During this period the Clerk of Course must be available to do a PNR should it be required by the tech team. Depending on whether or not the competitor accepts the penalty on a PNR the Stewards Panel may also be required to hear the matter. Regardless the PNR will need to go to the Chief Steward to be signed off.
When tech inspection has concluded the final results must be signed off by the Chief Steward and posted. At this point competitors have 20 minutes to lodge a Protest regarding the final results so the officials must remain available and ‘on duty’ until this 20 minutes period has elapsed. As soon as practical the Chief Steward will call a meeting of all race officials. This is a debriefing on what was done well and what could be done better. Other points may be any positives or shortcomings of the organisers.
If the event was a Group E permitted event or higher you may have been on the Stewards panel. If this is the case then you are not an assistant Clerk of Course or a Clerk of Course so stay away from what is happening on the track. This is covered in the Modules on the Judicial Procedures. You may be assigned to the technical area in between hearings. Your main job may be to countersign as a steward of the meeting any Judge of Fact that the Tech personnel complete, which will be underweight or clutch rpm. Before you sign off a Judge of Fact ensure the Technical Officer has completed the form correctly and that you have the competitors competition licence so that you can make the entry into the penalty section.
The following sub section of this Module has been uplifted from a Club’s Safety Plan and cover Incidents and Death. It is important to understand and be familiar with these requirements when there is an incident or a death.