Rules

STARTING PROCEDURES

The race will start on Saturday at 12 noon.  It will be a LeMans-style start, where one racer from each team lines up at the start flag and sprints a short distance (approx. 300 yards) to their bike.  Each starting racer must be logged-in at the Check-in Station prior to the race start and have their bike pre-positioned with a teammate at the Start Line. 

General Rules

1. Each team will designate a team captain and co-captain.  Team captains will represent the team in all official correspondence and communications before, during and after the event.  The co-captain can represent the team during the event when the captain is unavailable.  Only team captains and co-captains can file protests. 

1. The team captain and/or co-captain must attend the pre-race meeting, however, everyone is welcome.
2. Once in the Start/Finish or the team’s pit area, racers may change or repair any equipment.  They may even swap entire bikes.  In the Start/Finish or the team’s pit area, racers may accept support from anyone.  Also, teams may bring as many support people as they would like, but their support is limited to the Start/Finish and the teams pit areas (not on the course). 
3. Support on the course may only be supplied by other registered racers.  Supporting racers must access the course under their own power (i.e. foot travel or on bike) and that access can only be achieved by going in the correct direction of the course.  Shortcutting the course is not allowed (see rule #12).  Supporting racers should stay clear of all competing racers.  Supporting racers may take any equipment or tools with them; they may even swap bikes with their teammates.  Cannibalizing bicycle parts is legal in this event.  Support can be provided by any registered racer on any team to any registered racer on any team. 
4. Water and food may be supplied to any racer by anyone, anywhere on the course.  However, racers must stay well clear of the course when taking food or water.  An official watering station will be located near the Check-in Station.  Please do not litter.  And please do not throw energy food wrappers on the ground.  Remember:  Leave No Trace.  Thanks
5. We ask that only officially registered racers ride on the designated race course during the event.
6. Racers must display their race number on the bike handlebars, whenever on-course.  Race officials may request to see this at any time
7. Racers can draft but they may only draft registered racers.  Drafting other vehicles or a non-registered rider is grounds for disqualification.
8. Racers riding bicycles have the right of way over racers pushing bicycles.  When practical, racers pushing or carrying their bikes should stay on the least ridable portion of the trail when being passed.  Racers pushing or carrying their bikes can overtake a racer riding his bike provided that the riding racer is not interfered with.
9. Lapped racers should yield to leaders.  Leaders should be very vocal when preparing to pass any racer.  “PASSING ON YOUR RIGHT!” should be called out.  It is the responsibility of the challenging racer to overtake safely.  Racers being lapped must yield on the first command.
10. When two racers are vying for position, the leading racer does not necessarily have to yield position to the challenging racer.  However, a racer may not bodily interfere, intending to impede another racer’s progress:  this is considered to be highly unsportsmanlike behavior (see rule #14).
11. Short-cutting the course by any logged-in racer shall result in a disqualification of that racer’s team.
12. Foul riding, use of profane or abusive language and other unsportsmanlike behavior will be taken very seriously.  Such behavior by any racer shall subject that racer’s team to a warning or immediate disqualification.  This will be strictly applied when such behavior is directed at course officials, volunteers, or spectators.  The penalty imposed is at the discretion of the race director or co-director, should the race director be unavailable. 
13. Protests can only be made by team captains or co-captains.  Protests will be made in writing and delivered to the race director or co-director any time during the race or after the end of the race, up to 15 minutes after the posting of the final results.  Protests should contain any information that supports the protest, including description of the incident, witnesses, names, addressed, phone numbers, and signature of protesting team captain.  A $50 fee shall be submitted, in cash, with the protest.  The race director, after his own discovery, will promptly rule on the protest.  The fee will be forfeited to the race director if the protest is denied or refunded if the protest is upheld. 
14. The race director has the final say in any ruling, including rulings made by the co-director. 
    
    Quiet Hours
15. Quiet hours will be imposed from 11 PM Saturday till 8 AM Sunday.  During this time we ask that noise be kept to a minimum.  NO GENERATORS IN CAMP AREA DURING QUIET HOURS!
    
    Lighting
16. Lighting requirements: During the night ride, racers must have a primary light source with a minimum rated power of 10 watts.  In addition, each racer must carry a secondary or backup light source in the form of a penlight, flashlight or other lighting system.  Battery rechargers may be plugged in at the neutral charging station.  Be sure to label your batteries and chargers with your team’s name. 
17. Racers entering the course between 5 PM Saturday and 7 AM Sunday must show that both their primary and secondary light sources are in good working order.  After 7 PM racers are required to ride with lights burning.  Riding with lights out to save batteries is dangerous and against the rules.  After 7 AM lights may be turned out and dismounted.
    
    Log-in Tent
18. Racers must log-in and log-out on each lap at the Log-in Tent located at the Start/Finish Area.  The team baton must be passed from the racer logging out to the registrar and then from the registrar (after recording the log-out time) to the racer logging in before the racer logging in can start his or her lap.  Once the baton is passed from the racer logging out the registrar, then that racer has officially logged-out.  The log-out time of that racer automatically becomes the log-in time for the next racer logging in (regardless of whether or not there is a racer ready to receive the baton from the registrar).
    
    *In other words, the clock is ticking the entire time.  Helpful Hint: Racers “on-deck” should give their names to the registrar well in advance to avoid confusion during the baton exchange.
19. A racer may ride consecutive laps but must log-out at the Log-in Tent after his first lap in order to log-in for his second lap.  If a racer is staying in for an additional lap, the racer must log-out from their first lap by passing the baton to the registrar, then after the registrar has recorded his log-out time for his first lap, he will receive the baton back from the registrar and begin his additional lap.  If the racer does not do this, only one lap will be counted (not two, bummer!)  Solo racers must do this every lap.
    
    Loss of Baton Penalty
20. Loss of the baton will result in a 5-minute time penalty which will be applied to the team’s finish time on its last lap and will accrue to the racer completing that final lap.  The registrar will issue a new baton.   
    
    Verifying the Log sheet
21. Lap times will be recorded and compiled for each racer and listed on the bottom section of each team’s log sheet.  It is the team’s responsibility to verify that each racer is logged-in and logged-out correctly.  Please be courteous and patient while verifying information with your registrar.  Registrars and race officials may request to see your race number on your handlebars at any time. 
    
    Helpful Hint: When the racer “on-deck” received the baton from the registrar, they should repeat their team # and name to confirm that the registrar is logging them in correctly. 
    
    Minimum Lap Requirements
22. a)  Solo – no minimum lap requirements
    b) 2 Person – each person must complete at least 1 lap. 
    c) 3-4 Person – each person must complete at least 1 lap.
    d) Grande – each person must complete at least 1 lap.
    
    Canceling a Racer’s Lap
23. Once on-course, a racer must complete his or her lap.  However, the team has the option of canceling a racer’s lap and restarting the lap from the log-in Tent with a substitute.  This is a difficult and costly decision, but if the first racer is unable to complete the lap for any reason, it may be to the team’s advantage to cancel that racer’s lap.  Any team member can cancel a racer’s lap by notifying the team’s registrar at the Log-n Tent.  If a team cancels a racer’s lap and is restarting with a new racer, a new baton will be issued without penalty.  The new racer inherits the log-in time of the canceled racer’s lap.  Once a cancellation has been made it cannot be rescinded.  The canceled lap does not count toward the first racer’s minimum lap requirement, but it does count toward the substitute racers minimum riding lap requirement (see rule #23 Minimum Time Requirements).
    
    Scratching a Racer
24. In the event that a team loses one of its teammates due to illness, injury or exhaustion, that team may elect to “scratch” that racer from the team and continue to compete.  However, the team will be penalized 2 hours for every lap or part of a lap that a teammate did not compete in the minimum time requirement (see rule #24).  The team’s captain or co-captain must notify the registrar as to which teammate is being “scratched”.  Once taken off the team, a scratched racer may not re-enter the race.  If the team then loses a second teammate, the team will be disqualified/DSQ.  Like the loss of a baton penalty, the penalty for scratching a racer will accrue to the racer finishing the final lap.  Racers may not be Scratched after the finish of the race at 12 noon Sunday. 
    
    The Finish
25. The race ends at 12 noon Sunday.  Racers can begin a final lap if they come through the transition and can log out on another lap before 12 noon.  Each team’s final placing will be determined by the number of laps the team has completed and the sequential order of finish within the team’s last lap.  For example, a team that has completed 22 laps with a finish time of 12:31 PM would beat a team that completed 22 laps, with a finish time of 12:47 PM And, of course, a team that completed 23 laps, with a finish time of 1 PM, would beat them both.  Teams may log out before 12 noon Sunday.  Teams final placing, by logging out before 12 noon, will be determined by the time they log out.  If any team member did not meet their minimum lap requirement and was not scratched from the team, then that team is disqualified/DSQ. 
    
    OTHER IMPORTANT RULES:
26. You must wear a helmet at all times when on bike whether racing or not.  (Butt on bike, helmet on head!)
27. iPods – Solo riders only may use iPods or other similar MP3 devices.  You may only wear headphones in one ear so you can hear other riders.
28. Category Rule: If you have held a USA Cycling License in any of the last 3 racing seasons (including the current season), you must race in the category on your license. If you have NOT held a license in the last 3 seasons (including the current season), you should race in the category (beginner, sport or expert) that you would choose to race if you were to compete in any sanctioned mountain bike race on that day.

Questions or Comments?
We’d be delighted to hear from you.  Call us at 972-966-1300 or email kathy@terrafirmapromo.com