Your first meeting might seem like a daunting affair in terms of paperwork and procedure, but the 750 Motor Club team are here to help. As a general guide, the following will apply to all of our meetings:
- Around one week before each race weekend, you will receive what are known as 'Final Instructions' (universally referred to as 'finals') through the post or via email (depending on the circuit), along with your allocation of entry tickets - this tends to be between three and six, depending on the circuit (who control the allocation). You may also receive a paddock pass for a support vehicle/tow car at some circuits. Final intructions will always be available to download from a 750MC home page banner (or via the
Race Calendar page), and exclusively so (not posted) if the meeting is being run with e-tickets (distributed via email, and increasing in popularity per circuit). Extra tickets for spectators can be purchased on the gate, or often in advance via the respective circuit.
- These final instructions detail the arrangements for the weekend, paddock plans (such as where entrants in your formula should park), race day schedules (sign-on, scrutineering, qualifying and race times) and details on mandatory briefings required. For your first time racing at each circuit, there will usually be a set of 'new to circuit' notes to collect at signing on (or occasionally an additional briefing) - please make Race Admin staff aware. ALWAYS read your finals in full each and every time, and bring a copy with you and make yourself aware of where you need to go.
- As a general rule, access to a circuit is allowed from the early evening of the night before your race. Entry on a Friday night for a Sunday race is usually permitted with tickets, however it may be that your paddock formula space is reserved for another series/championship on the Saturday, so you may need to temporarily stay in an outer paddock 'Overflow' area until it is available on Saturday.
- It is usually the case that testing is available on the Friday before race meetings. Although there are exceptions, this is usually arranged to coincide with 750MC meetings. Testing is booked directly with the circuit (with the occasional exception such as Croft Circuit, which is via 750MC), and it is common for competitors to arrive on the Thursday night before testing and stay right through until Sunday for a double-header race weekend.
- The vast majoriity
- Signing on is usually available on Friday afternoons from 4pm until 7pm and certainly worth doing if you are on site to cut down on race morning administration time. The same goes for scrutineering on a Friday, usually from 4pm until 7pm, on a first-come-first-served basis. Your finals will confirm this for each meeting.
- There are usually few limitations on staying in camper vans/tents around the paddock throughout race weekends, as long as the circuit's own rules are adhered to, with toilet/washroom facilities open throughout. The vast majority of 750MC competitors stay at the circuit, and you won't have to look far to find a barbeque, meet new friends, or a pair of helping hands or tools for any last minute car issues.
- Don't forget to take your race licence to signing on at Race Admin, after which you will be presented with a Scrutineering Slip. Take this slip along with your car and all your personal safety equipment/clothing/helmet to your scrutineering session (the location of which will be marked in the finals). This will be at a set time in the morning, apart from the aforementioned Friday evening session. Once approved, you will receive a small cardboard Scrutineering Ticket - this needs to be fixed inside your car and clearly visible through (or fixed to the inside of) a side or rear side window (in a saloon), or on shown in the cabin of an open car. Clear card holders are available from 750MC for £1 in Race Admin when you come to sign on.
- Your Scrutineering Ticket will be checked before you are allowed out on circuit to qualify, and a noise test will typically be carried out around the same time as you head into the Assembly Area. Listen for tannoy announcements and keep an eye on fellow competitors for when your session is called to assembly, as race meetings aim to run ahead of the marked timetable wherever possible. This is a good time to remember to take the pin out of your fire extinguisher.
- Details on race number sticker positions will be given in your regulations, and don't forget that a novice cross on the rear is required at first. As a general rule, saloons/tin-tops run day-glo yellow numbers in the rear side windows (large) and in the top left hand corner of the windscreen (small), whilst open/sports-racing/single seaters run black numbers on white backgrounds. All the above are the competitor's responsibility in advance, however they are always available to buy from 750MC at Race Admin if required. Formula sponsor stickers will also be available at Race Admin at any time - these are free and mandatory, and there will be a diagram available to show where they should be positioned. All decals need to be applied before scrutineering.
- If you are hiring a 750MC transponder, these can be collected at Race Admin when you are signing-on, at a cost of £30 for the meeting. Card payment is usually available, but please aim to bring cash wherever possible to help speed up the process.
- Race licence upgrade cards should be left at sign-on and collected at the end of race day. These need to be printed off from
this link, and submitted with your details and a passport photo attached.
- All formulae will have a prize giving, usually aroun 45 minutes after the last race of the weekend but check final instructions or as at Race Admin. We encourage every competitor to attend regardless of race results; not only for the social aspect but also as many formulae have Driver Of The Day Awards, so you never know if there is a prize with your name on it!
- 750 Motor Club now operate an SMS messaging system at race meetings, so it is useful to have your mobile phone on you or with a helper whenever possible in the paddock. This may be to alert you to a transponder issue, remind you of a prizegiving about to take place, or something else.
- If you have any other questions about what to do over the duration or procedure of a race weekend, or have an issue that we may be able to help with, then don't hesitate to
get in touch with the Club for advice and assistance. Call during office hours on
01332 814548, and our event mobile at race meetings is
07753 446592; this is normally in use from 9am onwards on the Friday of a race weekend.