Please also read the full rules from Grannygear productions - we've just tweaked them a bit.
There is some very interesting rules regarding breakdowns and on course assistance that you should take note of…
1. Team Captains
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 may represent the team during the event when the captain is unavailable. Only team captains and co-captains may file protests.
2. Pre-race Meeting
The team captain and/or co-captain must attend the pre-race briefing; however, everyone is welcome.
3. Team Pit Area
Team's must designate one and only one pit area - at your campsite. Racers may change or repair any equipment in their Pit Area. Pit areas are not allowed on the course or in the Start/Finish area. However, emergency repairs may be performed in the Start/Finish area; you may even swap entire bikes. In the Start/Finish area or the team's pit area, racers may accept support from anyone. Also, teams may bring as many support people as they would like (only two per team stay free), but their support is limited to the Start/Finish and the team's pit areas, not on the course.
4. Support on the Course
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 following the course in either direction. Short-cutting 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. Support can be provided by any registered racer on any team to any registered racer on any team.
5. Water and Food
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. (And please do not throw energy food wrappers on the ground.)
6. Permitted Course Riders
Only officially registered racers, credentialed media and event staff may ride on the designated race course during the event.
7. Team Number Display
Racers must display their race number on the front of their bikes, whenever on course. In the case of a bike swap, racers must swap the bike number to the new bike prior to continuing the race. Race officials may request to see this at any time.
8. Drafting
Racers may draft, but they may only draft registered racers. Drafting other vehicles or a non-registered rider is grounds for disqualification.
9. Right of Way
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 rideable portion of the trail when being passed. Racers pushing or carrying their bikes may overtake a racer riding his bike provided that they do not interfere with the riding racer.
10. Lapped Racers
Lapped racers should yield to leaders. Leaders should be very vocal when preparing to pass any racer. "PASSING on your LEFT!," "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.
11. Vying for Position
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, with intent to impede another racer's progress; this is considered to be highly unsportsmanlike behavior (see rule #13).
12. Short-cutting
Short-cutting the course by any registered racer shall result in a disqualification of that racer's team.
13. Sportsmanship
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. Be nice, 99% of the participants are there to have fun.
14. Protests
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 30 minutes after the posting of the final results. Protests should contain any information that supports the protest, including description of the incident, witnesses, names, addresses, phone numbers and signature of protesting team captain. A R50 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.
15. Final Rulings
The race director has the final say in any ruling, including rulings made by the co-director.
16. Quiet Hours
Quiet hours for events conducted at night, will be imposed from 23h00 Saturday until 06h00 Sunday. During this time, noise must be kept to a minimum.
17. Lighting
Lighting requirements for events conducted at night: 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 chargers may be plugged in at the neutral charging station. For your own sake, teams should label their batteries and chargers with the team's name. The neutral charging station is unsecured).
18. Lights Burning
Racers entering the course one hour before sunset on Saturday and up to one-half hour before sunrise on Sunday must have a working light source installed.
19. Log Tent
Racers must log-out on each lap at the Timing Tent located at the Start/Finish Area. The team baton must be passed from the racer logging out to the Registrar, who records the log-out time. The log-out time of the first racer automatically becomes the log-in time of the next racer logging-in (regardless of whether or not there is a racer ready to log-in). In other words, the clock is ticking the entire time.
20. Consecutive Laps
A racer may ride consecutive laps, but there are restrictions on the composition of a team's lap tally.
21. Loss of Baton Penalty
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 finishing that final lap. The Registrar will issue a new baton.
22. Verifying the Log Sheet
It is the team's responsibility to verify that each racer is 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 handlebar or your tag at any time.
23. Lap Requirements
There can be no more than two laps difference between the teammate(s) with the least number of laps and the teammate with the most number of laps. A one lap penalty will be applied for each teammate who does not stay within two laps of the teammate with the most laps. (For example, a team that logged 20 laps with 1-5-7-7 laps, would incur a one lap penalty for the teammate with 1 lap, as he or she is more than two laps behind the teammates with seven laps. By the same token, a team that logged 20 laps with 0-4-7-9 laps, would incur a two lap penalty; one for the teammate with 0 laps and one for the teammate with 4 laps, as they are both more than two laps behind the teammate with nine laps).
24. Lap Requirements for Mixed Teams
For a Mixed team there can be no more than 4 laps difference between the team member with the most number of laps, and the team member with the least number of laps, or a one lap penalty will be applied to the team's finish.(we've tweaked this one too...)
25. Canceling a Lap
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 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 Tent and initializing the log sheet next to the cancelled lap. 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 cancelled racer's lap. Once a cancellation has been made, it cannot be rescinded. The cancelled lap does not count as a completed lap.
26. Substituting a Rider before the event.
To substitute a rider, the new rider must fill out an Indemnity Form, complete with team name and original signature, and deliver it to Dirtopia no later than the end of the last day of Registration. Changes made after the date specified on the Indemnity Form will incur a R50 late fee. No rider substitutions will be accepted after Registration closes. No changes or substitutions will be made after the close of Registration on Friday and there will be no Registration on race day.
27. The Finish
The race starts and end at 12 noon. Racers must log-off the course from 12 noon on. 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 p.m. would beat a team that completed 22 laps, with a finish time of 12:47 p.m. And, of course, a team that completed 23 laps, with a finish time of 1 p.m., would beat them both. If a racer logs-out just before 12 noon and no other team member logs-in before 12:05 p.m., then no finish time can be recorded and the team will be listed as DNF (did not finish).
28. Catastrophic Failure
In the case of catastrophic failure due to weather or another extenuating circumstance that prevents the ongoing scoring of the event or creates a racing environment that is deemed too dangerous for the participants, the race director may call the race as of a certain time. Final results will be calculated based on each team's placement at the call time as determined by that team's last completed lap. This rule is intended to be exercised as a last resort, in the most dire situations, when no other means is available to continue scoring the event or when the potential for serious harm or loss of life becomes imminent.
29. EMS Ghost Rider
In the event that a racer stops to assist in the care of a seriously injured fellow racer which requires an EMS response, Ghost Rider procedures will be implemented. The EMS personnel will radio to the Log Tent the name and number of the assisting racer. Race staff will then inform the team of the assisting racer to prepare the next rider on their team. That rider will be allowed to start his lap based on the assisting racer's "ghost rider" lap time which will be based on the fastest of either the assisting riders average lap time or the team's average lap time.
30. Helmets are compulsory!
31. Obey all marshals and officials
32. Do not litter
33. Please return your racenumbers
34. Sorry, no refunds. No exceptions.
35. Moenie moeilikheid maak nie.(OK that's one of ours!!)
