important info for competitors

1. VEHICLE MINIMAL TEHNICAL CONDITIONS

• 
  Each vehicle in the ADVENTURE (soft) class has to be insured, with valid license plate and all regular public road equipment (lights, tail lights etc.).
• Owners of vehicles in the TROPHY (hard) class are strongly advised to drive vehicles insured and with valid license plates. In case of incidents, they will be the sole responsible for not adhering to this recommendation.
  § No oil or other fluids leaks are allowed
  § All vehicles must to have a roll cage (roll-bar). The roll-bar is for your own safety. At minimum, there should be an arch behind the front seats (similar to Jeep Wrangler) in the ADVETURE class. This arch should be bent (not welded) and the tube diameter should be min 30 mm with a wall thickness of min 2.5 mm. However, it is STRONGLY recommended a complete roll-cage with min 4 fixing plates (bedplates), protecting both the pilot and the navigator.

In the TROPHY class complete roll cages are mandatory. Single arch solutions will not be accepted. Minimum tube diameters should be 30 mm with wall thickness exceeding 3 mm.   

• Maximum tire size for the ADEVENTURE class is 35” (89 mm in diameter) – using tires larger than 35” will result in a penalty. There are no tire size restrictions for vehicles in the TROPHY class.
• All tires must be of mud-terrain type or more aggressive (simex, booger, maxxis trepador). AT (all terrain) or winter tires are not allowed.
• Agricultural tires (tractor) are accepted only in the TROPHY class
  § Snow chains are not allowed
  § Spare tires are recommended but not mandatory
  § Winches should be installed on every car. For TROPHY vehicles two winches (front and rear) are recommended. Steel and plasma ropes are both allowed. Minimum rope diameter is 8 mm. Electrical, hydraulic and mechanical winches are allowed in both classes.
  § Hi-lifts are recommended in both classes
  § Tree saver straps are mandatory.
  § Recovery dampers are highly recommended
  § First aid kits are mandatory
  § Fire extinguishers of minimum 2kg are mandatory. Two 1kg extinguishers are accepted.
  § Seat Belts are mandatory: min 3 fixing points belts for the ADVENTURE class and min 4-points fixing belts for the TROPHY class
  § Helmets are mandatory. Only Auto or Moto helmets are allowed – No bike, ski, climbing or industrial helmets will be accepted
  § Mud/sand ramps are allowed
  § Minimum one distance measuring device is mandatory (tripmaster or any other type, including GPS devices)
  § Compasses are mandatory. GPS-based devices, phones and tablets are accepted.
  § All drivers must be minimum 18 years old. Navigators can be younger (min 16 years old) but must present a written consent signed by both parents (if alive) or from the living parent otherwise.
  
  There will be a serious check-in inspection before registration so please present all your equipment ready at start – VEHICLES NOT MEETING ALL MANDATORY CONDITIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN THE RACE

2. RULES AND REGULATIONS

Race description

The race is the sum of successive timed stages (in general one stage/day). Every stage is timed and scored independently. Penalty time is added to the race time and a total is calculated at the end of every stage (day). The final result of a team is obtained by adding the time obtained during each stage. The final ranking is established based on the increasing order of the accumulated time (the best team will have the lowest number minutes accumulated at the end of the race).

Vehicles will be ranked individually (one team – one car) but multiple teams can decide to compete together.

The starting order in the first day will be decided by a draw. The starting order in the following stages will be in accordance with the results obtained in the previous stage and not on the cumulative results (total minutes) obtained previously. As an example, a team that has ended day 3 on the 3rd place and is on the 1st position according to the results obtained during day1, 2 and 3 will start the 3rd position in day 4.

During regular stages teams can be helped by competing teams, by assistance crews or by locals but not by organizers. Any help form an organizer disqualifies the beneficiary team.

Each stage should be completed within the maximum time (Max Time) announced by the organizer before the start.

Navigation

Navigation during the whole race is based on road book, except areas specifically indicated by colored tapes. GPS devices are allowed as back-up for lost teams.

Road books can indicate the following position in three ways: 1) distance to next picture, 2) range and bearing (distance and angle) and 3) N/E coordinates.

Indications in the Observation column of the road book, such as speed limits, “between marked trees”, “through marked gate” or “through the valley” are mandatory. Failure to obey these indications will result in penalties.

Every team will receive a score card or an electronic timing device (bracelet) and will present this card or bracelet whenever a trophy marshal will request it. At the end of each stage every team will hand over the score card or the bracelet to the finish line marshal. Additionally, each team will be provided with a GPS tracking device to record both the speed and the trajectory of the team. Loosing the card, the bracelet or the GPS device will result in penalties and in a replacement fee.

A team that won’t show-up at the start gate in time will start last.

In case one of the team members should leave the race, he/she can be replaced with someone else, provided that all inscription documents have been provided and signed. Such changes in a team can only be made between stages. The new team member will “inherit” the results of the original member. Member replacement is allowed only once/race.

No replacement race vehicles are allowed. A team should finish the race with the starting car. However, components from a replacement car can be used to service the original car.

The driver and the navigator can switch places during the race, provided that the original navigator is 18 years old and has a valid driving license.

Penalties

Not wearing or not tightening the helmet – 50 minutes/person/incident

Not wearing or not tightening the seatbelts – 50 minutes/person/incident

Not using the tree saver strap while winching – 50 minutes/incident

Exceeding the speed limit – 10 minutes for each 1 km/h in excess of the indicated speed/incident

Departing from the track by more than 100 m will result in a penalty of 50 minutes/incident. This penalty will be repeated for every 5 km of missed track and will be based on the distance measured on the official track. For example, if the team has left the official track for a distance of 12 km and then re-entered the track later, there will be a penalty of 50 minutes for the first 5 km, a penalty of 50 minutes for the next 5 km and a penalty of 20 minutes for the last 2 km – a total penalty of 120 minutes. The total time for the stage cannot be greater than 130% of the worst finishing time if the team has completed more than 50% of the total distance and 150% of the worst finishing time if the team has completed less than 50% of the total distance.

Failure to obey a mandatory observation, such as “through marked trees” – 50 minutes/incident

Failure to arrive within the MaxTime during regular stages:

1. in case the team has completed more than 50% of the total distance – 130% of the worst time realized by a finishing team for the stage
2. in case the team has completed less than 50% of the total distance – 150% of the worst time realized by a finishing team for the stage

For example, a team that has only completed a few meters of the track will be penalized according to point b) described above.

If Max Time is exceeded, based on the GPS recording, the referees will calculate the distance covered until within the Max Time interval and will apply the penalties of 130% or 150% of the worst finishing time depending of the measured result.

Failure to take the start in one day will result in a time equal to 175% of the worst finishing time within the Max Time of the day.

Loosing the score card, the bracelet or the GPS tracking device without offering the referees an alternative GPS recording – 150% of the worst time realized by a finishing team for the stage + all other penalties

Destroying property or hurting livestock – 200 points/incident + reimbursement of all associated costs + all other legal consequences

Teams that will not start within 30 minutes after the last car in the class will not be allowed to start the stage and will get a result equal to the worst team that has completed the stage.

Adventure class teams using tires larger than 35” will be penalized by 20 minutes/stage.

Other general penalties:

Not wearing or tightening the seat belt while in the car, including the finish line – 50 points/person/incident

Missing a stage marshal stamp or bracelet check – 50 points/incident

Littering (improper garbage disposal) – 50 points/incident

Usage or coarse language – 100 points/person/incident

Failure to apply ALL sponsor stickers – 50 points

Failure to return the time card, bracelet or GPS device at the end of the stage without offering a backup recording will result in a penalty equal to 150% of the time obtained by the worst time obtained by a team finishing within the Max Time.

Destroying signs that help others navigate (marking ribbons or other indicators) – exclusion from the race

Crossing meadows or fields except from situations where navigation is based on range and bearing or absolute coordinates (N/E) – exclusion from the race

Leaving “donut” marks on meadows (aka American circles) at any time – exclusion from the race

Driving under the influence of dugs or alcohol (visual test) – exclusion from the race