RULES AND REGULATIONS

This is a brief description of the basic rules and regualtions associated with the sport of lawn mower racing. The BLMRA is run primarily for fun loving enthusiasts. It is an amateur sport, although run in a professional manner.

Organisers reserve the right to reject at any time, any mower, which in their opinion represents an attempt to defeat the spirit of the regulations even though it complies with the letter of them.

Events will be open to all self propelled lawn mowers (except reciprocating knife type), the main proviso being that the mower must have been originally designed, manufactured and sold commercially, to mow domestic lawns, It must remain as such to all intent and purposes, apart from the following permitted modifications. You may not, therefore, purpose build a mower. By lawn mower we mean domestic lawns, not game fields, golf courses, public parks.

GROUPS

Lawn mowers are divided into four main groups:

Group 1 run behind
Group 2 towed seat and roller driven
Group 3 small garden riders, wheel driven
Group 4 small garden tractor, bonneted and wheel driven

MODIFICATIONS

Mowers may be modified as per the regulations, but there will also be classes for un-modified (standard) mowers at some events.

SCRUTINEERING

All mowers must be checked and passed by scrutineering before being allowed onto the race track for either practice or for racing. However it is always the entrant’s responsibility to ensure the safety and legality of their mower. Mowers may also be subject to random scrutineering at any time by a committee member, race organiser, BLMRA official or nominated scrutineer. If in doubt about any of the safety or the legality of your mower, check beforehand with a member of the race committee, they are there to help you!

The organisers reserve the right to refuse any model of mower, which they deem not to be safe to race.

In groups 3 & 4, you can only race a mower type that has been homologated by the race committee.

DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDURE

The rules contained within the BLMRA handbook are mandatory and failure to follow the clauses therein may result in disciplinary action.

In the majority of cases, small infractions can be dealt with via an informal agreement between racer and committee representative, resulting in remedial action being undertaken within agreed timescales. Where these actions are not completed as agreed, or where infractions are clearly intended to gain a competitive advantage, more serious disciplinary action will be taken. In such an instance, disqualification from the event will be immediate, and further disciplinary action will be agreed by committee majority in a timely manner. The committee are prepared to issue lifetime bans if deemed appropriate in order to preserve our vision of affordable, fun and friendly racing.

In most instances, compliance with the rules can be checked via non-invasive means (i.e. visual inspection, measurements etc.), however some items, and in particular engines, will require strip-down to assess legality.

Random spot checks will be undertaken throughout the season in a designated area of the pits. In the case of engines, these will be will be stripped in clean conditions (usually away from the venue) and in the presence of at least two committee members. These will be returned to the owner disassembled with a complete new gasket set.

Endurance events in particular will attract these enhanced compliance checks and are likely to be applied to podium finishers. For this reason, racers will be requested to stop in a designated ‘Parc fermé’ immediately following the race and must not return to their pits until instructed to do so by an official of the club.

Remember: The primary purpose of initial scrutineering at an event is to confirm compliance with the basic safety rules. You are responsible for the legality of your machine at all times, and discovery of an issue at any point prior to, during or after a race will result in appropriate action being taken.

SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS

12 HOUR

A set of Supplementary Regulations are issued with the Entry Forms and Additional Supplementary Regulations upon acceptance of your entry.

Double 4 HOUR

Team

· 2 Drivers (max)

· 1 Marshall required

Mower requirements

· Noise level below 90dBa

· Must have operational Brakes & cut out

· Mudflaps to be fitted at all times (made of substantial material 50mm to ground)

· Numbers visible as per handbook

· Mowers will be scrutineered after each race ( All MOWERS to REMAIN IN PARC FERME until released by officials)

Pit requirements

· 1 Fire Extinguisher per team

· Pits are a No Smoking Area

Race

· One race spread over two days.

· Only one driver change is allowed on second day.

· 4 hours plus 1 lap. (Each race)

· Recorded on most laps completed

· Mower must cross the line under mowers own power to finish.

· Le Mans start on flag. Reverse order grid for second race.

· Marshalling to be covered by teams.

OTHER EVENTS

Other events are subject to Supplementary Regulations, and will be made available nearer to the event. If you plan to enter please make sure you are aware of all the relevant regulations.

HAND BOOK

A full copy of the Rules and Regulations can be found in the Hand Book which you can download here