What to Expect

WHAT TO EXPECT AT FASTLANE

You may be coming to Fastlane to shop for RC cars or parts, use one of our 4 race tracks or to just check us out. Whatever your reason for visiting, we will do our best so that you will feel welcome and enjoy the experience. The following information may make that first visit a little less awkward or intimidating.

 

WHEN YOU ARRIVE

If you are coming to shop for RC cars, trucks or parts, just head to the hobby shop counter in the rear of the building past the pit tables. Our staff will assist you as soon as they are able.

If you are planning to compete in organized racing or just use our tracks for fun and practice, please go to the hobby shop counter at the rear of the building and register for the day’s activities. This is also the place to get answers to any questions you may have about using the track and the facilities. After you register at the hobby shop counter, find an open spot on one of the pit tables to set up your charger and other equipment.

 

WHAT DOES THE TRACK PROVIDE?

Pit tables (each racer gets a 2’x4’ space to work on their vehicles), 110 Volt electrical power, chairs, overhead lighting, compressed air station (to help with cleaning your car), MyLaps transponder system (personal transponders required for racing), LiveTime computer lap counting system (results available online), restrooms, concessions (drinks and snacks), WiFi connection and an environment for everyone to have fun. This is all supported by our experienced Staff.

 

PRACTICE DAYS

When our tracks are not scheduled for racing, they are usually available for RC enthusiasts to enjoy without the structure of a race program. We refer to these times as practice days (for racers) but they are also opportunities for non-racers to use our tracks just to enjoy the experience of running on a track.

There are only a few “rules” for using the tracks during these times. 

First, you must be using a car / truck which is appropriate for the track you are running on. Indoor offroad is limited to electric vehicles that are true 10th scale sized or smaller. On practice days, the outdoor oval and offroad tracks are open to all vehicles (nitro, gas and electric) that are 5th scale or smaller. The indoor carpet track is limited to 10th scale or smaller onroad style vehicles (the track may be set up in an oval configuration or a road course configuration). There may be signs limiting the number of cars on the track at any one time. Please respect these limits.

Second, the intent with running on the track is to complete laps. Please run your vehicle only in the direction indicated and avoid intentionally jumping across lanes and lane dividers. Everyone is trying to have fun and it is no fun to have your car crashed and possibly broken by someone not following the layout of the track. Don’t leave your vehicle stopped on the track where cars are running at speed, pull to the side in a spot where it is unlikely to be hit by another car. 

Next, when your car crashes and you can not continue, someone needs to go on the track and set the car back on its wheels pointed in the right direction. We call this Marshaling. It is important that any time someone goes on the track to marshal a car that they understand there is a risk of injury from getting hit by a fast moving RC vehicle. Please be very cautious of any uneven surface (especially on the offroad tracks) and only cross track lanes when they are clear of vehicles. Because of the danger of injury from fast moving cars, we ask that children under the age of 10 not be on the track when vehicles are running. We know it’s tempting to have your children marshal your cars so you can keep running, but please help us keep them safe. 

Finally, drive your vehicle from a spot on the driver’s stand and not by standing in the middle of the track. While driving from the track makes it easier to get your own car when it crashes, it is a distraction for other drivers. It is generally also easier to get a good perspective for driving from the driver’s stand.

 

RACE DAYS

Most race days will consist of practice time prior to the start of racing, qualifying races and mains or feature races. For practice, the same rules apply as on practice days except it is even more important that you follow those rules. For racing, you will need to have your car equipped with a MyLaps compatible personal transponder. This transponder is recognized by the scoring system and lets us measure your lap times to the nearest one thousandth of a second.

HOW QUALIFYING WORKS

Racers will be grouped into heat races (usually no more than 8 cars in a heat) based on the type of vehicle (your Class) you are racing. The scoring system will create the order in which those heats occur and the “heat sheets” or race listing will be posted in several places prior to the start of the first qualifying round of races. When the announcement is made that “heats are posted” please go look at the heat sheets to see which race you will be in. If you have any questions, if we somehow missed putting you on the sheet or if we made an error in the class we assigned you to, please see the race director. Please be courteous. We all can make mistakes and the time prior to the start of racing is often hectic with people registering at the last minute. You can help us avoid mistakes in the line up by registering as soon as you get to Fastlane for the day. 

When qualifying begins it is important to have your car ready to race when the program gets to the race or heat you have been listed in. If we have to wait for you to bring your car to the track you are not only making the racers in your heat wait, you are making all the racers present at the track wait. Listen to the race director for instructions. Normally you will be given a few warm up laps and then the race director will announce that the “straight is closed'' or “no more laps”. This is your signal to line your car up with the other racers before the start / finish line. 

Two types of qualifying are generally used in RC racing: IFMAR qualifying or Heads Up qualifying. For every track except our dirt oval, the normal qualifying format is IFMAR qualifying. (fyi, IFMAR is the global sanctioning body for RC racing). 

In IFMAR QUALIFYING you are racing the clock, not the other racers on the track. Although you will be on the track with other racers, each racer is essentially running their own race. You will be scored by an individual timer for your car which only starts when you first roll across the start / finish line for that heat.  In IFMAR qualifying your position on the track versus the other cars is not what matters. You are scored only by the elapsed time from when your car crosses the start / finish line. If you are driving side-by-side with another car in qualifying, it is better to give each other a little room rather than try to out-race each other. Trying to race somebody to maintain your track position will likely only make things harder on both of you and open up the possibility of a crash. If you don't allow the obviously faster cars to get past you in qualifying, you certainly won't make any friends at the track and you'll end up slowing down in the process. 

Again; your race timer will not begin until the very first time your car crosses the line. Be sure to keep racing at the end of the race until the announcer says that you are finished. Qualifying heats do not end until the first time you cross the line after your own race clock has expired. 

At the end of all the qualifying sessions, your position in the actual races (known as "mains") will be determined by your single fastest qualifying run. When running 5-minute qualifiers, for example, a 23/5:05 would mean you did 23 laps in 5 minutes and 5 seconds, which would be faster than a 23/5:12 - the same number of laps, but taking 7 seconds longer. Once you have read a few qualifying printouts, you'll get the hang of it.

In HEADS UP QUALIFYING, you will be racing against the other racers. Everyone will start at the same time (on the tone or buzzer from the scoring system) and your position on the track versus the other racers determines where you finish. Even though you are racing for position, proper race etiquette is to allow racers who are obviously faster than you to pass without blocking or battling for position. The best way to allow faster racers to pass is to maintain a consistent race line so they can judge the best place to pass. Suddenly slowing or pulling to the side can often result in contact as the racer passing you will not expect a sudden change.

 

RACING IN THE MAINS OR FEATURES

You probably already have a good idea of how racing in the Mains works. The starting tone sounds, and you race until you take the checkered flag! Actually, there are still a few things to be aware of. First and foremost, your fellow racers will judge your character by how you behave on the track. It doesn't matter if you're a good or bad driver from the get go, but how you treat the other drivers makes all the difference in the world. Your first few times at the track, don't expect to go out and win; do your best, but spend your time learning the feel of your car and the nuances of racing. Don't make potentially hazardous maneuvers during a race that could wreck other cars, and be careful to let faster cars pass you easily if they should come up behind you. By doing this, not only will you make friends among the other drivers, you will gain the reputation of being a calm and honorable competitor. That reputation can and will follow you for a long time, so you don't want to mess it up right away! When your first race is over, don't be afraid to approach other drivers and ask them for advice about your driving or anything you may have done wrong. We were all beginners at one point or another, and most everybody in this hobby is more than happy to share their experience with others.

 

FOLLOW THE RULES

You will find at the track, rule restrictions are generally pretty relaxed for Novice or Rookie racers and people racing for the first time. But there are restrictions that apply to all classes. Please click on the section of this app which covers our track and then check out the rules for the classes which run on each track.

 

TRACK ETIQUETTE

There are a lot of little dos and don'ts that you'll pick up as you spend more and more time at the track. Some of them are very important, while others are just common courtesies that everybody is expected to observe. In addition to showing courtesy to the other racers on the track they include:

1. Transponders If you want our scoring system to recognize your vehicle and time your laps, the vehicle must be equipped with a personal transponder which is compatible with MyLaps RC4 transponder protocol. Sound like Greek? Ask us to explain at the Hobby Shop counter.

2. Always drive from the drivers’ stand. Do not use stools or other devices to boost your height if you are already tall enough that your elbows are above the rail. This is a safety issue as well as a courtesy to other racers.

3. Don't Make a Mess  Working on your RC cars can be messy business, and you are always expected to clean up after yourself, if you need to use motor spray or dump out shock oil, do it over a wastebasket so you don't mess up the facility. If you open parts bags or end up with a broken part or two, make sure to throw them away instead of just leaving the remnants laying around for others to clean up. You are always the one responsible for leaving your pit area as clean as when you arrived, if not cleaner.

4. Be Friendly, Be Helpful - One of the best things about this (or really any) hobby is sharing information and tips with others who are enjoying the same thing. After you've been at the track a few times, it's likely that somebody will ask your advice about something. Even if you are busy or in a hurry, try to be as friendly and courteous as possible. If you don't know the answer, suggest somebody who does know. The more friends you make, the more fun you'll have, and the more help you'll get in return.