IMPORTANT RULE BOOK UPDATE
October 18, 2024
Based on feedback from our members and industry affiliates, ROAR has amended and revised some of the new rules posted back in August. Below is a summary of those changes.
1) Rule #1.8.1 (pg. 14) Pre-mounted rubber tires are now allowed in GT12 at asphalt tracks. Race director’s discretion on whether to specify rubber or foam tires at a given event.
2) Rule #1.8.1 (pg. 14) Just as in other 12 th -scale classes, ROAR’s Dimensional Specifications no longer state what motor wind must be used in the GT12 class. It is up to the track owner to decide what motor wind best suits their local conditions.
3) Rule #1.8.1 (pg. 14) Revised GT12 body rule to emphasize need for similarity to full- scale GT2 and GT3 racing and to prohibit LMP or LMH bodies in this class.
4) Rule #1.9.4 (pg. 17) Reduced roof height specification to 117mm (with chassis sitting on 10mm blocks) to be consistent with IFMAR and EFRA requirements. In effect, this will lower the roof height by about 3mm compared to the previous rule.
5) Rule #11.11.1 (pg. 21) Just as in other 4WD TC classes, ROAR’s Dimensional Specifications no longer state what motor wind must be used in the LMH class. It is up to the track owner to decide what motor wind best suits their local conditions.
6) Rule #7.3.6 (pg. 52) Requires ESC firmware to be updated to the most recent ROAR- approved version; prohibits submission or use of Beta software; requires all modifications or revisions of ESC software to be re-inspected and approved by ROAR.
7) Rule #8.3.7 (pg. 54) Simplified existing text to clarify that track owners and race directors have always had, and will continue to have, discretion to specify what motor wind to require in a given class.
8) Rule #8.5.13 (pg. 55) Requires off-road vehicles to install shock protectors when racing on carpet. Also prohibits drive axles from extending beyond the wheel nuts on all vehicles racing on carpet. This rule merely codifies something that nearly all carpet tracks were already doing to protect their racing surface.
9) Rule #8.7.3 (pg. 57) Eliminates previous requirement to have number decals on the side of race cars. Number decals will still be required on the front of all cars. Old rule was deemed obsolete because it has not been enforced for several years.
10) Rule #8.14.4.1 (pg. 60) Added text to reinforce that it is the driver’s responsibility to know whether or not his/her motor, battery, ESC, and body are on the most recent ROAR approved list.
11) Rule #8.15.10 (pg. 62) Deleted previous rule prohibiting radios from being turned on in the pits. Modern digital 2.4 Ghz radio made the old rule obsolete and unnecessary. Retained rule #8.14.3.9 (pg. 60) prohibiting turning on a radio if it adversely affects another driver’s vehicle during a race.
12) Rule #9.1.2 (pg. 65) Clarifies that manufacturers are solely responsible for knowing when a prior body approvals is due to expire and needs to be renewed.
13) Rule #11.2.1.14 (pg. 71) Clarifies that the manufacturer’s are solely responsible for knowing when one of their battery approvals is due to expire and needs to be renewed.
14) Rule #11.3.1.4 (pg. 74) Extends the date when motors with epoxy applied to the stator windings will be removed from the Approved List to December 31, 2026. This allows those older motors to be used for two more calendar years. New motor designs will still be legal for use beginning on September 1, 2025. So, there will be a 14-month overlap period when drivers may choose to run either the old or new motor designs.
15) Rule #11.3.2.1 (pg. 74) Clarifies that the manufacturer’s are solely responsible for knowing when one of their motor approvals is due to expire and needs to be renewed.
16) Rule #11.3.5.2 (pg. 76) Clarifies that the prohibition against dynamic timing changes applies only when the ESC is in “blinky” mode.
17) Rule #11.3.4.3 (pg. 76) Rule added that requires all timing mode changes to only be made by connecting an external setup box or wireless module. ESCs must not be capable of making such changes from the radio transmitter or by manipulating buttons on the ESC itself when it is in “blinky” mode.
18) Rule #11.3.5.7 (pg. 77) Increases maximum diameter of cooling fans from 30mm to 40mm. This change was made to help offset any additional heat that may result when epoxy coatings are eliminated from the stator windings.
19) Rule #11.3.7.10 (pg. 79) Revised date on which manufacturers may begin submitting motors meeting the new ROAR specifications for inspection and approval to January 1, 2025. Those new motors will not be legal for use until September 1, 2025. Motors submitted and inspected prior to that date will still have a 4-year approval term that
expires on August 31, 2029.
20) Rule #14.3.7.3 (pg. 86) Revised tie-breaking procedure so that the second tie-breaker is the most laps in the least time from the driver’s single fastest run in the Triple-A mains.
