TORA GT24 - Rules and Regulations

General Rules & Driving Etiquette

GT racing, as defined by TORA, is a non contact sport. It is understandable that on occasion some contact may occur that is not expected by either party, for example due to lag. Competitors with 'lag' issues will not be penalized, but may be asked to improve their connection, if the issue is persistently hindering other's experiences please see connection section.

TORA expects competitors who partake in its championships and meetings to behave in an appropriate and respectable manner. Insulting comments or behaviour towards fellow competitors and race stewards is unacceptable and will be dealt with severely.

Competitors who are being followed on a straight part of a track by another car may move their position on the track ONCE to defend, any further sufficient movement outside of cornering will be deemed as weaving and you may be reported to the race director or head steward after the race.

If a competitor leaves the track at any time, it is advised that extra caution is taken not to impede other drivers when rejoining, please check and look before rejoining the track. Common courtesy stipulates that a driver in a dangerous position on the circuit should alert oncoming drivers of their position to avoid additional incidents, (essentially the yellow flag rules.)

Track Limits
The track limits are determined by the solid white lines either side of the track. At all times, two wheels must remain on this part of the circuit, unless of an occurrence where it is near to impossible to keep two wheels on the track, like avoiding a collision. During a race meeting, each time the track limits are not adhered to, a warning will be given. Each driver are allowed five warnings of all four wheels leaving the track via the inside of a corner, at any part of the circuit. If a sixth and subsequent "corner cutting" occurrences happen within a race meeting, then that driver will lose a position for each corner cut. Again, if a corner is cut to avoid a collision, this would not be given a warning.

The track limits must be adhered to in the event of gaining an advantage whilst having an on-track battle. If a driver overtakes a driver by getting all four wheels off the track, the driver must give that position back before they may continue the race. If the driver which was overtaken backs off heavily either through incident or "mechanical" failure, then the position will not need to be given back.

2012 TORA MSA GT24 Championships

The TORA GT24 series will be fought this winter, over 5 race meetings from Nov 2011 to Dec 2011. The series will have 3 championships up for grabs.

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

This will be a championship fought by each driver for themselves. The total amount of points at the end of the series, minus the lowest scoring round from their overall points will be their final points total and will result in their position in the overall drivers standing at the end of the year. This championship is for team and privateer drivers.

TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP

A team will be made up of a minimum of 2, and maximum of 3 drivers, all driving the same car. This championship will be scored by the total points score for all team drivers over the course of the championship.

- Team Driver Changes
From the start of the series, the full time driver line up may have a maximum two driver changes for the entire series. If another full time driver change occur, the total point score for the team will take a 10% reduction at the end of the year, and a subsequent 10% more for each further change. A fulltime driver change would need to be applied for via a new entry form as per championship sign-up.

- Substitute Drivers
For the length of the entire series, a team may make use of substitute driver if a full time driver cannot make a meeting. This substitute driver is eligible to score points for the drivers championship, and towards the point for the team they are driving for that meeting. A team has a maximum of 2 substitutes per season. Any further substitutes, and the replacement driver will not score points for the team they are driving for. Substitute drivers must be made aware to the series runners before commencing the race meeting itself.

The substitute driver can come from an existing team, privateer, or any other friend. A substitute driver may only score points for the team they are driving for in any particular race, and must remain in a single car/team for an entire race meeting.

SUPPLIERS CHAMPIONSHIP (Customer Cars)

The aim of the Championship is for teams to fight for an extra championship, giving the quicker teams a slightly tougher challenge, whilst at the same time allowing teams and drivers less "fortunate" to be able to race at a higher competitive level.

Each series team have the choice to take part in the Suppliers Championship. Each can do this by acquiring and helping customer teams and Privateers who may wish to receive help with their series campaign. The cars for each of the teams and Privateers in no way have to be the same, simply that the Supplier team will give the help to their respective Customer team and Privateer through racecraft, tuning, liveries and any other part of the series.

Each supplier can have one team, and one privateer under their wing. This means that a supplier team can be scoring points up to 7 drivers to go toward their Suppliers Championship points. Applications for this championship should be made by the Customer team or Privateer to the series owners. Suppliers will only score points from the point it is made aware they have begun helping their Customers.

If a Customer feels they are not receiving the right amount of support from their Supplier, they may make an appeal to the series owners that they wish to leave their Supplier.

Important: A team whose members belong to a particular team maybe not be the supplier to another team or privateer who has a member belonging to either the same or a different Club.

The TORA N24 is not a point scoring round of this series.

Race Rules

Safety Car Rules

There will be no designated ‘safety car’ vehicle utilised in our championships. Due to the limited nature of online race lobbies. However TORA does operate general safety car regulations which provide a similar outcome, utilising the lead vehicle in the lobby to slow the cars to a safe speed whilst any obstruction is cleared from the circuit, or allowing affected competitors to repair any damage and catch up with the rest of the field.

- When the Safety Car Is Used
The Safety Car will only be deployed if an incident or incidents occur between three or more competitors that severly impairs both competitors race. Only a driver involved in the incident may request the safety car, and make the request to the Lobby Captain. The Lobby Captain may seek the opinions of other competitors, before making the decision to activate the safety car period.

The Safety Car may not be requested during the final two laps of a race.

- Forming a Safety Car Period

In the event of a safety car period being called, the lead car takes the role of the Safety Car or Pace Car. The Safety Car must not exceed 80MPH and the pack must form in current race position in single file.

- Conduct During Safety Car Period

Drivers involved in the incident should form at the back of the pack, in order of relative position before the incident, unless there is an obvious instigator. Competitors must keep a reasonable distance during the Safety Car Period. Brake testing during the Safety Car period will not be tolerated and may lead to penalties, either race meeting or championship. Warming of tyres is permitted but must be undertaken in a safe manner with due consideration given to other competitors. Competitors who leave the track by their own volition during the Safety Car period may be passed by the rest of the pack and the competitor will form at the back of the field.

Drivers not involved in the incident may pit during a Safety Car Period, but will become resume the race at the back of the field. If the grid has not formed by the time the pole sitter reaches the pit lane entrance, the safety car may continue for another lap. It is YOUR duty to ensure the safety of your fellow competitors.

Race Meeting Set-Up

QUALIFYING

We ask that all competitors are on Xbox live 15 minutes prior to the start of the race meeting, and appear online. Where necessary, if each competitor could post "In" in the relevant race meeting thread on the TORA forums. Anyone who wishes to race without posting "In" will need to wait the race meeting organisers confirmation before being allowed to race.
TORA’s ‘Live Timing’ system will be updated prior to the race meeting with who your lobby host will be for qualifying, and will be updated during the meeting with the results. One invite will be sent out to all race entrants. This invite will also denote your qualifying lobby.

If a connection issue is apparent please contact the race director or lobby host as soon as possible and they will do their best to ensure you can connect to the qualifying lobby.

Competitors who are not connected to the host’s room at the start time without reason stated before the start time of the race meeting will not be able to take part in qualifying. The qualifying session will should no later than 5 minutes from the designated race meeting start time.

Settings
- A 6 second roll off delay will be in effect to accommodate a greater opportunity for clean running and driving concentration. Collisions will be set off, and damaged will be limited.
- Qualifying is set to 3 laps, 1 warm-up lap, 1 qualifying lap, and the last is used for the lobby hosts to collect times before competitors cross the line to finish the session. "Clean" qualifying laps are over "Dirty" laps. A slower "Clean" lap will start the race ahead of a quicker "dirty" lap. Make it count!
- Once Qualifying is over, ‘Live Timing’ will be updated along with who will host the various racing lobbies. TORA will ensure that this process is completed as quickly as possible but please expect a minimum of a 10 minute break after the qualifying session for which the TORA team will set up race lobbies.
- Any driver who had not set a qualifying time will be able to join the race at the back of the field, upon the race directors approval.

RACE

TORA’s ‘Live Timing’ system will be updated after qualifying has taken place to update you who your lobby host will be. We ask that all competitors remain on Xbox live for the start of the race. ONE invite will be sent out to all race entrants. This will denote your race lobby. If a connection issue is apparent please contact the race director or lobby host ASAP and they will do their best to ensure you can connect to the race lobby.

Competitors who are not connected to the host’s room, or contacted a race official to explain a delay, after 10 minutes of the race lobby invite has been sent will not be able to take part in race.

Race - Grid will be the results of the qualifying session. All drivers with "clean" laps in qualifying will be before all drivers who set "dirty" laps. The race begins in this order by a rolling start. All races will be raced over 24 laps of each track.

Rolling Start
Competitors will perform a single Formation lap to set the grid positions, before a rolling start on lap 2 begins race conditions. We ask all competitors to listen to the lobby host for what speed they should drive on the parade lap. Competitors are asked not to move until the lobby host reads out the grid order and confirms when they can move off. We ask that competitors do not race one-another in the formation lap as to not interfere with the grid order, any resulting infringements will be reported to the race director and penalties may be given.

To achieve a rolling start the competitors may be led by the lead car until the start signal is given. All rolling starts must be in 2 x 2 formation. Once the lead driver reaches a pre-designated section on the track (usually the final corner), they shall let the pack bunch up side by side in a two by two formation. the lead driver is given the choice what side he wishes to begin the race on, and all following competitors must follow this lead.

When all drivers are in position and the field are all on the start / finish straight, getting confirmation from the last driver that all are in position, the lead driver may start racing conditions by shouting "Go" and accelerating.


Under no circumstance shall any competitor be allowed to pass the vehicle in front until they have passed the start and finish line.

Mandatory Pit Stops

There will be 1 mandatory pit-stop during each race. This pitstop must be taken no earlier than 10 laps into the race, and no later than 14 laps into the race. If a driver makes an calculation error and has not pitted by lap 14, they MUST pit next time they get to pit entry. If they do not pit in this pit window, then penalties will be given out. Anyone involved in an incident may make use of the safety car to fix repairs, however this mandatory pit-stop must still occur within this 4 lap time frame.

Settings
- Collisions during all races will be on, and set with Limited Damage. All driving aids will be available, apart from ABS, STM and auto-brake.
- The race will be 24 laps, denoted by a set number of laps. Racing conditions begin from the rolling start all the way to the chequered flag, racing to end the lobby race.

TORA GT24 Carlist

All Cars must be fitted with:

-RWD
-Race Suspension
-Race Rollcage (Where applicable)
-Race Tyres* (Except the McLaren, please read below)
-Forza Front and Rear Wing

The cars then are organised into 2 groups and have PI maximums.

Group A
Power Limits : 451bhp - 599bhp
Weight Limits : 2901lbs - 3299lbs

Group B
Power Limits : 651bhp - 699bhp
Weight Limits : 3001lbs - 3299lbs

* The McLaren MP4-12C is the only car with an extra requirement, which it has to have Sport Tyres.

The cars are limited to TWO teams and TWO privateers using each car, on a first come first served basis.

Now this looks good. One question. How longs the races?

24 Laps of each track John, it is buried in that post

When will the who is using what car list be started....I'd like to have a go but have. I idea what car to build, don't wanna build one that's already had its allowance taken.

Driftollie wrote:When will the who is using what car list be started....I'd like to have a go but have. I idea what car to build, don't wanna build one that's already had its allowance taken.

Entries haven't been opened yet. You should know sometime soon when the entries will start being accepted.

Ok, so 'technocally' I can build any car an providing I get in early I can use it? Thanks

Entries will open up at 10:30pm tonight. I'm about to open a thread ready for entries, in the meantime, give you car choice a ponder!

I would suggest a full read of the rules and regs, cos everything mostly is covered in there, including the NEW suppliers Championship!

Fantastic stuff!

Driftollie wrote:Ok, so 'technocally' I can build any car an providing I get in early I can use it? Thanks

Exactly, its a first come first served basis, so get your entry in before others, and its yours!

eizoxian wrote:24 Laps of each track John, it is buried in that post

Haha, Cheers eizox! I couldn't see it earlier!

forza F and R wings no longer compulsory?

EZT Spartan wrote:forza F and R wings no longer compulsory?

Yes they are, sorry. Updated

Is the suppliers championship registration automatic or does a seperation registration form need to be filled in? Just wondering because of the fact I'm helping Nicky in the series.

Any team can become a "supplier" team who can help others. The only application needed is from the team being helped, just to let us know that help is being given, and its done!

Ta very much Mr Biggles.

Mr Bigglesworth to you

Do all 5 rounds count towards the championship or is your worst round dropped?

Thats a good Q. This series there's no dropped rounds as there's only 5 races and it's an unofficial series. When the official TORA MSA GT season 8 begins in 2012, not long after this series (wink wink) then there will be a dropped round.

Thank you for the answer, one last question. What time do races start? Coudn't find it the start times?

It's 8pm GMT on Sundays.

Thanks.

When will we recieve the new TORA Number Boxes for the series?

If there isn't a number box, I've created a simple one if you guys wanna use them. It's only taken 55 layers to create.

There is a number box and I had started gifiting it out today. You'll get your copy soon.

No probs, cheers Richard.