Formula $pecial (S3) - F1 Inspired Diecast Racing League (INVITATIONAL) (FULL)

Join my Facebook Group for all the latest news and updates ... www.facebook.com/groups/843628836208348

Formula One is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is the highest class of international racing for single-seater formula racing cars. This sport became the World Drivers' Championship in 1950. In 1981 it became known as the FIA Formula One World Championship. Several races called Grands Prix are held all over the world over a single season. These races taken together are called a Formula One season. The word ‘Formula” refers to a set of rules that all participating teams have to adhere to. Grand Prix is a French word that translates as grand prize in English. The races are run on tracks that are graded “1” by the FIA. Hence the name Formula One was adopted. In 2021 this sport was adapted for Diecast Car Racing and became known as the Formula $peical, or just F$.

F$ Season 3 - This is an F1 inspired Diecast Racing mail-in event with 7 approved castings that you can choose from.  We strive to give this the look and feel of real F1 racing.

For Season 3 we already have a full field of Teams entered, so unfortunately this season is already full with the exception of an 11th Team.  This 11th Team, and any Teams that decide to withdraw from Season 3 will be populated based on results from our Formula Zero feeder series.  See Formula Zero (F0) for more details.  The Top 10 Teams that participated in the 2021 F$ Season and 2023 F$ Season have been confirmed spots.  All other Teams that participated in the 2023 F$ Season have been confimed spots in the Formula Zero.

This Event Season will not be cheap. The castings we are looking for are very collectible. We are going to give generous tips to the tracks that we run on for their effort and so they can enhance their tracks. Teams will also be chipping in to cover the mailing cost between race events, track usage, and for prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Drivers for the season plus, this year, for Top Team.  We will be securing sponsors once again to help bring the costs down.

I'm volunteering my time and effort to organize this event, and will be chipping in money as well. I welcome others who would like to help out in any way or by simply providing advice. We need tracks that can handle 6 cars at a time and open wheel cars at that.  The tracks also need to have a timing system for qualifying.  These ideally would be two lane starting gates with open downhill track.

Season 3 will have 11 Teams with 2 Drivers/Cars each for a total of 22 cars.  Each race event will be limited to 18 cars with qualifying at each track.  The top 18 qualifying cars will participate in the event and 4 cars will not.  This means Teams could have have both, one, or none of their cars qualify for any particular event.  Qualifying will also determine starting positions for the race.

There are only 2 active Team cars per Team and no Backup Cars as per the 2023 F$ rules.

At the end of each Season, the bottom performaning Team will be eliminated and bumped down to Formula Zero making room for a new Team the following Season.

Not for the weak of heart, this is for serious 1:64 scale Diecast F1 Racers who are looking to have some serious fun.

We have sponsorship provided by Custom Diecast Metal Signs by Meekin and Florence Turgeon.

The first pre-season race will be run on our own track, Snow Valley East, to kick off the season and to demonstrate the Grid Formation Tournament rules.  We partnered with Jack John & Katie Racing, Down Squad Racing, G-Force Racing last Season, and Boss Championship Racing.  Hopefully these tracks can return for 2025 and I will be looking for other potential tracks for both F$ and F0.  I can't wait, this is going to be a blast.  Start your engines!!!

Rules & restrictions

• Choose from 7 Pre-approved Castings (See below)
• Casting must remain intact: Include Driver, no visible weights, original casting design
• 2 Entries per Person (Team)
• No restrictions on Wheels, Axles or Weights (Black/Gray Wheels, i.e.: NOT clear or orange)
• Car numbers required (Lets make then unique this year)
• Dry lube only
• No weight limit
• Like F1, Rules may evolve over time
• Original paint is welcome (although you may need to remove numbers and add our own numbers). Painting and adding decals is also welcome.  Cars can be stock weight if you so choose (it is not easy to load these castings with weight).

Two Cars per Team

This year you as a Team are required to enter 2 cars. 

• They must be the same Casting
• Common or recognizable Team Colour Scheme
• Two different and unique numbers as registered with the F$/FDRL
• Two different and unique Driver's Names as registered with the F$/FDRL
• Different Wheels and Weight allowed
• Sponsor Optional
• Team Owner Optional

Note that typically Teams would be one builder.  Optionally two builders can collaberate on a Team with a hyponated Team name / New combined name.  In this case each builder would provide a car but make sure the rules above apply for Team consistency look and feel.

Dates & deadlines

TBD - Don't send in cars yet.

How to enter

Contact the tournament host to get the shipping address for entry.  It is best if you contact the tournament host, Marcus Firegone, on the Facebook Group:  www.facebook.com/groups/843628836208348

Entry fee is $10 per Team ($5 per Car).  Payable once your car arrives at the track and passes inspection

Include a Race Entry ID slip with your entry

Track

Full F$ Season 3:

• Grand Prix of Ontario - Snow Valley East (Hosted by: Marcus Firegone)
• Grand Prix of Indiana - JJ&K Raceway (Hosted by Jack John and Katie Racing)
• Grand Prix of Illinois - Shredder Speedway (Hosted by: Shredder Speedway)
• Grand Prix of Wisconsin - Mullet River Sprint Track (Hosted by: Down Squad Racing)
• Grand Prix of Oregon - Pacific Coast International Raceway (Hosted by G-Force Racing)
• Grand Prix of Minnesota - (Hosted by: Boss Championship Racing)
• Grand Prix of Ontario - The Dragon's Tail (Hosted by: Marcus Firegone)

Tracks subject to change.  Tracks may be added and/or removed during the race season.

Sponsors

Custom Diecast Metal Signs by Meekin and Florence Turgeon

Race format and scoring

Qualifying & Races are posted on YouTube.  Check my YouTube Channel and the host track YouTube Channels for all Qualifying/Race Results and Content.  I will have a Playlist for the event as well.

Grid Formation Tournament Rules:

We will be using our own Grid Formation Tournament rules.  This has been updated to GRID-6 Formation with Breakaway.  There will be a Grid of 18 cars.  For GRID-6, the Grid will be split into 3 Groups of 6 car each (P1 - P6, P7 -12, P13 - P18).  These are referred to as Group 1 (Lead Pack), Group 2, and Group 3.  There is a total of 5 Laps.  Each Group goes down the track once for the 1st Lap.

DNFs:

If any cars goes off track and lands on its wheels, it is moved to a new Group, Group 4.  If more than 6 cars in Group 4, this is extended into a Group 5.

If a single car stops on the track, it is moved to the side and treated as if it went off track and landed on its wheels.

If a car stops on track or goes off track and lands on its wheels from either Group 4 or Group 5 it is removed from the race and considered retired from the race.

If a car crashes, landing on its roof or side, it is removed from the race.

If a car crashes on track (even just over-haning the track) or multiple cars come to a stop together on the track, a Red Flag is called.  This stops the race immediately, no more Groups, if there are any, go down the track.  That is the end of the current lap.

Breakaway:

The concept of the breakaway is this, cars DO NOT move up Groups unless there is a Red Flag event.  So, if the lead group, Group 1, losses 5 cars due to going off track, the remaining car will continue to be the only car in Group 1 until such time as a Red Flag event occurs (see DNFs & Red Flag for more details).

Red Flag:

If a car crashes on track (even just overhanging the track) or multiple cars come to a stop together on the track, a Red Flag is called. This stops the race immediately, no more Groups, if there are any, go down the track. That is the end of the current Lap.

The Group or Groups that completed their Lap are put into their new positions based on how they finished and any Groups that did not get to run the lap remain in their original positions.

During the Red Flag, cars queue up behind the pace car and gaps are filled.  Thus, Group 2 cars move up to Group 1 if there are spots available, Group 3 cars move up to Group 1 or 2 if there are spots available, and so on until we have a condenced field of 3 or less Groups.  The next Lap is run in this new order.

If the final Lap, Lap 5, has a Red Flag event, cars are regrouped as above and run for a 6th and final Lap.  In the unlikely event that Lap 6 results in a Red Flaged as well, there is one more restart for a Lap 7 and if that is Red Flaged the entire race event is ended, and cars are marked down as finishing in their current positions.

Points Awarded:

Teams/Drivers are only awarded points at the end of the last Lap.  Same as F1, 25 points for 1st, 18 points for 2nd, 15 points for 3rd, 12 points for 4th, 10 points for 5th, 8 points for 6th, 6 points for 7th, 4 points for 8th, 2 points for 9th, and 1 point for 10th.  No points for 11th to 18th.  There is a bonus 2 points for getting Pole Position at the start of the race and 1 point for fastest Lap during the race (as long as you also finish in the top 10).  Note that Drivers/Cars must cross the finish line on the last lap in order to receive points for the race event.  A DNF on the final lap does not count as finishing the race.

Qualifying & Race:

Each race venue will have a Qualifying Session to determine starting positions for the race.  Each Driver will get two qualifying runs.  Only the top 18 cars will qualify for the race out of the 22 registered Drivers/Teams.

Video Editing

All Groups for each Lap, for all Laps are to be videoed.  For video editing, only show the lead group, Group 1, for each Lap going down the track.  Also show all Groups crossing the start/finish line for the completion of the Lap.  This will make the race flow much quicker and be less confusing for the viewer.  The concept is that all 18 cars are coming down the track together even though they are not.

If the lead group, Group 1, only has one car in it, you can choose to keep following it each lap or shift your video focus to Group 2, letting people know that the other car is out front in the lead.

If a Red Flag event occurs, the race is paused.  During that break, while track clean-up is taking place, show a replay of the Group or Groups that caused the Red Flag.  It is a replay even if you have not shown that particular video yet.

At the end of the race, any number of Laps and Groups can be shown as replays, to highlight passes, cars going off track, or to follow a particular car that moved up the ranks during the event.  This coverage is dependent on the Track Host.

Penalties/DNF

If a car fails to meet any of the restrictions listed above, the car may be subject to disqualification. We will work with the Team/Driver to resolve any such problems.

Cars that fail to run or fit on the track, or that happen to break during racing, will forfeit their matches. Cars that arrive broken or that break during racing will attempt to be minimally repaired before the racing begins/continues. Teams/Drivers may replace a car during the season by notifying the tournament host and sending in a replacement car.

Prizes

Prize to be determined.  The Tournament Host and Track Venue Hosts are allowed to participate.

Team/Driver List