Events should be held on parking lots, paved race tracks, or velodromes where access to the course can be safely controlled. Electrathon America strongly encourages the use of dedicated race courses whenever possible to reduce the hazards associated with street courses.
When a parking lot or road course is necessary, potential hazards must be identified and barricaded or clearly marked to prevent collisions. Hazards must be reviewed with drivers at the drivers’ meeting, along with strategies for avoiding them.
Course Safety #
- The course must be closed to all other vehicular traffic, with adequate measures to prevent unauthorized access. These may include signs, barricades, banner tape, and traffic cones.
- The course must be free of hazards such as potholes, speed bumps, protrusions, or other surface conditions that could damage a vehicle or create a safety risk. Dips or bumps that present a hazard must be corrected before the event can be sanctioned.
- The course surface must be consistent in material and texture throughout.
- Barricades must clearly define the course and identify corners, boundaries, start/finish areas, and other potential hazards.
- A positive physical barrier must separate spectators from the course. Street curbs are not considered adequate barriers. Suitable barriers may include hay bales, tire walls, or other barriers capable of stopping an Electrathon vehicle.
- Spectator areas must be clearly designated using signs, barriers, or marking tape and located a safe distance from the course. Adequate personnel must be provided for crowd control.
Course Facilities #
A pit area should be located adjacent to the course and provide adequate space for vehicles, charging, and support vehicles.
Electrical power must be provided at a rate of two 120-volt, 20-amp circuits per 10 vehicles and must be continuously available from three hours before competition begins through three hours after the competition ends.
When a display area is not adjacent to the pit or course, power must also be provided in the display area.
Course Layout #
Road course layouts should include a variety of turns and straights appropriate to the location. Courses typically range from ¼ mile to 2 miles in length.
Courses should alternate between clockwise and counterclockwise directions from event to event when practical to reduce tire wear and vehicle stress and provide variety. A track designed for travel in only one direction should not be run in reverse when doing so would compromise safety.
Courses must be wide and long enough to safely accommodate all competitors and provide opportunities to pass and maneuver. When the number of vehicles exceeds the safe capacity of the course, separate heats must be conducted.
Course Length #
Minimum course length for a Sanctioned Event:
- Flat Course: ¼ mile (1,320 feet / 402.34 m)
- Banked Course: ¼ km (820.21 feet / 250 m)
Courses should be long enough for vehicles to reach top speed. A straight of 500–700 feet is desirable.
Course length must be measured using a measuring wheel. On an oval track, measurement is based on the minimum distance the inside tire could travel. On a track with reverse turns, measurements are taken along tangents from the inside of one turn to the inside of the next.
An alternative method may be used to determine the distance covered by a vehicle in one hour when it can be demonstrated to be more accurate than the standard method and receives approval from the Electrathon Rules Committee. An alternative method may establish an official distance/time record, but may determine finishing order only when the same method is used by every competitor.
Course Width #
Recommended minimum course width: 25 feet
The full course width must be free of obstructions, including cones, barriers, channels, or other objects that could restrict a vehicle’s movement from side to side. The surface must be consistent across the entire course width.
Corner Radius #
Minimum corner centerline radius: 25 feet
