Updated 30/10/26
Here are some notes and clarification for drivers at Tipperary Raceway.
It is the Drivers and parents’ (for junior classes) responsibility to check that you are ready to race BEFORE entering the track. Helmet, neck brace, Gloves, and suit! Window net, Race receiver, and Transponder! Bonnet locked down!
- Please read your class rules. Not knowing the rules, doesn’t mean they don’t apply.
- Race Radio’s are required at all times. INCLUDING Practice!!! use Channel 2 on the Black RT Race Receiver. Radio’s are available for purchase at the track.
- Transponders are required to be installed, subscribed and working at all times. INCLUDING Practice! Please read THIS LINK for further details. While technically they are not required for practice as Spedeworth tracks, local rules apply here to allow to the tower to check your transponder is working and we have the correct number assigned to the driver.
Race receivers should be checked that they are on channel 2. Turning the radio on you’ll hear “Powering on. Channel Two”. If you don’t hear “Channel Two” it is wrong. Parents, teach your child to know how to check the radio is on the right channel. When the radio is on, pressing the up and down buttons at the same time (on the left side) will lock the channel change buttons. Turning the radio off will unlock this.
Roof Grades.
Roof grades are assigned by the track. You don’t get to choose!
National Hotrods are graded by Spedeworth. Best of luck!
Roof grading is done at various times depending on the class. This is done every third point scoring race days for that class. We look at the last 5 point scoring race days of each driver, and colour grades are issued based on an average points scored over the last 5 races that the driver attended.
There is no “More then 30 points = always a red roof” etc. There is not a cut off number between classes. It is variable.
Drivers with not enough race days will usually start as White Roofs, but they can be seeded if they’ve come from another class or for other reasons.
NOTE : DQ means that race or race day is excluded from the 5 days. Same for 0 point days (Such as didn’t finish any race). To include these means the average drops, drivers get graded down, and therefore rewarded for not finishing races. Arguably, drivers DQ’s on the day should (for grading purposes) receive max points to push them higher.
Grades are;
White. These are brand new drivers. Depending on when the grading happens they will stay white for a maximum of 5 race days. White is a protected class, Drivers cannot rejoin white once they have left. Ninja Karts are excluded from this last rule.
Yellow, Blue, Red Grades. Drivers will be assigned on of these grades based on their results compared to other drivers. Generally we’ll spread the drivers roughly across the 3 classes. Drivers can move up 2 grades, and down 1 when regraded.
The fins must be as follows: (Please see your class specific rule, they will over rule the below section. For Instance all grades of Lightning rods are required to run a white background and black writing.
- White Grade – Black numbers on White background
- Yellow Grade – Black numbers on Yellow background
- Blue Grade – White numbers on Dark Blue background
- Red Grade – White numbers on Red background
- Points Champion – Black numbers on silver background
Fin numbers should be at least 9 inches high, the background colour must be clearly viewable. Your rule book may have further details, and they override this doc. But they MUST be visible from the other side of the track. There appears to be opinions that looks are more important then readability. This is incorrect. If the tower cannot clearly read these numbers at speed, you run the risk of miscounts.
Win1, Win2 Rule. For all point scoring days only. This affects all classes except National Hot Rods and is a Spedeworth imposed rule. Please see the speedworth website for the specific words. Essentally, If you win a heat you should start from the back of your grade for the next race (Final excluded). If you win 2 races (Any heat or Final) in a day, you are automatically upgraded to the next grade until the next grading day.
Grid formation all classes
As all classes are moving to roof grading it’s been obvious that we need to standardise these Graded classes, This has resulted over the last few months, in changes to the way grids and final grids are formed.
These changes may be in your rules, you should be reading them, and aware of any changes.
Essentially, cars are roof graded as usual. Heats are formed with all cars being gridded randomly within their roof grades. The second heat is a reverse of heat 1 with drivers still in their roof grades.
Final’s are now in graded roof colours (A Spedeworth decision), with the best point scoring of that grade at the front of their roof grade. Essentally you’ll always be roughly in the same place, just moved around on the day as results come in. Apart from the “Win1, Win2 rule (explained above) you’ll stay in your roof grade until regraded.
While there are subtleties with each class, that’s the basic system for all classes.
Further information on Final Grid’s positioning system.
If you don’t want to race in the position you are given (Testing a new car for instance) you can grid behind the field. No further forward then row 26 regardless of what position the gate Marshal tells you. There is no need to discuss this with the gate Marshal.
If there are no White roof graded booked in we would generally try to move each roof grade forward , while maintaining the gaps to always have cars on the start line.
As is standard for all tracks, we calculate all final grid systems by using the Carol Longhurst system. Drivers are given points based upon the results of the two heats they have raced in. 1st place scores 250 points, second 231, Third 213, then 196, 180, 165 and so on down to 30th place gaining 2 points.
Once the second heat is complete the scored points are added (Max of 500 for 2 wins) Once all drivers have their points calculated we are able to produce a Final grid. but are still formed in their roof grades, not the highest point scorer on the day at the front. for instancec, the highest Red Roof being at the front of the red grades, and so on backwards. All other Colours are using the same organisational system.
Notes on Championship points.
Currently the local Championship points system is ;
For all classes, including Spedeworth, ORCi and NHRPA:
Heats Score 10, 9, 8, and so on down to 1 point for all drivers that finish a race. DQ, DNF, DNS driver score 0.
Finals are 20, 18, 16, 14 down to 2 points for all drivers that finish. Again 0 points for a DQ, DNF and DNS.
NHRPA and Spedeworth classes, have their own scoring system for World qualifiers, those scoring systems are beyond the scope of this document, and are maintained by the classes racing bodies, or locally on a separate chart.
Special Races!
Throughout the year we hold special races such as, but not exclusively;
All Irish Open (and closed) Champion races, Memorial races, World cup, European Cup, Challenge cup Races, Inter-nation cups, and Banger events have the following system for Heat creation. Essentially, this is all races that are not allocated points to the annual championship season.
Heat 1 Cars are randomly drawn from either a hat or computer generated. Cars are not split up in to their roof grades.
Heat 2 is a total reversal of Heat 1.
The final is the highest point scoring car starts on pole working backwards.
