LET’S GO RACING!
There are various levels of racing that you can get involved in. Riders usually start at club level, before moving on to Regional and National level. If you require further information then please do not hesitate to talk to one of our Club coaches!
CLUB RACING
For those new to the sport, Club races are the perfect introduction to BMX racing. We hold a Club race series during the summer months each year, finishing off with a Club presentation evening and some awesome trophies! Our Club races are friendly, fun and relaxed. They are a great family day with the usual tasty hot food available from The Hut.
All equipment can be borrowed if needed, bikes, helmets, etc - all we ask is you wear clothing with long sleeves and trousers and you will need a set of gloves. All riders will need a race number and plate; these can be borrowed from the Club on the day if required.
Our Sqorz is the race day website used to publish races, record track/gate times, view moto finish positions and overall event rank.
Each rider will get 3 ‘motos’ or race laps. The motos are drawn by Sqorz, usually around 30 minutes before racing starts. It will tell you which moto/race your rider is in and which gate they will start in.
Riders are normally called to the holding pens around 10 minutes before their moto will start, so keep a listen out for announcements by Matt our resident DJ. The race volunteers will ensure riders are looked after in the pens and they get to their moto/gate.
Once the moto is done, riders should take time to recover and get ready for their next moto.
There are often semi-finals and finals for the riders once the motos are complete, although this can depend on rider numbers in each category. Generally positions 1-8 will be in the A final, 9-16 will be in the B final.
REGIONAL RACING
The Regional series provides a stepping-stone for riders to race at National level. Gosport BMX Club are part of South Region BMX and the Regional summer series usually starts in March, finishing off with the South Championships which takes place around September/October time. The dates are published at the start of the year and can be found by visiting www.bmxsouth.co.uk or South Region Bmx | Facebook. Races are held at various Clubs all over the South, providing a great opportunity to experience different tracks.
The Club will have gazebos set up and all riders from Gosport BMX Club are welcome to sit here on race days. Everyone is expected to help with the set up/down of the gazebos.
You are required to race five rounds of the Regionals series to qualify for and compete in the British Championships as part of the South Region team, which takes place in August each year.
BEFORE YOU START
Register for a British Cycling membership – we would recommend a silver membership. You will need to add a ‘race licence’ on which is usually free for under 12’s. This is essential for racing. Details on www.britishcycling.org.uk.
Order a race plate and side plate - once British Cycling have issued your rider a seven-digit membership number, the last three digits of this will be used as their race number on their race plate. For example, if their member number is 1234567, their race plate number will be 567. Plates can be purchased from Martin Baxter at www.moto1bmxplates.co.uk.
Purchase a transponder and MyLaps subscription via Cycling Timing Systems - MYLAPS Sports Timing or Sales - HS Sports. Once received, you will need to advise the South Region team via southregionbmx@aol.com of your rider’s transponder number.
PRIOR TO THE RACE
You need to enter each race via the British Cycling website. Details about the venue and the technical guide can also be found here. You need to enter the rider into the correct category. The age category is worked out by subtracting your child’s year of birth from the current year. For example if born in 2013, it would be the current year 2023 less 2013 so they would race in Age 10.
Online registration will close on the Thursday before the race at 23:55pm – no entries will be accepted after the cut-off time.
If you do not contact the Region to withdraw from the event before midnight on the Friday before the race, there will be no refund or entry roll-over. Any refunds made will exclude the £1 fee levied by British Cycling for use of its online registration system. Online entries will be published on the Friday before the event, after entries have closed. Riders should check their details are correct and ensure the correct transponder number and race numbers are showing – if there are any problems, the rider must contact the South Region team via southregionbmx@aol.com.
RACE DAY INFORMATION
Riders will ‘register’ to race by completing a lap in practice. All riders must ride a minimum of 1 lap in practice on each bike they are competing on – this will complete their race entry by confirming they are present. Riders should check Our Sqorz on the day to confirm they are registered correctly.
RACE DAY SCHEDULE (all times subject to change if necessary)
09:00 - 10:30 RIDER SIGN IN (via practice laps)
09:00 - 11:00 OPEN PRACTICE
11:00 - 11:15 PRO SECTION PRACTICE WHERE APPLICABLE
11:00 - 11:30 LUNCH BREAK; VOLUNTEER BRIEFING (track closed)
11:30 - 17:00 MOTOS, QUARTERS, SEMI FINALS & FINALS
PRACTICE
Practice will take place from 09:00 -11:00. Pens will be split into 12 & under and 13+ with a separate 6 & Under lane. Riders must be ‘ready to race’ from the start of their practice, including transponder, number plates and side plates and appropriate race kit. Riders should check their bikes are in good working order before entering the pens.
NATIONAL RACING
Before you race at National level, you are required to race five rounds of the Regional series.
The National series dates are published by British Cycling at the beginning year. Each National event takes place over two days and counts as two separate rounds. Entry to each event is via the British Cycling website. Details about the venue and the technical guide can also be found here. The closing date for online registration is the Monday before the event at 11:00am.
Riders can register on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The check in desks will be open at the following times for all outdoor rounds (this will be different for the Manchester Indoor - please check the Technical Document for specific check-in times):
Friday 15:30 - 19:30
Saturday 08:00 - 09:45
Sunday 08:30 - 09:15
A list of the pre-registered riders will be posted on Our Sqorz. All riders must check and report any discrepancies or issues to the registration team. Any rider who does not register, may be removed from the event. It is the rider’s responsibility to check their entry and report any errors to Race Administration no later than 45 minutes before the start of racing. No changes will be accepted after that time and any incorrect entries may be disqualified.
EVENT INFORMATION
The following information will be published on the British Cycling event page for each specific round:
• Location and travel
• Schedule
• Spectator Access
• Catering
• Trading
• Team/gazebo areas
• Camping/Overnight Parking
• Hospitals
• Accommodation
• Contacts
PRACTICE
Friday practice sessions will be available and will be run by the host clubs. Information for each venue will be made available on the event page ahead of the event.