LICENSES & MEMBERSHIP
IOM Schoolboy MCC Membership
In order to compete in a youth event, the rider must be a member of the Club. The membership form can be found on our "forms" page, and the annual fee is £10.
In order to compete in a youth event, the rider must be a member of the Club. The membership form can be found on our "forms" page, and the annual fee is £10.
ACU License - www.acu.org.uk
In order to compete in an event, the rider must have an annual (£25 per year for your first years license) or day-licence (£10) from the ACU. The forms can be downloaded from our "forms" page. To complete the form you will also need to be a member of Club (see above), and obtain the signature of a club official (see our "club contacts" page).
Day-Licenses
If you have not received your ACU license and/or the license number (which they send to your email address when it has been processed), then the rider will need a day-license. This costs £10 and can only be issued on an entry night (i.e the Wednesday before an event).
OTHER LOCAL MX CLUBS
Peveril MCC
This club is based at Knock Froy. The Peveril MCC is run for adult riders, but it does allow the Schoolboy MCC to use its track/s for youth events. With the exception of the summer series events, adults are invited to compete in their own class. As such, the Peveril schoolboys championships are separate to those of this Club - that means more prizes at the end of the season!
Ramsey MCC
This club is has use of the West Kimmeragh track and, as with the Peveril, is run for adult riders and the Ramsey MCC has its own schoolboy championships for the various youth classes.
Sand and Grass Track Racing
This club uses various fields, together with Ramsey and Port St Mary beaches for its events. A number of youth motocrossers do some of these events as well for some extra practice. The grass tracks are particularly good for newcomers as they are relatively easy compared to a motocross track.
See our "links" page for contact details of these clubs.
RIDING CLASSES
Youth motocross is segregated into 5 classes, dependent upon the rider's age/size, and classified according to engine capacity.
Automatics - Black Plate White Numbers
Age: 6-8 years
Bike specification: Max 50cc; 12” rear, 15” front
65s - Black Plate White Numbers
Age: 7-10 years
Bike specification: Max 65 cc; 12” rear, 14” front
85 Small-Wheels - Red Plate White Numbers
Age: 9-12 years
Bike specification: Max 85cc (2 stroke), Max 125cc (4 stroke), 14” rear, 17” front
85 Big-Wheels - Green Plate White Numbers
Age: 11-15 years
Bike specification: Max 85cc (2 stroke), Max 125cc (4 stroke), 19” rear, 21” front
As a general rule, a rider can ride an inferior bike but not a superior one for the class entered. The big-wheel 85 bike is a bit more powerful than its small-wheel counterpart.
Schoolboy 125/250F - Black Plate White numbers
Age: 14-17 years
Bike specification: Min 125cc (2 stroke), Max 250cc (4 stroke), 19” rear, 21” front
Please note that riders can ride up to a 250 4-stroke in this class from the age of 15.
Adults
Riders who are too old to race in the 'Schoolboy 125' class must race in the adult groups.
However, riders who are able to race in the 'Schoolboy 125' class have the option of racing in the adult groups INSTEAD of the schoolboy group, but if they choose to do so they will not be able to score schoolboy championship points (despite being the appropriate age).
Riders who want to remain in the "Schoolboy" class, but who'd like to compete in adult beach races, can do so on a 'dual license', but this license will only be valid for one year - after which time the rider MUST then hold an 'adult junior license' and will not be classed as a "Schoolboy."
These are a new rules brought in this year by the ACU. If you think it may apply to you, please refer to the license notes on the "forms" page, contact us for more information on info@isleofmanmx.com or see s1.3 on page 89 of the ACU Handbook.
EVENT FORMAT
Signing-On Before Race Day
You can sign-on at a venue (which will be advertised on the homepage of this website) on the Wednesday evening before an event.
Alternatively you can complete the entry form (please see our "forms" page) and enclose a cheque in the required amount made payable to Isle of Man Schoolboy MCC, and post it to the club secretary (please see our "club contacts" page). It must reach the secretary on or before the Wednesday before the event - entries received after Wednesday night will not be accepted.
Signing-On on Race Day
Riders[' parents] and their marshals should sign-on at the event, signing-on usually starts at 9.00am.
Marhsals
All riders are required to provide a marshal to assist in the safe running of the event - failure to provide a marshal could mean disqualification. Marshals must be 16 years old or over.
Guidance points for marshals:
- Your job is to give riders advanced warning of an obstruction on the track (usually a fallen rider). Therefore it is critical that throughout the duration of each race you are observing the track ahead of the competitors (i.e. facing in the same direction as the riders), and that your flag is ready to be displayed immediately (and not furled up and/or lying on the ground). A delay or failure in giving riders this advanced warning could result in serious injury.
- You will be given a yellow flag and a white flag with a red cross.
Yellow flag stationary:If the track is obstructed but riders can get pastYellow flag waved: If the track is obstructed and riders should take care and/or be prepared to stopRed cross flag waved:If a rider is in need of medical assistance.- You must not leave your post until the Clerk of the Course ("CC") has instructed you to do so. This is usually when the CC has ridden past your post at the end of the last race of your 'slot' (please see "Race Order" below), or verbally if the race / event is to be stopped.
Scrutineering
Scrutineering usually runs simultaneously with signing-on. If in doubt, follow the other riders walking alongside their bikes towards the queue that inevitably forms somewhere in the paddock! Riders will also need to bring their helmet, which will must have an ACU silver or gold sticker (this shows the helmet complies with the ACU's standards).
The scrutineer checks that the bike is in good, safe order to race on. Of course, you will have kept the bike generally serviced in any case, but as a guide here are some of the points that will be checked:
- Brakes front and back
- Handgrip adhesion
- Throttle turns smoothly (not sticking)
- Chain tightness (you should be able to lift the chain approx 1cm (1/2 inch) above the rear sprocket under the rider's full weight on the bike, i.e. no feet on the ground)
- Spokes front and back (no spokes should be loose)
- Wheel barings
- Front shock absorbers
Pre-Race Briefing
When all competitors are signed-in and have passed scrutineering, the CC will hold a pre-race briefing. This simply outlines the race order and any other information that riders and parents should know.
The event will begin only when the ambulance arrives and all marshals are at their designated points.
Race Order
Subject to the pre-race briefing (see above), the usual race order is:
Practice: Autos
Practice: 65's
Practice: Small and Big-wheel 85's
Practice: Schoolboy 125/250F's
Practice: Adults (if applicable)
Then 3 races for each class in the same order as for practices
Marshals' 'slots' are usually divided into 'morning' and 'afternoon', and provided that enough marshals sign-on, they will only be required to do one of these slots (unless they volunteer to do both!) The morning slot covers the practices and the first set of races, and the afternoon slot covers the remaining 2 sets of races.
