The Gatsby Cup – Sporting Regulations v2.0 (2026 Season)
1. Overview & Championship Structure
The Gatsby Cup is an annual slot-car racing championship made up of three series:
356 Cup – 26 rounds
Classics Cup – 26 rounds
Gatsby GT3 Majors – 4 rounds
Each series crowns its own champion.
The Gatsby Cup Champion is the driver with the highest combined points total from:
Gatsby Cup Total = 356 Cup points + Classics Cup points + GT3 Majors points
2. Eligibility, Drivers, Cars & Equipment
2.1 Drivers
Primary competitors are Shane and Tiara, but guest drivers may be invited at the organizers’ discretion.
All drivers must agree to abide by these Sporting Regulations.
2.2 Cars
Gatsby GT3 Majors
Each car consists of a bespoke Gatsby Automotive GT3 offering.
For 2026 this will be the 2026 GA Dire GT3.
356 Cup
Each car consists of a bespoke Golden Wolf Racing Porsche 356 C slot car.
Classics Cup
Each car will be a stock Scalextric product, selected as:
Two equal or similarly classed cars
From categories including classic racers, road cars, and supercars.
2.3 Cars & Equipment Limits (356 Cup and GT3 Majors)
Backup Car
1 backup car allowed per car/team per season.
Blades / Guides
Maximum of 3 blades per car per season.
Motors
Maximum of 2 motors per car per season.
Any use beyond these limits must be approved by Race Control and may incur penalties.
3. Series-Specific Technical Notes
3.1 356 Cup
All drivers compete in Golden Wolf Racing Porsche 356 C slot cars.
Cars are built to be as identical as possible for fair competition.
Standard maintenance and setup checks may be performed before each race.
3.2 Classics Cup
Eligible cars span:
1950s–2010s race cars
1950s–2020s road cars
Contemporary supercars
Race organizers select specific cars for each round to ensure variety and balance.
3.3 Gatsby GT3 Majors
GT3 cars are home-built Gatsby Automotive GT3 machines (or designated equivalents).
Visual ID and liveries are at the discretion of the organizers, but must clearly distinguish each car.
4. General Race Procedures (All Series)
4.1 Start Order
Standard rule: grid order is set by the fastest lap from the previous race in that series, unless the event format specifies otherwise (e.g., random draw for Round 1).
Lane assignments follow the event or series-specific rules announced before each race.
4.2 Pit Lane & Off-Track Rule
Applies to all races in all series:
If a car goes off track, it must be re-entered at the pit lane.
The lap on which the off occurred does not count.
Marshals (or drivers, if self-policing) must ensure a fair and consistent re-entry.
5. 356 Cup – Sporting Format
5.1 Race Format
Rounds: 26
Race length: 3 minutes 56 seconds per race.
Objective: complete as many laps as possible within the time limit.
5.2 Determining the Race Winner
The driver with the most laps completed wins the race.
If drivers are tied on laps, the driver with the faster single lap time is the winner (tie-break win).
5.3 Points Scoring (Per Race)
Lap points
Every driver scores 1 point per lap completed.
Winner bonus
+2 points for an outright win (wins by more laps).
+1 point for a tie-break win (same laps, faster lap).
The non-winning car receives only its lap points.
5.4 356 Cup Championship
Total points = sum of all race points (laps + bonuses) over 26 rounds.
Highest total = 356 Cup Champion.
Tie-breaks (in order):
Most 356 Cup race wins
Most outright wins (wins by laps, not tie-break)
Most second places
If still tied: one extra 3:56 shootout race, winner takes the title.
6. Classics Cup – Sporting Format
6.1 Race Format
Rounds: 26
Race length: 4 minutes per race.
Objective: complete as many laps as possible within the time limit.
6.2 Determining the Race Winner
Same procedure as the 356 Cup:
Most laps wins.
If tied on laps → faster lap time wins (tie-break win).
6.3 Points Scoring (Per Race)
1 point per lap completed for each driver.
Winner bonus:
+2 points for an outright win (more laps).
+1 point for a tie-break win (same laps, faster lap).
Other drivers receive only their lap points.
6.4 Classics Cup Championship
Add all points from the 26 rounds.
Highest total = Classics Cup Champion.
Tie-breaks (in order):
Most Classics Cup race wins
Most outright wins
Most second places
If still tied: one extra 4-minute shootout race.
7. Gatsby GT3 Majors – Sporting Format
7.1 Race Format
Rounds: 4 major events per year
Example calendar: Sebring, Monaco, Le Mans, Las Vegas.
Race length by event:
Sebring: 12 minutes
Monaco: 78 laps
Le Mans: 24 minutes
Las Vegas: 50 laps
Two GA Dire GT3 cars run together on track.
7.2 Determining the Race Winner
Primary classification is by most laps completed.
If the cars are tied on laps, the winner is the car that is ahead on the road at the finish (who crosses the line first after time expires / target laps are completed).
Fastest lap is not used as a tie-break in GT3 Majors.
7.3 Points Scoring (Per Race)
Lap points
Every driver scores 1 point per lap completed.
Winner bonus
Race winner earns +10 bonus points, regardless of winning margin.
The other finisher receives only their lap points.
7.4 GT3 Majors Championship
Add all GT3 Majors points (laps + winner bonuses) from the 4 events.
Highest total = Gatsby GT3 Majors Champion.
Tie-breaks (in order):
Most GT3 Majors race wins
Most total laps completed across the 4 GT3 events
If still tied: one final GT3 sprint race (format set by the organizers).
8. Gatsby Cup Overall Title
At the end of the season, each driver’s Gatsby Cup Total is calculated:
Gatsby Cup Total = 356 Cup points + Classics Cup points + GT3 Majors points
The driver with the highest Gatsby Cup Total is crowned the:
Gatsby Cup Champion
Overall tie-breaks (in order):
Most individual series titles (356 Cup, Classics Cup, GT3 Majors)
Highest GT3 Majors points total
Most race wins across all series combined
If still tied: a final multi-race showdown format decided by the organizers.
9. Conduct, Morals & Sportsmanship (All Series)
The Gatsby Cup exists to celebrate fair play, creativity, and a shared love of racing.
9.1 Respect on Track
No deliberate ramming, swerving, or blocking that risks contact.
Drivers must leave reasonable racing room when side-by-side.
No intentional off-tracks or abusing the pit lane re-entry rule.
9.2 Respect off Track
Treat all competitors, marshals, and organizers with courtesy.
No verbal abuse, harassment, or attempts to intimidate.
No attempts to manipulate results (e.g., intentional crashing or intentionally sabotaging equipment).
9.3 Integrity of Competition
No intentional sandbagging in qualifying or races to game grid order.
No unauthorized swapping of backup cars, motors, or blades beyond the season limits.
Any technical changes must be declared honestly.
9.4 Team Spirit
All competitors are encouraged to help each other improve and keep the racing fun.
Team orders are permitted but must not:
Endanger other competitors, or
Grossly distort the fairness of the race.
9.5 Penalties
At the discretion of Race Control, penalties may include:
Verbal or written warning
Time or lap penalties
Loss of race result or disqualification
Deduction of championship points
Exclusion from a round or the remainder of the season in extreme cases
Race Control’s decisions are final for that event, but may be reviewed between weekends for future clarification of the rules.
10. Dispute Resolution & Coin Flip Rule
Any disagreement between drivers or between a driver and Race Control that cannot be resolved quickly by discussion will be settled by a coin flip.
The coin flip will be conducted by Race Control, in full view of the drivers:
Heads and tails will be assigned to the two possible outcomes before the flip.
The result of the coin flip is final and binding for that incident or decision.
By entering the Gatsby Cup, all drivers agree that:
The coin flip is an acceptable final arbiter for unresolved disputes.
No further arguments, appeals, or re-litigations of that decision will occur during or after the event.