MicRun is a simple set of rules to play races with models of cars, trucks, race cars... you got the idea. Most suitable are the 1:43 or 1:50 models: bigger models are too clumsy to handle without a hangar for our circuits.
These rules can be used for three different race types:

· Clean races: where any contact among models is forbidden;
· Crash Rally: where a certain amount of “interaction” (so to speak) among the models is allowed, mostly in the form of collisions, impacts and crashes –– but only in a fairly amount.
· Iniquity: a.k.a. “Wild Rally”, where any type of crashes is permitted (as a matter of fact, encouraged), especially pushing out of the road all other cars ahead of you with a well-done collision.

The following rules regard the “Clean races”: modified rules for the “Crash Rally” and “Iniquity” races are gathered in stand-alone paragraphs.
Note: it is assumed that each model represents a standard, four wheels car. You can develop special rules for peculiar models (trucks with six or more wheels, speedboat with only two wheels, etc.) basing on these ones.

Model features.

	The actual model trajectory (t) is represented by the thick line: the model starts from point A and reaches point C. The smoothness is given by the distance between points A and B. The wheel alignment is given by the distance between points B and C. If you like trigonometric formulas, you can state the wheel alignment by calculating the f angle with the arctangent function.

Each model is identified by a set of characteristics which have to be considered when choosing your participant to the race. Apart from the model name itself (e.g. BMW 320) and its producer (e.g. Matchbox n. 20 1973), the most important here are dimensions and weight. The latter is particularly important when you race in “Crash Rally” or “Iniquity” races: we all know that according to a natural physic law heavier objects tend to stand best against collisions. It is advisable to fix weight limits for all participants (I mean for the models, not for the players).
You will want all models to be roughly of the same scale, to avoid the sudden entry of a gargantuan Mercedes Benz on the track which, alone, occupies half of the road.
The real fanatic will take into account two other important features: smoothness and wheel alignment. The former is the distance covered by a model after it is pushed forward ahead with a fixed force (a spring or a rubber band may work). The latter is the variation from the straight route: more on this later.

The track.
The track can be made of cardboard, or drawn on the house floor with a set of coloured pencils and pens, or even made with means of books, objects, shaped paper sheets and anything else you can think of. However, bear in mind that models can go a lot further than bottle caps: so you will want to design fairly long tracks. Put attention to the slopes: if a model doesn’t manage to reach the top, it will go backwards with appalling results for his race! Make sure to adequately shelter your flyovers, to save models from a harmful fall. I suggest also to put various obstacles along the track: road signs, pedestrians (e.g. tin soldiers) on the road, heavy motor vehicle parking crosswise in the middle of the way, planes, Lego buildings and so on.
The track must end, immediately after the finish line, with a straight way for the photo finish ending.

Movement.
Each model movement is split up in two different consecutive parts: revolving and throwing.
The revolving is made by simply pivoting the model on itself, without actually displacing it, changing only the direction it is pointing with his front lights. To mark the original direction pointed by the model prior to the revolving, put a finger outstretched alongside the model while you turn the model (if you don’t have enough space, you can hold your finger slightly above the ground). The maximum allowable revolving per movement is 90 degrees (a right angle).
The throwing, of course, is made by pulling the model after the revolving. You may use one or more fingers, but you must hold them still on the model: swinging and running up is not allowed. The throwing must be done with a sharp movement of the wrist, in the same direction pointed by the model: it is forbidden to match this with the arm or with a wide movement, as well as pushing the model in a different direction.
After the throwing, the model will carry on his run until complete stop, collision with one or more other vehicles, or until it goes off the road. In case of a complete stop without collisions, it is next player’s turn. Other possibilities are detailed below.
You are not allowed to forgo to move (before you laugh, take a look to the rules for “Iniquity” races, where moving as the last player has its advantages).

Reverse gear.
Before going reverse, you must announce to other player your intention. If you do so, you lose your turn, and of course during your next turn you can move only in the opposite direction with respect to the model’s front (however, you can normally revolve before throwing). In the following turn you can start again to go forward without losing another turn.

Out of the road.
A model is considered to be out of the road if it has at least three wheels completely outside the road.
A model which goes off road after its own move must lose his next turn to be replaced on the road, where it went off road, in a direction of your choice.
If a model goes off road and then re-enters the road, it is still considered to be gone off road.
If a model goes off road after being pushed by another card, it won’t suffer any of the above penalties: it will be simply replaced on the side of the road it was pushed out, in a direction of your choice (“Iniquity” races have a whole different way of dealing with this situation, see below).

Overturning.
If a model turns over during his turn, or it tilts on one of its side, it must lose its next turn to replace itself “upside”, with all the wheels touching the ground.
If a model turns over or tilts on its side after being pushed by another model, it will start its turn where it is without any penalty (of course, before even revolving it, replace it “upside”). If it was also pushed off road, it will start on the side of the road nearest to where he was pushed out (“Iniquity” races works differently, see below).
If a model goes out of the road and turns over in the same move, it must skip its next two turns: the first one is spent to replace it “upside”, the second one to return on the road.

Crashes and collisions.
As a rule of thumb, there is no penalty if a model touches “natural” obstacles on the road (for example, a guardrail alongside the track), but you may place also lethal objects on the road with any penalty you can think of.
If a model touches another model, moving it from its original position, the former model must skip its next turn, as if it went off road. If a chain of collisions occurs, only the model that started the collisions will pay the penalty. However, models which went off road will start from the nearest point on the track to where they abandoned the track, in a direction of your choice. This rule is different when you play in a “Crash Rally” or “Iniquity” race.
Keep in mind that penalties for crashes, overturning and going off road are cumulative: thus, if a model crashed one or more other models, goes off road and then turns over, it will skip three turns (one for overturning, one for being off road, and one for the crashes).

Turns.
The race is divided in turns. During each player’s turn, he moves his models according to the current results: that is, the first to move is the race leader, with the last model moving last. Choose any one method to decide who will start the race: for example, the winner (or the loser) of the previous race.

Victory and photo finish.
The winner is the model (and the player controlling it, of course) which completely gets over the finish line, without going beyond the end of the road, after all players have done their turn. If two or more models go over the finish line in the same turn, the winner is the model which is ahead (while still on the road).

“Crash Rally” races.
As we said above, in this kind of races contacts among models are allowed, if they are not too heavy. So, there is no penalty if you touch, push or even hit hard another model, provided you don’t push it off road or send it upside down. In this case, normal penalties for crashes occur.

“Iniquity” races.
Practically speaking, there are no limitations.
If a model is pushed off road after a collision, it must skip its next turn, even if it was not its turn.
There is no penalty if you push, turn over or send off road another model. Normal penalties apply, however, if you turn over or go off road during your turn.
It is not advisable to play this kind of races with precious models, because players are encouraged to send off road all preceding cars with hard crashes.

Tips.
Victory is obtained thanks to a perfect symbiosis between the model and your hand. It is useless to have a very light wrist while driving an old heavy track-laying tractor with blocked wheels, while you will need a lot of sensibility to drive effectively a feather-light car with smoothness as its best resort.
Heavy trucks offer remarkable potential in “Crash Rally” and “Iniquity” races, because you can shoot them as bullets using collisions with other models to brake (while, in the same time, pushing off road most of them). Anyway, always balance your force and know well your model’s characteristics: the smoothness tells you how vigorously you have to throw, the wheel alignment tells you how much you have to revolve the model before moving it. It is advisable to use models with a high wheel alignment (that is, which doesn’t pass through a straight stretch as if it was a hairpin bend): at least you will have a more exact idea of the model movement direction, and will avoid more easily touching other opponents or going out of the road. Finally, many players choose models which are both quite heavy and with a low smoothness, so they reduce the risk of going off road after a strong throwing: in a long straight stretch you can always opt for a powerful wrist movement to cross it in a single movement.

Variations.
· Chain crashes: you may rule that the penalty for going out of the road always applies, even if a model was sent off road by another one. However, the model which pulls one or more other models out of the road must still pay its penalty as well. Of course, this applies to normal or “Crash Rally” races.
· Side turning: you may rule that a car which tilts on one of its sides it is still running fine (although on two wheels only). The model must pay the penalty for overturning only if it goes upside down. Before moving a car which is on two wheels, replace it on its four wheels.