Pace Car one, checking in!!

Hey guys!

I know, I know, the sub has been dead for about 2 years, but after reading some messages from people that said this sub brought them to our sport and getting involved themselves, I feel it's important that we revitalize this sub! How has everyone been?

How do you get a NASCAR license to become an official? A couple tracks around me have openings for officials but you need a license to apply (obviously)

Hey everyone! I am just about 16 and I have been a huge motorsports fan my whole life. I found this cool subreddit and was wondering how I could get into a similar position. Maybe for like a summer job or something like that. Thank you for any help!

I'm off to my first race weekend as a trainee official soon I'll be on flags or communications to begin with. Initially I'll be placed with someone who is experienced but besides that I have no idea what to expect.

Im looking forward to having a great spot to watch from if nothing else. It's a club weekend so there will be a variety of categories including superkarts which will be fun.

Ive read all of the material and safety guidelines but does anyone have any unwritten rules or experiences from when they just started?

Hey r/flagtrailer folks!

My name is Eric, and I'm a longtime racer, and recently I've served as an official with a karting series in Colorado, and have also started coaching drivers in my spare time.

Recently, I was poking around on the internet and found a fire/safety course a local vintage racing organization is putting on in a couple weeks. I was impressed by their website and general organization, so I decided to sign up, as every racer can always benefit from new training in these areas.

While I would like to believe that I understand emergency situations and protocol better than most of the general public at a track, I want to Make the most of this training. As a result, I wanted to reach out to this sub to seek your advice about things to pay special attention to, and what questions to ask.

Any and all comments are appreciate! Thanks!

Hey guys, im looking at finally getting behind the seat of a sprint car. Always wanted to and have been in the stands for years. Was curious if you guys have any insight as to what goes on if you rent a track out for the day.. regarding track prep and what needs to be done. Also, how much do most tracks cost to rent?

So there I was...

Sonoma Raceway sometime around Aug 2015. I am sitting at turn 7 with the fire crew waiting for some calls. The current group of cars are in the Historic Stock Car Racing Series. Out of nowhere a lady in a Dodge Neon flies past our trucks and onto the track heading counter-course as the pack rounds turn 5. Our chief of safety jumps on the radio and calls an immediate red flag. This lady keeps on barreling down the track like she is ready to get some of this HSCRS action in reverse! Luckily the flaggers were able to throw the red flag as the pack was entering turn 6. The lady saw a pack of race cars screeching to a halt about 25 feet away, then she thought it might be a good time to stop. Our safety crew was ready to take the track as soon as we knew the pack was stopped. We run down and "kindly" remove the lady and her car (separately) from the course. As soon as she was in the truck it was easy to tell she was quite drunk from her actions (Duh!), demeanor, and breath. We turn he over to the track security who turn her over to the actual police. Turns out she was out on a wine tour around Sonoma and somehow found her way into the track property, and then onto the actual track!

We now do a better job making sure all of the gates around the track are closed and locked

I'm thinking on tracks other than ovals where you may be positioned around a corner or behind a crest in the road. Obviously if there is a wreck after your position you can throw a yellow without waiting for instructions. What about blue flags? Does a radio call come from race control?

Apologies if I haven't asked this very clearly I'm obviously not a marshall.

In 2015, NASCAR implemented new safety standards for all of its Race Officials. The new changes would require officials to wear full faced helmets and Nomex gear. The issue seems torn between flaggers of all disciplines. Some say it's a necessary change to protect the flagman and officials from flying debris, such as chunks of metal, fiberglass, rubber, or in this case, an airborne window. Many seasoned veteran flaggers say that it's a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction to please insurance companies, and it would restrict their abilities to properly flag, while others say that they would enjoy the added protection in case of extreme events such as this flagman almost being taken out by an out of control car.

So what do you guys think? Would you wear the added protection, given the opportunity?

Tell us what track you work at, what your favorite type of racing is, and what you'd like to see on this sub.