r/TheFlagTrailer • u/flipflopaaandflip • Mar 02 '17
QUESTION How do track workers know when to display flags?
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.
3
u/arroyobass EMT/Fire Crew Member Mar 02 '17
We will usually leave flagging up to the corner worker at that station. Other than things that have to go out full course (Red, double yellow, black). We'll usually have one corner that issues mechanical black flag for all of the cars. We also run a lot of mixed classes so every corner worker does their own blue flags! Hope that helps!
2
u/jmhoneycutt8 Dirt Track Flagger Mar 02 '17
To build on what others have commented, red and black flags are always called by race control and the Stewards. They have the capacity and means to assess the situation and delegation of flags in a "command central", if you will.
Blue flagging is defined by many as an art. Some of the most fun I've ever had as a marshal was flagging the 2013 Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta at night. Our corner captain had a small spotlight on the blue flagger so cars could see our flags. It was so challenging to identify cars based on shape and color of headlights (the slower half of the field had amber lights) and relative speed, but it was SO much fun. It's hard to describe, but you almost felt as if you've entered another dimension, becoming one with the cars, communicating only through your little blue flag.
2
u/97th_factory Mar 03 '17
The comments here are very good already. It depends on the experience of the corner workers a lot. Major calls like black or red flags are almost always made by the competition director. Local yellows and blue flags can often be a team effort, with local zones working together to get the right message across.
3
u/oses Corner Marshal Mar 02 '17
Generally you keep track of the leaders and flag accordingly. Sometimes if there is a portion of track under my control that I can't see but the blue flag from the next station can, I will ask for support in those situations from the other station, and they will tell me "(corner station number) go waving" or "(corner station number) go standing" and I will react accordingly and let the other station call in the incident.