[sr71bb]

Ok guys, I realize it is off season for road racing in most parts of the country but we are starting to get back into it in some of the warmer areas like Texas. I dont remember ever seeing a post regarding TRACK FLAGS and what they mean BUT this is CRUCIALLY important not only for YOUR safety but the safety of your fellow racers.

Below is a chart provided by the CHIN TRACK DAYS group. They test you on your knowledge of these flags PRIOR to being allowed to run with their RED Advanced Group.

However, it is important for ALL drivers to KNOW these. The most IGNORED flag at times is the BLUE Flag with the Yellow diagonal stripe. Basically that means you are holding up a faster car that is behind you. Typically you would give the car a POINT-BY signal out the window with an extended arm signifying which side of YOUR car they should PASS on.

Some of the more advanced groups may not be required to give this signal and they sometimes are allowed to pass anywhere but NOT typically in a corner. It just depends on what the group you are racing with requires.

Notice that the SAME flag can mean different things depending on whether it is pointed DIRECTLY at you or possibly waving or furled. See below for examples in the descriptions.

The QUICKEST way to get thrown off a track is to habitually ignore these flags.

[BMoneyMan]

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[arpad_m]

Just for good cheer

[Osbornsm]

Originally Posted by BMoneyMan

I'll just leave this here...

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OMG i love this one... it's on my saved reels

[Eric10905]

I like tiktok link version as well. lol

Hey Greg, I hear ya' and get it as well. I missed a lot of last season with crazy work schedule, but have noticed a few organizations now are qualifying new to them folks with a ride along. I'm fine with that (I haven't done Chin yet...). And even if some think that is a hassle when going to new organizations, it is a better method I think. On one extreme, just about every time I've ever run a TNIA, where folks pick their own run group, I find guys who didn't leave their egos at home for the track day. They feel they have a "fast car" so should be in intermediate (or worse, advanced). And the problem there is they are not even SEEING the flag stations most (if not all) of the time. Really unsafe. esp on tracks that have some blind or blocked view areas/corners. Someone spins out and that guy misses the flag and ...well, it could get ugly. On the other extreme, I've done two PCA events and they seem to be well organized. I believe they keep notes from the ride along/instructors on each driver. Costs a few extra bucks to inspect (think they only allowed self inspect on Red group), but I get where they are coming from, as well as where your post here is coming from: safety is everything.

Keep it on the black stuff!

[Badmojo]

It's all fun and games until the "expert" in the Porsche or Corvette blows through red flags. I almost had a "hero driver" in a C8 hit me during a red flag. I didn't stop because he was still going full kilt and gave him a point by.



As stated in the post above, I went to talk to him after the session and he didn't see the violently waving red flags past two corner stations. He also didn't appear to be upset about the risk he put the track workers or his fellow drivers in.

[cdrptrks]

Originally Posted by sr71bb

Notice that the SAME flag can mean different things depending on whether it is pointed DIRECTLY at you or possibly waving or furled. See below for examples in the descriptions.

Also in my experience some organizers use different flags than others or have different meanings for the same flags so you want to review the information you are provided for each event beforehand.

For example some organizers have an implied green flag as soon as you enter the track to start the session (Track Night) which can cause frustration when some participants don't read about this and/or don't attend the driver's meeting so they are unaware, some have the green flag visibly shown at a certain flag station, and some have an implied green flag at the first flag station without a yellow flag displayed on the out lap.

Schnell Fest at COTA doesn't point the black flag at the intended car, instead they wave it when that car is approaching and display the number of the intended car on a flip board. Other organizers don't have Chin's furled warning black flag rule and you are supposed to come into the pits when a furled black flag is pointed at you.

The blue and yellow passing flag and the yellow caution flag have always had a consistent meaning at every event I have attended.

[cdrptrks]

Originally Posted by sr71bb

The most IGNORED flag at times is the BLUE Flag with the Yellow diagonal stripe. Basically that means you are holding up a faster car that is behind you. Typically you would give the car a POINT-BY signal out the window with an extended arm signifying which side of YOUR car they should PASS on.

I have only done 1 event with Chin so far (Road Atlanta) and they were excellent at displaying the blue/yellow flag before the car behind was getting held up unlike many other organizers.

Track Night at Daytona used the blue/yellow flag a grand total of one time that I saw in the advanced group over two days when it was needed at least once on almost every lap which was very frustrating. This was not an issue at any of the other Track Night events I have attended at many other tracks.