Traffic management thought..

[cuda6666]

BTW, what's up with those cones on the outside of the turn 1 entrance?

[breakaway500]

^ Those are "Troys cones"...so placed to drive him insane..literally!

As for flaggers having to display the passing flag..they already DO use the flag to warn drivers that faster cars are approaching,be prepared to get passed.Not every corner worker throws the passing flag,but a few already do with confidence.(mostly corner 5 at NHMS)
Yes,I know the "passing" flag is not a mandatory command (like a black flag) however,it is called a passing flag for a reason.

All I was suggesting is the possibility to have the black flag shown to cars that ignore the "passing" flag constantly,lap after lap after lap. This could be done using the same protocol currenlty used to throw a black flag for other issues. Many other clubs use this simple method to help with the flow of cars on track,and it works well.

If COM officials feel this suggestion is too "complex" so be it. It was only a suggestion...

[DanDarcy]

Not to beat a dead horse to death ----- but I have seen other clubs which have black flagged those who consistently ignored the "passing flagg" and it seems to work well for them It really helps on the smaller tracks like NHMS and Lime Rock.

[CP]

What's the point of having flags if drivers don't see them, don't follow them or don't know what to do when they see a particular flag? We had a driver this season whose car caught fire at NHMS however he didn't get the car stopped for over a lap even though flaggers showed him the appropriate flags, jumped up and down and waved a few fire bottles at him when he passed those stations. He almost lost his life when he became overwhelmed by fumes while trying to get out of the car a lap after he should have come to a stop to exit the vehicle. Every race group got a wake-up call by event staff after this incident and it helped to stress the importance of flags.

SCCA "on track instructor" here. We beat flag etiquette into our racing students over and over and over again, as the flaggers are really the ones that keep us safe on track and keep drivers aware of current events. Drivers that can't or don't see flags get to chat with the stewards and sometimes their competitors until they "get it."

Does COM ever conduct flag drills during sessions? Throw a "black flag all" to bring the entire group into the pits? Throw a "red flag" to get everyone stopped off-line on the track? I'd think that this would get people to watch the flag stations more diligently, and thus become more aware of blue flags. However I can see the red flag creating more problems than it solves...yet what will happen when a real red flag situation develops and it gets thrown? After classroom instruction for EVERYONE, I think practice practice practice benefits those that are unclear of the proper protocol.

[cfossum]

We had a driver this season whose car caught fire at NHMS

Who is "we"?

[Mark Swinehart]

I assume Cy is referring to the fire that ended up on pit lane at an SCCA event this year.

[CP]

"We" is the NER. A driver in a Mazda RX7 was the person who almost didn't get out of his burning vehicle after it had been on fire for several minutes. The organization is irrelevant; safety is the concern and my point is that the flaggers keep us all safe, regardless of the organizing body for an event.

Many of you have SCCA licenses and know the sort of emphasis given towards flags during the licensing schools. I don't run with COM enough to know the overall flag knowledge of the group but I think hypothetical scenarios should be practiced so that when a real situation occurs, everyone knows how to react. Does COM do any flag drills outside of the classroom?

I've only witnessed one red flag at a COM event several years ago when a car left the track surface on fire in T6. I have been stopped by several other red flags with the various clubs in our region and in most cases, MANY drivers did not know how to handle a red flag situation, with some proceeding around to the pits, some immediately jumping on the brakes creating another dangerous situation, some not stopping anywhere near a flag station (to receive information from that station). I don't remember what happened when the Miata rolled last April since I immediately ducked into the pits after watching it happen but I believe that a red flag was thrown. What was the response of the drivers on track at the time?

I suppose I hold COM to a higher standard than the other clubs because the group as a whole is faster, more knowledgeable and generally more aware of current events on track. Which is why I think a few simple flag drills to get everyone on the same page would go a long way towards increasing the overall safety consciousness of the club's members/drivers.

[cfossum]

I knew who it was, I was simply being coy in my method of suggesting that the incident didn't occur at a COM event. In case a newbie happened to be reading this thread, they shouldn't be too frightened!
And actually, I do think the organization matters. I've perhaps assumed that since COM drivers have typically spent a lot of time with an instructor in the car (more than with SCCA) that the drivers have had flag station awareness beaten into their heads. My students certainly have, but it appears that there are those who should be drilled. Executing flagging drills is a great idea. But then what? Do we black flag those who don't see the black flag? Seriously though, periodic drills might be a good idea.
-Carl

[dinoracer]

I seem to recall we had a couple of "red flag" drills over the years, but not sure we have in the last year or two. Not a bad idea to get back in the habit of 1-2 a year. IMHO.

[Neptune441]

I knew who it was, I was simply being coy in my method of suggesting that the incident didn't occur at a COM event. In case a newbie happened to be reading this thread, they shouldn't be too frightened!
And actually, I do think the organization matters. I've perhaps assumed that since COM drivers have typically spent a lot of time with an instructor in the car (more than with SCCA) that the drivers have had flag station awareness beaten into their heads. My students certainly have, but it appears that there are those who should be drilled. Executing flagging drills is a great idea. But then what? Do we black flag those who don't see the black flag? Seriously though, periodic drills might be a good idea.
-Carl

I agree With Carl, Every time usually the last cool down lap, I was always instructed to wave and Acknowledge them. If the flag is furled and pointed at you as a driver the instructor and student should pick up on this and go to the pits for further instruction, ( I know the flagging station on turn 5 *top of the hill* YOU CAN'T miss that Same with turn 10-12, and by that time proper signaling from the driver with Fist out the window letting other drivers know you'll be pitting is key, Simple execution and if you're in a line of traffic like others have said make the pit wait, and when you have enough distance go ahead ( however being released from pit road as most know is controlled by a corner worker coming out of pit road).