HPDE Flags What do they mean???

[Mikelly]

I pulled this off the back of my PCA Log book. Most clubs will be the same:

 

Green Flag - Track Clear/ Session Underway

 

Yellow Flag - Problem Ahead - Use Caution/Slow Car/NO PASSING ALLOWED!

 

Waving Yellow Flag - Problem in the Immediate Area/ Prepare to Go Off Line/ No PASSING

 

Yellow with Red Stripes - Oil/Debris Flag on Track with potential slippery condition. This flag also gets used for animals ontrack. Here in our area we've had a rash of deer impacts on roadcourse at summit point raceway in WVa. Be mindful, as you do not want to strike any animals at the types of speeds we see at HPDEs.

 

Blue With White Strip or Solid Blue - Passing Flag/ You're holding the car behind you up/ Let Cars pass at next passing Zone

 

White Flag - Slow Moving Vehicle in your immediate area - Use Caution

 

Black Flag - Pull safely into the pits/ Something is wrong with your car or your driving that needs attention/ Acknowledge Flagger and head to the pits. If Full Course Black Flag will display at each station. Session is ended due to an event or action on course that requires attention.

 

Black Flag with Red or Orange Circle in the center - Something is mechanically wrong with your car - head to pits safely and offline.

 

Red Flag - Session Stopped ON TRACK fo Emergency. Check your mirrors then pull off the racing line and stop safely in view of a flagging station. Wait for instructions from the flagger.

 

Checker Flag - Session is complete, Cool down lap in session and head to pits.

 

Mike

[Mikelly]

Some explanations of the flags:

 

Yellow flag is general used during the first lap of a day's sessions for each group. The yellow should be displayed at each flag station. Once a lap is completed, you should no longer see the flag. If you do, there is a problem at that location to be aware of and use caution.

 

If you see a flagger furiously waving a yellow flag, his panic should give cause for you to pay attention and slow down. Something BAD has happened or is potentially going to happen...Don't be a part of it.

 

The blue flag is my personal favorite. PAY ATTENTION to your mirrors. If you ignore a blue flag, you will get a black flag and you'll have a butt chewing waiting for you in the pits.

 

The black flag can be used in a more subtle manor to get your attention without bringing you into the pits. If a corner worker shakes the rolled up flag at you, that means you've gotten his attention for something that's been reported on the radio. All corner workers have radios... they communicate with each other. Guess what? You have eyes on you reporting on your bad behavior, so be mindfull of that.

 

When you see the checkered flag, it's time to cool off the car. You should put the car into 4th gear and reduce your speed to "highway" speeds or slower. Don't stop or drop your speed to a rediculously low pace, but don't ring out the RPMs or try to get your late braking points down either. You want to pull the car into the pits with the temps brought down to a more normal range before you shut the car off.

 

Mike

[Mikelly]

[DarkSideDE]

This is great Mike. At most DEs the flags are discussed thoroughly in the classroom. Some tend to have slightly different meanings from others - and... from DE to racing as well.

 

When we feel we have a group that has not had a refresher in a very long time, we ask our starter to go over the flags for all. At a DE we use - the checker for each session; blue with yellow strip (it feels like most sessions, but it isn't); a rolled up black flag (it comes in handy) and a waving yellow flag. We save the meatball for races, and the red flag for test & tune days....

[johnc]

If a car goes off track and remains off track in a safe place, SCCA will display a staionary yellow flag at the corner before the off track car for two laps only. After those two laps the driver's should be aware of the off track car.

 

On the first out lap for the group or session each corner station displays a yellow flag as Mike mentioned above. The reason they do that is to let you know where each manned corner station is. Pay attention! If you have a mechanical problem, or worse yet, a fire, try to safely stop off track as close to a manned corner station as possible. A corner worker can only run so fast carrying a 50 lb. fire extinguisher.

 

Also, on your cool down lap, wave to each corner worker. That's generally the only thanks they get for the work they are doing for you.

[Mikelly]

John, I was discussing the value of waving to corner workers last night with a buddy of mine at dinner. I told him I always wave to each corner worker on the first lap of each day, since the course is generally a standing yellow... He asked me "WHY?". I told him that it helps remind me of where they are. Helps me anchor them to a specific location in my mind for each corner before I need them.

 

Stopping and saying thank you to them when you're having lunch is generally well appreciated.

Mike

[Globerunner513]

I got to corner work for my first time a few months ago, and have done it again since. Have to say, it is a really good experience, and gives a whole new perspective to the race, and racing in general. I particularly enjoyed watching different driver's lines, and which lines seemed the fastest, etc.

Although I will admit, that even though all you're doing is standing there, concentrating on each car that goes by, and everything thats going on in the radio is actually quite exhausting. I slept like a baby each night after the races. (weekend event).

 

Anyway, do your events also use a pace car/double yellow? that was the one flag i didn't see on your list, so was curious. Good write up.

[janaka]

that was pretty cool. it was nice to see the communication from the slower drivers to the one we were watching from. he would acknowledge them letting him by which was nice too.

my friend with his MR2 club wants me to go lapping with him and his toyota's... it seems kind of daunting watching those kinds of video's and to think about trying it in the datsun....

[johnc]

Waving Yellow Flag - Problem in the Immediate Area/ Prepare to Go Off Line/ No PASSING

 

One thing to watch for is how vigorously the flagger is waving the yellow flag. If the flagger is freaking out and waving the flag like he's fighting off a swarm of bees, you better be ready to stop because there's most likely a car(s) stopped on track right in front of you.

[johnc]

And now, the real meaning of the flags:

 

Yellow (Standing)

 

a) There will be something interesting to look at around the next corner, slowing down is optional.

Some jerk has spun/crashed/stalled ahead, but was kind enough to get off of the track.

 

Yellow (Waving)

 

a) There will be something interesting to look at around the next corner and you will be close to it, make sure that you get a good target fixation going.

Some jerk has spun/crashed/stalled ahead, took out a couple other innocent parties, and parked everything on the track to discuss the matter.

 

Black w/Orange Ball (Meatball)

 

a) Your car is a POS, (probably British) and the finest quality parts ARE falling off.

We're trying to save you some money... report to the pits.

Blue w/Yellow Stripe (Passing)

 

a) The wanker in the Corvette is finally on one of the straights and will be passing you so that he can park in the next corner, throwing away all your momentum.

There's a race going on, and you're not part of it... move over.

 

Red (Danger)

 

a) Said with Jim Ignatowski's (from Taxi) voice "Alex, why are all these cars stopped on the race track."

Some jerk has spun/crashed/stalled ahead, took out a couple other innocent parties, and parked everything on the track to discuss the matter. A fire and then a fight then broke out.

 

Yellow w/Orange Stripes (Debris)

 

a) Someone ran over an animal and the concession stand will be serving "meat surprise" at lunch today.

The wanker in the Corvette can only keep two wheels on course in the corners.

 

White (Slow Vehicle)

 

a) The wanker in the Corvette blew up his engine again and is limping around the track, on the line, trying to get back to his motorhome for a Martini.

He didn't make it and the wrecker is going to get him.

 

Black (Furled and Pointed At You)

 

a) Your last move was crap and EVERYONE knows it.

Every corner worker has your car and number and is just dying to catch you doing anything wrong. Its like your mother-in-law is at every corner station.

 

Black (Waved w/Your Number Displayed)

 

a) You're not Michael Schumaker and the event officials wants to drive that point home to you in person.

Your mothers-in-law caught you red handed.

 

Checker (Finish)

 

a) You won the race.

You paid a lot of money and wasted a lot of time to watch someone else win the race.

[Guest cutizin]

Black Flag with Red or Orange Circle in the center - Something is mechanically wrong with your car - head to pits safely and offline.

[69sroadster]

Just had my 1st HST event at Hallet in my ZX and I LOVE the non-PC flag definitions here. Unfortunately for me I was the A-hole who lost his oil line going to the cooler on the track but at least I did get off the line and the track ASAP. Also thankfully I did not lose the motor in the process. I will also say that I only had to let 1 corvette pass on a straight before the drama hit and I'm proud of that for my 4 banger ZX...but it was a new ZR-1.

[johnc]

OK racers, identify all the errors committed by the driver(s). This was last weekend at a Buttonwillow VARA race.

 

 

EDIT: This was a VARA race and look at the corner worker.

[Globerunner513]

Red flag...but aren't you supposed to pull to the side of the track wherever you are?

[johnc]

Yes. Stop immediately in a controlled manner at the side of the track. Ideally you stop in such a way that you can see and be seen by a corner station. Each track has its event supp regs that say you should stop on the inside or the outside of the track.

[duragg]

I just saw this video. 

My HPDE flag cheat sheat is sitting on my desk for studying.

 

Its all fun and games until it gets real, which happens in the blink of an eye.

Tj

[NewZed]

Didn't the corner worker drop his flag before the guy that crashed came in?  Seems like the corner worker screwed up, after 2 of the 4 cars ignored his red flag in the first place.  Looks like a big CF.