Race Starting Procedure
0. A racers' meeting will be held 30 minutes before the races begin. Flagging protocol, crash protocol, race rules, mechanical specifications, race format (number of laps, number of racers per class/squad, etc.), and this race starting procedure will be reviewed, among any other necessary issues.
1. When all personnel are ready (Race Referee, Main Flagger, Assistant Main Flagger, Secondary Flagger, Scorekeeper, etc.) the Race Director will notify the NASQUAD Announcer to begin the races. The NASQUAD announcer will make two calls over the public address system; first, for the racers in the appropriate class/squad to the starting line, and second, for the next racing class/squad to the staging area. Whenever one class
/squad is called to the starting line, the next scheduled class/squad will be called to the staging area.
2. Racers called to the starting line will enter the track from the staging area and drive to the starting line. At the starting line, racers will pause and accept direction from the Race Referee as to their position on the track.
3. After the racers have lined up, the Referee will direct all racers to shut off their engines. Failure to do so will result in an immediate black flag/disqualification and the racer will be directed to return to the pit area.
4. For the first race of the day, the Announcer will play the National Anthem.
5. For all races, the Announcer will identify and call the names, numbers and positions of each racer. Following this, the Announcer will direct the racers: “gentlemen, start your engines.”
6. As the racers are starting their engines, the Race Referee will then double-check with the score-keeper, main flagger and secondary flagger to ensure all personnel are ready. The Referee will then poll each of the racers for readiness by getting a nod or some other “ready” indication. Once all racers have given a “ready” indication, the Referee will signal the Main Flagger to take over.
7. After receiving the signal from the Referee, the Main Flagger will scan the track from the flagging perch to make sure all is well and there are no problems/obstructions on the track. When the Main Flagger is satisfied that it is safe to begin the race, he will throw the green flag and activate the green racing light.
8. The Race Referee will be responsible for handling racer complaints and violations. The Referee will carry a black flag in case a racer must be warned or disqualified. (A furled black flag pointed at a racer constitutes a warning; an unfurled black flag constitutes a disqualification and order to carefully leave the track without interfering with the other racers.)
9. To the extent possible, the Referee will call out the laps and the order of the racers to the scorekeepers as each racer comes down the main straight.
10. The Assistant Main Flagger will handle the routine flags white and checkered, under the direction of the Referee and Main Flagger. The Main Flagger will handle the green flag to start the race, and then turn the green over to the Assistant Main Flagger. The Main Flagger will then handle the yellow and red flags for the duration of the race. The appropriate flagger will flag white when one lap remains, yellow when a caution is needed (see flagging protocol), red when the race must be stopped, checkered when the first racer crosses the finish line after completing all laps. As the Main Flagger is in the best position to view the track, the Main Flagger will be responsible for deciding when to throw a yellow or red flag. Yellow flags (caution flags) will be thrown when there is any condition on the track that could interfere with the race. Some examples of this are a quad running unusually slowly, a spin out after which the racer restarts and continues on with the race, or small debris on the track that will not endanger any racer, even if a quad runs over the debris. A red flag will be thrown when a condition exists on the track that is too dangerous to continue the race. Anytime a quad or racer is disabled and still on the track as traffic is approaching will cause a red. However, if, for example, a crash occurs at the back of the pack and it appears to the Main Flagger that the racer/quad is quickly being moved off the track, and will be off the track before the pack laps and returns, only a yellow will be thrown. If it appears to the Main Flagger that the quad or racer may not be moved off the track before racers return, or if the field is so spread out that there is a continuous stream of quads, the red will be thrown. If a racer appears to be injured and is on the track, or if a racer appears to have run off the track to the outside and crashed, a red flag will be thrown so that emergency medical personnel can cross the track and tend to the injured, or potentially injured. Our emergency medical personnel station themselves in the infield for quick response to any part of the track. If a racer is injured but makes it to the infield on his quad, only a yellow will be thrown, and as soon as the racer and his quad are off-track in the infield, the race will return to green. Because our races last less than 4 minutes, no condition exists that would require the race to be halted so an ambulance could reach the infield. (The race will be over long before an ambulance arrives.)
The Secondary Flagger will duplicate the Main Flagger with yellow and red flags.
11. After the race is finished, the Announcer will again make two calls: first for the next class/squad to the starting line (from the staging area); second, for the subsequent class/squad to the staging area.
12. On a red flag / restart, the Referee will line up the racers in a staggered starting line based on their position when the red flag was thrown. Any racer determined to be at fault for any collision will be placed last in this line , irrespective of his position when the red flag was thrown.
