I was watching some TROG races and wondered "What part of the flag wave is the signal to go?" I always****umed that the flag coming down meant go. Not so sure now. Google was not helpful. Someone has to know this.
Hello, Our involvement with flag starting was simple. We watched the flagman bring down the flag that was held up overhead and then both racers started. That was the usual technique. But, there were some people that used the flag stick pointed to the ground and when the flag left the ground, the race was started. All of the motions of those different starters and at other drag racing events/places was just for show. The jumping up and bringing down flag, or pointing at the racers and lifting the flag overhead. Each place will or should define the starting procedure. What one dragstrip did was not always the final way as others had their own style. If and when any race was done on the street, the starter told the competitors what was the exact start of the race. So, no one was left at the line complaining how the start was not fair, etc. After some hard fought races, complaints were always brought up. “he started before me” “the flag was slow in moving” “he moved before the flag was dropped” etc. But, the folks watching from the street curbside or drag strip always had their own definition of a fair race. In a flag dropped race, it was obvious who moved before the flag as the gathering was at the starting line. Jnaki Our standard use of a starter on Cherry Avenue Drags was to point at each driver for the ok. Then the starter raised the arm and when the arm dropped, the race was started. Sleepy drivers or not, it was started. If the opponent complained that the starter was a friend of the other guy in the lane, that did happen. Then, anyone could be a starter, even girlfriends, as long as they knew where to stand on the street and be able to stand the full power acceleration of two cars leaving, blowing past her/him. But, the arm drop had to be smooth, so both drivers could see the action. It was usually fine and as the races progressed, advantages were used to win close contests. Such as watching the elbow instead of the flag or raised arm. When the flag raised started to drop, some racers left. Giving them advantages. A lot of people used this method to win. Then as races got closer in power and high performance builds, ways to get a better advantage was found. When the arm or flag drops, there is a second or two to recognize the drop. The second is an advantage. But, what moves first is the elbow. When the elbow starts its decent, the flag is still pointing upward. Or the hand is still in the upward position. As the hand moves (or flag) the faster recognition of any movement is already done and the opponent is off and running for the lead off of the line. Note: Now, the majority of digital lights is standard at dragstrips. As one goes off, the other comes on… but there is s timing gap between the successive lights coming on to start the race. It is so slight, but it is there. So, the confusion of driver reaction times and electronic lights still give a question as to starting advantage. In the early days was a simple and efficient method. Just like a normal street light going on and off… Add in a C&O Stick Hydro and it is instantly a lead that is hard to overcome in the quarter mile. The stick shift guys had to coordinate not spinning the wheels or remember not to shift incorrectly in the total prep stage or actual racing… a “missed shift.” The C&O paid for itself. It was a proven fact in dragstrip racing and the trend was to get rid of the 4 speeds and install Stick Hydro transmissions for all types of racing. Most brands were similar in that they gave an advantage over the stick shift guy. YRMV… Note 2: The talk of fake street legal drags and cars on TV shows happens fall into the category of personal choice. But, there is no argument of advantages of a flagman starter. The flashlight start is as close to a fair start as it can be. But, still complaints are abundant and phone cameras recording the starts are always used if in doubt. Early Days: 1959
My first time down a Dragstrip was was March of 1964, and it was a flag start. The starter would point to each of the contestants, lower the flag, and when he raised it, that was time to leave. I have the original flag from my local strip, McMinnville, Or. They held 13 races A season, with at least 1 NHRA Regional or Divisional race.
I had the pleasure to talk to Don Garlets about the early days of flag starts. He said the flag man put the flag on the ground which activated a red light*****on. When the flag left the ground, you took off.
in early days of really off topic jeep 'sand drags' we had a human starter that dropped a beer can. like other procedures, they pointed to each vehicle, and you nodded for OK, they held out their arm with the can held by fingers, and when those fingers moved, OFF! this was late 70's-early 80's time frame, and we did progress to starting light system with staging beams, etc. with the can drop there were usually two officials****igned watching the vehicles and they had the authority to call 'red lights' and they did. we ran an eliminator race, class against class with lower class vehicle getting a distance 'spot'... which usually put you nearer the flag man... sometimes close enough where you could 'really' see the fingers move...
After several races, if the starter fell over drunk, did you have to wait until he and the can hit the ground?
When we raced on the street, out in the country, we didn't use the flashlight method. One of the cars would have an extra person riding shotgun, and would roll the window down , and count "One ,Two, Three", and drop their arm.
Write your reply... At Colton there were no lanes. They positioned a car near the finish line to call the winner when it wasn't obvious. The car faced the stand(one)s and with a close race, opened the left or right door to indicate the winner. Later, at Fontana, they had what I thought was the best system. It still featured a manned starter. The starter still positioned himself in the middle ahead of the starting light beams. He motioned both vehicles up to the line where they signified (a nod) that they were ready and he actified the light hanging over the starting line to glow red. He then put the tip of the flag down onto a*****on that turned the light to yellow -- then when he lifted the flag it turned green. It kept the human involved with the whole process.
I was a flagman in the late 1950s. I had a red flag and a green flag. I would point a flag to the first car. He would nod that he was ready. I'd then point to the second car. After he nodded that he was ready I would lower my flag to the ground. I would start the race by pulling my green flag up off the ground with the traditional and well known flourish. I judged fouls. If I thought a car left before I pulled my green flag I would pull my red flag. I'd be far enough down from the starting line that both drivers would easily see my red flag and would stop, backup, and we'd start over. There was no penalty for fouling. When we got our first dual lane ET clock our tech guys devised a push*****on switch which was placed on the ground by the flagman and wired to the clock. I was no longer flagging by this time. When the cars were ready the flagman would press his flag on the*****on. This would arm the clock. If a car's ET clock started before the flag was pulled off the*****on, a red foul light came on over the offending car. We never had another disputed foul. The lane who's ET clock stopped first was the winner and a green light came on over that lane at the finish line. So we didn't need finish line judges anymore and never had another disputed win. For some years after I had been flagman but before we had automatic foul detection, guys would sometimes recognize me at shows or cruise nights (and once in a speed shop) as the old flagman. They'd tell me that they used to study my face looking for some clue like a twitch or sqint indicating that I was about to pull the flag. Some, but not many, claimed they'd noticed a clue but they kept that to themselves to keep that advantage. By studying my face during starts these guys had gotten to know my face very well and easily recognized me, even years later. Most probably never knew my name; just my face.
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