I’ve seen all manner of flag starts lately in traditional, street, or no-prep drag racing. Some start with the flag up and it’s brought down. Some just wave it up. Either makes for pretty sloppy starts. Excluding flashlight or LED starts I recall a technique of 3 flags which seems fair and accurate for timing. The starter has 2 smaller green flags each of which gets pointed to the staged cars to get their nod they are ready. The tip of the largest white flag is then rested on the ground and then jerked up—the moment the tip leaves the ground is the start. What do any of you recall or think about these?
Flag starts are in this day and age kind of hokey. Very very hard to tell if someone “jumps” the flag which usually ends up in a big dust up on the start line after the run. I personally prefer a start system that will tell me if I went -.001 red.
Before 1970 there was only like 4 -7 National events , Before there was different rules @ different tracks. Racing then nothing like to day This might help explain . Off topic , all those pictures and photos seen racers changing engines hotel parking lot and other places is because it was a rule after the track closed no race vehicle was allowed on the premises. Or a 14sec car run a 7 sec fuel or B cl*** 14 sec car start @ 1/8 mile the 7 sec start @ 1/4 ... West coast one way ,East another and I'm ***uming all across the US Pictures below before 51 then 1957 house in the background is my great aunts.. from what my uncle can remember block with light was around 55-58 for Et . Not tree , if not @ National event lot of confusion and controversy , https://www.nhra.com/news/2015/nhra-supernationals-1970-73
Well, if you're a serious drag racer and worried about reaction times, pay outs, & chest t*******, why would you even attend a flag started event? They are more of an exhibition, or a nod to days gone by. Is there even a flagged event that pays out enough to warrant the travel & expense to race at it? Seems like they are aiming for fun and not worried about you breaking out of your bracket time.
Fontana was the best in its day. They had a hanging 3-light traffic signal. As I remember(?), the vehicles would roll forward to light the yellow light in their lane. When both were in, the starter would put the top of the flag on a ****on out beyond the starting line, nod at each -- and rise the flag lighting the green light. Cool with some flagman still in the picture.
What year about ? OLD DOMINION drag strip claims first on east 1951 . Gore family, pretty much all of us men /guys of my Family worked there since open 51 original track closed around 2014. Uncle started 66 , became starter 71 ish to preset even after Od closed , just another track , worked @ 2 same time starting in 2005
Flag/flashlight street race starts went the way of the Dodo when Big Willie drove up and pulled the Christmas tree out of his wife's car. https://www.dodgegarage.com/news/ar...k-at-big-willie-robinson-and-his-king-daytona
Fontana didn't open until about 1955 - https://thegentlemanracer.com/2010/10/2010-07-lost-dragstrip-fontana-drag-city-html/ While informal racing happened earlier, the Santa Ana Drag Strip, opening in 1950, is widely considered the first commercially successful, regularly scheduled drag strip on the West Coast (and in the U.S.), setting the stage for organized drag racing despite earlier impromptu events in places like San Diego and Scotts Valley. Another contender is Pomona Dragstrip, opened in 1949/1950 with paving specifically for racing, making it potentially the first purpose-built strip, though it became famous later with NHRA events. Today in SoCal (LA area) you have the choice of driving 2 hours north to Famosa or 2 hours south to Barona.
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