Should be use the Blue flag?

the rule has something to do with getting lapped before half-way in the race. then you get pulled off. i hope they let me keep going though. i'll try to play nice with the faster riders

 

Er...I think this has happened to me before

I'm nervous enough already out there as a novice, a blue flag would definitely make me react in wierd ways.

 

how would that be different from the way you ride now?

 

Stick, don't you usually wait til they're on the crash truck to poke fun?

 

yup. but i havent had time to run the truck in a while, so i have to take 'em when i can

 

slacker

 

You guys are talking about enforcing a minimum speed, and I think that is a good idea. At the Superbike race at VIR, does anyone remember on which lap the leaders started lapping traffic? For that matter, look at just about any year's Daytona 200. The leaders seem to hit lapped traffic about 12 laps in. Maybe we need a special slow class until people get up to speed.

Thank You,

Darrin Talbott

 

That's the Novice class, Darrin.

 

Some front running novices aren't that far off from lead experts in regards to lap times, they need more racing time though, not learn how to ride time. There are some that still need to ride a weekend or two with out taking themselves out before they should think about racing others.

 

Blue flags are bad at the club level. There are a couple of guys I race with on a regular basis who try to get out of the way as the lead pack comes through. Problem is, most of the time they end up more in the way than they would otherwise. Especially at narrow tracks. Eyes forward - hold your line and let the faster riders get around YOU.

As for the 1.5 rule. I remember the rule being used several years ago at Road A. Jim had a guy flaged in because he was about to be lapped before half way. I can't find my rule book to see if it is still in there. It is a very good rule in any club race and it is easy to enforce without need of any special equipment.

 

i remember a WSB race in germany when carl fogarty clobbered a poor lapper because they didn't show the blue flag. scary, yet funny at the same time.

 

I did the penguin school in conjunction with CCS race @ Homestead. I had already raced with WERA but had a +3 year gap in competition and was doing the Penguin school as a mini-vacation in prep for the following year. As I coaxed the tired rental EX around the track, the cornerworkers kept waving the blue flag at me. Now I'm wondering what the f*** is the blue flag for?! Wasn't sure if I should pull off, come in for a stop and go or what. I finally asked someone who hipped me to the situation but kinda funny as I look back on it.

As I see it, it would make the passee more unpredictable. When trying to pass someone who has no idea your back there, I would think they're action would be more predictable and hence easier to pass. The blue flag might make a rider standup in a turn or otherwise do something unexpected causing the opposite effect.

 

Fogarty made a poor passing decision and the blue flag wouldn't have made a difference. Unless the lapper does something totally erratic and stupid (which he didn't) the faster rider should have no problem getting around him.

 

Blue flags are very bad in the combined races. Say you are a novice in a combined race with a faster expert group. You have a blue flag thrown at you but the leader is an expert you are a novice running for 3rd, first podium, guy right on your tail is "your" competition do you make way for the "leader" that is 4 bikes back but will pass you on this lap? If you make way for leader you just made way for "your" compettion.

In single type race say Expert F1 then maybe it makes sense but how often does an expert get lapped?

 

i watched the tape today, and the lapped rider swerves back right to have a line for the next corner. he gets hit by fogarty{who by the way won four world championships and knows how to race better than us} when he gets up he is upset with the officials, apparently because there was no blue flag.

 

I too watched the tape a lot after the incident and couldn't see why Fogarty was pissed. Everyone knows not to pass lappers on the outside of a turn because they might get spooked, stand it up and take you out along with them.

Personally I didn't think the lapper did anything majorly erratic and if Fogarty had passed him on the inside he would have been just fine. Looks like we can add something else to the list of things we don't agree on.

 

it wouldn't work in club racing, but if if i somehow managed to qualify{as a mere mortal} in a WSB race it would be nice to know when HAGA wuz a blazin by. actually tom on the tape the rider who was knocked down was pissed because of no blue flag, not fogarty.

 

I had someone throw me the blue flag in practice. I was late getting out and everytime I passed this one corner I was shown the flag despite once the tires were warm nobody passed me. I was a little confused everytime I went thru that corner. I thought maybe they didn't have a black flag and were trying to tell me something. Not gonna say which organization it was but it rhymes with BBS.

 

i have never seen a blue flag. i guess you have to be REALLY sloooow. sorry ex couldn't resist.

maybe that was a get out of here and race WERA flag.

[This message has been edited by brad wilson (edited 01-02-2002).]