Fastrack Cornerworker's Guide

[zortness]

Thanks rznut for the original information.

Fastrack Riders Corner Worker Guidelines

In an effort to manage a good safe event corner workers are the key to making this happen. You as a corner worker fill a very important role so do not take your responsibility lightly. It is your eyes and ears that keeps everyone including the riders on track aware of all that is going on.

Flags: Fastrack Riders uses the same flags as WERA and the AMA.

1. First flag rule is only one flag can be shown at a time so make sure all other flags are out of site except the flag you are posting.

Green flag: All systems are go and the track is clear.

Yellow flag:
Standing Yellow: No need to slow down, stay in the riding line and faster riders may pass slower riders.
Waving Yellow: The danger is more serious and if a faster rider comes upon a slower rider they cannot pass until they come to a corner station displaying a green flag.

Yellow & Red flag: This means debris or fluid is on the track but not right in the riding line. If there is something on the inside of the track when displaying the Debris Flag motion for the riders to ride to the outside of the turn. If the debris of fluid is on the outside motion for the rider to take an inside line. Debris could include knee pucks, motorcycle parts, gravel or rocks, any fluid, and other things on the surface that could cause a motorcycle to crash.

Black Flag: Lot’s of confusion on this flag. The Black Flag is used to tell the rider something is wrong with their motorcycle and they need to exit the track as quickly but safely as possible. You point at them and wave the Black Flag at them. They are to raise an arm or stick a leg out, get out of the riding line and once slowed down exit the track as quickly as possible and get far away from the track. The crash truck will pick up the bike. It could be a fluid leak, bodywork coming off, exhaust canister coming loose, chain too tight or too loose, or something noticeable to you the corner worker that could cause the rider or another rider to crash.

Red Flag: We hate this flag because it means something serious has happened. It could be for something as simple as some part falling off a bike and in the middle of the track causing a dangerous situation or bike or rider is down on the track or in a definite impact zone. Call out your corner number and incident in your corner to control. Once the Red Flag is called for pull down all other flags and get out to the corner and wave the flag so there is no excuse for a rider not seeing it. There can be no passing under a red flag situation. The rider must put up their arm or throw out a leg, get out of the riding line, then roll off the throttle and slow down and return to the pits.

Blue Flag with Yellow Stripe: This is a passing flag and should be used when you the corner worker see a rider that is on a fast bike who cannot negotiate turns at any rate of speed and other riders are backing up behind them. Point at the rider and wave the Passing Flag at them. They are to take a tighter line through the corner and not accelerate as hard on the straight so the faster riders on smaller bikes can get around them. Not all corners can use this flag and we usually note in the corner workers meeting which corners can enforce this flag. This should be the most used flag of the day other than green in the corners watching for traffic backups.

Meatball or Idiot Flag: It is a black flag with a large Orange or “meatball” in the middle of it. Usually it is only at start finish but sometimes will be a one corner station as well. This flag is used to tell a rider violating the rules, riding wrecklessly etc. to come into the pits for consultation with Pre Grid. You call in any offenders to control. Often you will have to ask the next corner station to get the number of an offender. We want them to know we are controlling things on the track and keeping them safe.

Red & White Cross Flag: This is the ambulance flag and sometimes in a race we will allow a medical unit to roll and not stop the race. All stations display the flag while the med unit is on the track. The station the med unit has just past waves the flag so the riders know it is right in front of them. Keep waving the Ambulance Flag until the med unit passes the next corner station than it goes back to standing at your corner.

Checkered Flag: It is at start / finish and tells the riders their session is completed. They should back it down 5 to 10 % and not try to set a fastest lap on the cool down lap. Sometimes we will have a checkered flag at a corner station before the track exit. If a rider is racing to the beacon on the last lap, please call the number into control or start / finish so pre grid can deal with them. Fastrack Riders has added another checkered flag to clear the track faster at another corner and it varies depending upon which track we are running.

Flags are the only way to communicate to the riders and FASTRACK RIDERS has a full set of flags in each bag with the exception of the Meatball and Checkered Flag. Use them according to the rules and use them to enforce the rules to keep the event safe and prevent crashes or complaints.

RULES:

1. No intentional wheelies. Power wheelies where the front end comes up and goes back down is okay but when a rider is trying to maintain a wheelie, they should be called in for the infraction.

2. Clean passing which we call a six foot passing rule. No passing so closely a rider almost takes out another bike. Good distance between riders on the side when passing so neither is touching each other with room to spare. If a rider makes contact with another bike it must be called in to control and that rider will not be allowed to ride any more.

3. No stopping on the track ever. Sometimes an instructor will pull off to wait for a student in a safe area.

4. Other than instructors, no rider should be looking back on the track. If a rider looking back, they should be brought in to be talked to by pre grid and will count as one strike.

5. No cutting of the track without stopping and waiting for a corner worker to waive them back onto the track. Often at Cal. Speedway a rider will run off the track and ride right back on. They should be made to come in and reminded not to do that. It happens a lot in turn 1, turn 3, turn 5/6, turn 9, and turn 12 at Cal. Speedway. It’s dangerous to a rider to continue to do this. Call it in and have the rider meatballed.

6. No sparking type knee sliders

7. Always use the word “CREMSON” when referring to the color red so it is not confused by other corner workers as a “red flag” situation.