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.

[zortness]

Rules of passing for each Level

Level III: This is the fastest group and allows for passing inside and out any place on the track provided they are clean passes using the six foot passing rule.

Level II: Level II riders can pass on the inside or outside on the straight away but only on the outside in the corners. The corner starts where there are only two braking cones. If a rider in Level II passes on the inside after the two braking cones, it is considered an inside pass and they must be brought in for consultation with the pre grid. You must stay on top of this in all corners that have braking markers and all other corners watch for any inside passing.

Level I: This is the level where the riders do not have a lot of experience and ride at a slower pace. They do not like to be passed other than on the straight away. Level I allows passing on either side in the straights but their straight ends at the two braking cones marker. No passing in the corners unless designated in the riders meeting. For example at California Speedway in Level I we allow passing on the outside of turn two, Willow Springs Big Track the outside of turn two and turn eight, and LVMS 1.75 Classic Course the outside of turn five.

Novice Rider School, Two On One, and other students

At almost all events we will have Novice Rider School Students. This is their first time to the track so they are in classes between riding sessions and will ride with Level I. In addition they go out on the track at 8:10 AM for their own sighting laps while the other riders are in a riders meeting. Fastrack Riders also offers a Two On One training program where there are two riders working with one instructor. They will be riding in either Level I or Level II. Any student or rider receiving instruction will wear a colored vest so the corner worker team will know they are being taught.


Entering or Exiting the Track Procedures

The rules or proper way to enter and exit any race track is as follows. Always keep to the edge of the track when entering it till fully up to speed and then safely blend into the racing line. A rider should never immediately pull out into the racing line until properly up to speed.

Exiting the track the rider puts up their arm or sticks out their leg long before the exit point, moves to the edge they will be exiting from and exits the track. The rider should not slow down to much and keep their speed up till they are off the track. A rider cannot change their mind once signaling to exit and if they do, you must call this in to control start / finish.

If you notice a rider not following these procedures, you should call their number into control.

Mechanicals:

If a rider experiences a mechanical they should raise their arm or stick out their leg, get out of the riding line, once slowed down, get off the track and as far away from the track as possible. If they do not get away from the edge of the track, the corner worker should wave for them to move or go tell them to move.

Malfunctioning bike issues: Another responsibility of a corner worker is to watch for something happening to any of the motorcycles on the track. Things to watch for, lose things (bodywork, exhaust) appears to be coming off the bike or if a bike is smoking usually meaning it is about to blow up. Just a puff of smoke is one think, continued to smoke is a problem and the bike needs to be black flagged immediately before it blows up and puts oil down on the track.

Evaluating Riders:

The first session is usually a tune up for most riders so no one should evaluate a rider’s skill during the first session. However, once the second rotation has started for each Level corner workers should start watching for riders too slow for the group they are in or too fast for the group they are riding with. Do not use one corner when making this judgement. When a corner worker notices a slow rider in their corner over a number of laps call that rider ahead to the next couple of corners to observe as well. If they are slow there, then they should be called in to move down a level. This happens in Level III and Level II a lot.

There are a number of riders that like to pass a lot so they will sign up for a slower group just so they can get their jollies passing slower riders. Watch closely in Level I and sometimes in Level II for riders that are just passing everyone repeatedly. If so, call that rider in and they will graduate to the next group.

This is a sometimes subjective decision but we are trying to get some what similarly skilled riders in the same group. It is hard to do in a three group format like Fastrack Rides as the disparity in speed between the slowest rider and fastest rider in the group can be about twenty seconds per lap. We would prefer to run a four group rotation but most riders will not pay the price of California Speedway if we did that.

Please stay on top of this as well as the passing flag so the event flows well and is significantly safer because you are controlling the event from your corner station. Make sure the rider does not look back to see who is behind him. If they do, call them in to control for the grid marshals to talk to them.

RADIO PROBLEMS:

Fastrack spends a lot of money on radios and equipment and do all we can to keep it in tip top shape. Every now and then something can go wrong with your radio. If you notice no one is responding to you or you do not hear anything on the radio after requesting a radio check do the following.

1. Change the battery as we give each corner worker an extra battery. Do so by turning the radio off before doing this.

2. If that does not help, remove your headset from the radio and do a radio check by calling out “turn ? radio check”!

3. If that fails and you cannot communicate via the radio to other corner workers. Roll up a green flag and a black flag and cross them waving to other corner workers till they acknowledge you. That tells us your radio is not working so the crash truck can bring you another radio.

4. All radios, headsets, and batteries are numbered. Each corner worker will be responsible for the units they are charged with using. In the event equipment is lost or damaged the corner worker will be responsible for the cost of repair or replacement. Please take care of the equipment. Radios are $379 each, batteries are $59 each, and headsets are $94 each.

VARIOUS TRACK DAY INFO:

Fastrack Riders runs a three group format consisting of Level I, Level II, and Level III. Level I is the novices and lesser experienced riders, Level II would be equivalent to intermediate, and Level III the fastest. Sometimes based upon turnout or if the event is before a race day, we might change the format.

Usually at the top of the hour Level III goes out on the track.

Twenty past the hour Level II goes on the track.

Twenty till the hour Level I and Novice Students go on the track.

Novice students will wear bright colored vest over their leathers for three quarters of the day.

Instructors will ride bikes that have working headlights, taillights, and have mirrors untapped.

If a rider crashes either the corner worker or the crash truck must pull their tech sticker. Ninety percent of the time, they are done for the day. If the rider picks up the bike before anyone can get to them, call in their number to control who will pass the information onto the grid marshals. The grid marshal will pull their sticker if not done when the rider crashes. Sometimes you will need to call the bike to the next corner worker so they can get the number. Each level has a different colored sticker.

We do sighting laps for each group during the first rotation. This would be a waving yellow situation as we do not want anyone to pass anyone during the sighting laps. A lead rider from Fastrack will lead each group at their appointed start time in the morning out on the track. No passing. Usually it is about a lap and a half so we can show the riders where they enter and where they exit the track, plus see all the corners. When the lead Fastrack Rider puts up his arm all other riders in the group are to do so and exit the track. They will proceed to the hot pit and be allowed back on the track in waves of four riders. The track should be green when they are released. If a rider fails to exit they should be given the meatball flag. The only exception is the Novice Rider Students and Instructors stay on the track in Level I during the sighting laps as they were out earlier.

Pre Grid can communicate to the riders what you need passed on positively or negative information. They will keep a clip board of information for each level. Again, you are the eyes and ears as to what is happening on the track. Pre Grid will be on channel two. Corner workers direct all of their communication through control and will be on channel one.

[zortness]

Corner Worker Preparedness: All corner workers should come to the event prepared to work and be on time which is 7:00 AM at all Fastrack Riders events. Never commit to working an event and not show up as it will be too late to find a replacement and a corner will be left open.

1. Wear only white clothing and hat.
2. Always bring a cooler full of ice and water or other refreshments and your lunch!
3. Use sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun and apply during the day more than once.
4. We no longer stop for lunch so corner workers must bring their lunch with them. We hire extra workers to give each corner worker a break during the day.
5. Always have a jacket and sweatshirt or extra clothing in the event it is cold. Also, get a cheap rain parka or something in the event it does rain so you don’t get soaked till we can get you in under cover.
6. Clean your corner station at the end of the day of all debris you carried out.
7. Return flags, radios, and batteries at the end of the day. Roll flags up neatly and place back into flag bag, take care of the radios, and batteries. Turn the headset mike piece up, not bend it up.
8. Do not put up anything in your corner area that is the same color of any flag.
9. Make sure anything you do put up is secure and will not blow away in a gust of wind.
10. Only the corner worker team and control will be on channel one so there should be little outside interruption or disruption.
11. No text messaging or talking on the cell phone while working in a corner. You must stay focused on what is happening on the track.


post credit