TV Did anyone see Motors TV coverage of Sebring?

Stoowert · 18 Mar 2007, 11:42 (Ref:1870082)

Was anyone watching when Speed TV's coverage of the 12 Hours of Sebring when off and Mark Cole filled in for about 2 hours? He was waffling on about how he'd been to the race several times and to the US from the dawn of time, when a lovely shot of a marshal/corner worker waving a blue flag with a diagonal yellow stripe was shown. He didn't know what the flag ment and said he'd never seen it before!

Mark: It's the overtaking flag, you pillock!

Well tie me to a tree and call me "Brenda"!

Come back David Hobbs...

**Woolley** · 18 Mar 2007, 12:07 (Ref:1870110)

Funny story, not specifically marshalling, so over to Armchair Enthusiast with you!

Hepatic · 18 Mar 2007, 20:33 (Ref:1870704)

be fair, i'd never seen it until yesterday either!

Mark Mitchell · 19 Mar 2007, 09:33 (Ref:1871167)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hepatic

be fair, i'd never seen it until yesterday either!

Me neither Steve - so you & I must be pillocks as well!

Stoowert · 19 Mar 2007, 11:55 (Ref:1871300)

No, but I bet you hadn't been banging on about how you had been involved in American motorsport for ages! So, no, I doubt you are the P word...

Doc Hollywood · 19 Mar 2007, 13:17 (Ref:1871362)

Whats the diagonal yellow stripe for?

Stoowert · 19 Mar 2007, 16:26 (Ref:1871505)

I thought EVERYONE knew!

In club SCCA & other motorsport, they don't wave the blue. They sort of rock it back & forth. The yellow stripe is designed to attract the driver's attention. However, on some street tracks and when the blue flagger is close to the racing line, the flag is dispensed with and the flagger looks the driver in the eye and shows a number of fingers, depending on how many cars are behind, waiting to overtake. Sadly they don't allow this in Champ Car any more. Awesome to see it done properly!

Mark Mitchell · 19 Mar 2007, 19:12 (Ref:1871654)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoowert

However, on some street tracks and when the blue flagger is close to the racing line, the flag is dispensed with and the flagger looks the driver in the eye and shows a number of fingers, depending on how many cars are behind, waiting to overtake.

Aww! How I'd love to do this to Tim Harvey......just to let him know there's one car behind him!

Hepatic · 19 Mar 2007, 19:15 (Ref:1871661)

anything up to 4 cars would be fine

Thundersports · 20 Mar 2007, 00:00 (Ref:1871887)

Sorry but I must be a pillock too then!

Doc Hollywood · 21 Mar 2007, 14:10 (Ref:1873117)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoowert

However, on some street tracks and when the blue flagger is close to the racing line, the flag is dispensed with and the flagger looks the driver in the eye and shows a number of fingers, depending on how many cars are behind, waiting to overtake. Sadly they don't allow this in Champ Car any more. Awesome to see it done properly!

Intresting system! Does it work?

Stoowert · 22 Mar 2007, 16:51 (Ref:1873859)

Yes but you need to be able to look the driver in the eye, and dare him to ignore your finger/s!
Honest, it does work...trust me, I'm a marshal

blueflagger · 23 Mar 2007, 17:15 (Ref:1874618)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc Hollywood

Intresting system! Does it work?

It works very well and is awesome to do. It is like you (the blue flagger) are in your own little world of communication with drivers. You can even see them move their eyes to check their mirrors or laugh at you if you made a bad call.

After doing some traveling, I've come to the conclusion that part of the reason we Yanks put the stripe on the flag is because we stand so far back from the track at most venues that it might be hard to detect the flag color in an instant for drivers. Our blue flags are also a deeper blue than the FIA standard. I think the striped blue is more effective. Mind you, at F1, we use the FIA blue.

Stoowert, back in the day, we waved blue flags too but even then they were the stripey ones.

CombeMarshal · 23 Mar 2007, 20:31 (Ref:1874746)

Got back From Sebring Yesterday, was Bl**dy great!!
I must thank everyone for making me feel so welcome!
I have watched the first 4 hours so far of the race (I'm on there, turn 4!!) and most posts did end up waving the Blue flags!
And god did we have some rain on Thursday, never seen anything like it EVER!!!
Oh, and Steven Tarrent (really sorry If I spelt that wrong, still tired!) got a message read out (The legless Marshal, I had to laugh at that!!!!)

blueflagger · 23 Mar 2007, 22:27 (Ref:1874814)

How experienced is Mark Cole that he didn't know about our blues? He must specialize in covering European series and not have done anything in N.A.

CombeMarshal · 25 Mar 2007, 12:47 (Ref:1875787)

I never realised till last night that the diagonal line is meant to indicate where the faster car is coming from, Or so someone who Emailed Motors Tv reacons!

I have also seen them in England, can't remember where, Maybe bikes???

blueflagger · 25 Mar 2007, 15:13 (Ref:1875862)

Combe, I suspect someone was pulling that answer out of thin air. I've never heard such mention in 28 years of handling the flag.

Besides, doesn't the faster car always come from behind?

In the US, many bike clubs don't use the blue flag. NASCAR's blue has a dark orange stripe and is only thrown by the starter.

CombeMarshal · 25 Mar 2007, 16:58 (Ref:1875918)

Smart arse!!!!!!

I did miss one of the Star Mazda drivers heads my millimeters though when I was Blue flagging at the bridge at 6, Think he noticed it!!!!

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