What flags REALLY mean

[wcmcarlos]

The 5 min. whistle often means you have forgotten your head sock, and you have no crew, and the grid people have already loaned out the one they keep for folks with hairy faces.

[spnkzss]

I thought the 5 minute whistle was to remind you to put gas in your car?

[ITA_honda]

haha. the five minute signal is the 30 seconds till the one minute. then the one minute is 5 seconds until the releasing of the cars!!

[Racerlinn]

Unless it's hot and sunny out.
Then the five minute is 1 minute long, and the one minute turns into 5 minutes long...

[ITA_honda]

true that...LOL

[its66]

Unless it's hot and sunny out.
Then the five minute is 1 minute long, and the one minute turns into 5 minutes long...

Unless you are racing in August or Sept in Florida. IF you are, then the 5 minute means hold them here until the rain moves a little closer.

[ITA_honda]

I have been on grid where they give the 5 minute warning. but then they are cleaning up from the last session out. so you're in the car...adreneline rushing, engines running. then one by one, you hear other guys shut their engines off. then the whole grid is silent...then they give the 1 minute, all the cars fire up after 15 minutes of waiting...you barely have time to put it in gear and they are releasing you!!!

[CRallo]

at LRP last year I learned that a very very lazy and I mean down right lathargic waving yellow flag at the top of the uphill means there is a formula car upside down in the middle of the track. I slowed to 80 percent, moved to the middle of the road and came over the top of the hill to find a :eek:lil surprise test of my reflexes... fortunetly I passed:026:

[almracing]

White Flag - Surrender! I thought that was the one the corner workers used when they gave up waving all the other flags that no one was paying attention to.

[lawtonglenn]

ahhh then Renaults, Peugeots and Citroens
are built by the people who are most familiar
with the white flag

[Mike Mackaman]

You guys are too much!!!

I thought the 5 minute wistle was a reminder that your ear plugs are in the trailer.

I heard this at the runoffs a lifetime ago from some Formula Ford guys:
Waving green - the race is on
Starter shakes his/her head - Run into the car in front of you while wide open with your hand raised.
Yellow flag, stationary - The cars in front of you will be slowing down, now is a good time to make up some distance.
Yellow flag waving - The cars in front of you will be slowing down a lot, get ready to pass them.
Yellow and red - Tighten your belts and let go of the wheel
Blue with a yellow stripe - The guy behind you is going to be passed
Black flag furled - good move.
Black flag with your number - Such a good move or done so many times we want to talk to you about it, now
White - If your last name is Andretti, tighten your belts
Checker - you won the race.

[seckerich]

5 minute at Charlotte Motor Speedway is when you look over to see your helmet is not on the hook and paddock is about a mile away. My wife actually made it back in time and promised to leave my head in it next time I pulled that.

[John Nesbitt]

This explanation of what the flags really mean came originally from England, via the DC Region F&C newsletter:

Yellow Flag - Yellow is the colour of cowardice. The Marshals are calling you a coward. Keep your foot in it, and press on.

Red Flag - Red means anger. The Marshals feel that you are not aggressive enough. Keep your foot in it and press on.

White Flag - The white flag is the international sign for surrender. The Marshals think that you have given up. Keep your foot in it, press on and show them that you haven't!

Blue Flag - This means nothing. The Marshals will wave the blue flag when they have nothing else to wave. Ignore it. Keep your foot in it, and press on regardless.

Chequered Flag - This means that you have SLIGHTLY LESS than one more lap to overtake the guy in front. Keep your foot in it and press on.

[Bryan KF8G]

Five minute warning: Never mind that wrecker leaving rescue, just sit and bake in your Mazda for a bit longer.

Full course yellow: We threw that to let the four cars behind you get by on the restart. (again....I drive a rotary...)

[trhoppe]

Another time it was "Tinkler Desperately Pinched under Harness - Extreme Pain!" Those we're both GREAT out laps, I can tell you.

K

This explanation of what the flags really mean came originally from England, via the DC Region F&C newsletter:

Yellow Flag - Yellow is the colour of cowardice. The Marshals are calling you a coward. Keep your foot in it, and press on.

Red Flag - Red means anger. The Marshals feel that you are not aggressive enough. Keep your foot in it and press on.

White Flag - The white flag is the international sign for surrender. The Marshals think that you have given up. Keep your foot in it, press on and show them that you haven't!

Blue Flag - This means nothing. The Marshals will wave the blue flag when they have nothing else to wave. Ignore it. Keep your foot in it, and press on regardless.

Chequered Flag - This means that you have SLIGHTLY LESS than one more lap to overtake the guy in front. Keep your foot in it and press on.

I like these the best.

[Ken Grammer]

Green Flag - "You MUST go from 15th to 3rd in turn one or you lose the race."

Yellow - No meaning... driver's can't see yellow.

Double Yellow - Double the previous meaning.

Blue Flag - Ignore all mirrors for the next two laps...

Checker - for some drivers... TAKE AN EXTRA LAP... followed by FREE PASS to see you race steward.

As sad as this next one is, I've seen more then one driver REALLY come in because, after driving past the sign for two previous sessions, he finally saw the "BLACK FLAG" station sign over the black flag station... and thought he was being black flagged! I've seen this happen at Atlanta and VIR...

[BlueStreak]

Red Flag - Find the spot in the middle of the front straight that is directly between the guy that pulled off drivers left and the guy that pulled off drivers right and stop directly between them so that no safety vehicle can make it by. Finding this spot also serves to block the guy a hundred yards back that was so lost in the red mist that he never noticed the red flag, and will soon realize too late that the three cars sitting three wide on the very front straight where he is normally doing 100 mph are in fact, stopped :eek: -

Saw this one from the stands once, it had a bad ending. If you were one of those guys, please take no offense, it's tough not to cite the incident for a thread like this

[CCDangie71]

5 minute warning- It's going to take the corner workers 5 more minutes to put down enough Oil Dri to clean up after the Formula Fords.

Blue flag- Please point by the guy behind you and while any finger can be used, we recommend using your index finger.

Yellow flag- Somebody did something stupid and while imitation is the best form of flattery, DON'T flatter the guy. Also, you cannot pass but you are free to ride the ass of the guy in front of you.

Meatball- The Chief Steward would love to have a chat with you regarding the Danny Sullivan 360 you just pulled.