7 red flags in a day - is it a record?
Discussion
Frustrating day at Oulton today - showers this morning, brightened up this afternoon, but everytime I went out was back in a couple laps later with a red flag. It was at least 7 in the day. As far as I could tell no serious damage done thankfully, just various spins off.
Why? Some quick machinery there seemingly trying hard - and hard to get a handle on the grip levels. Personally I felt like the proverbial mobile chicane all day - really hard circuit to master, and with weather issues too........
Why? Some quick machinery there seemingly trying hard - and hard to get a handle on the grip levels. Personally I felt like the proverbial mobile chicane all day - really hard circuit to master, and with weather issues too........
Edited by MikeO996 on Thursday 5th August 10:15
a good tactic on those types of day where red flags are occuring too often is for the TDO to bring everyone together and say something like anyone who spins will need to speak to the TDO before being allowed out on track again....certainly makes people think and driver a bit more carefully.
I think TDOs should adopt:
1st red flag you're sinbinned for 30 minutes
2nd red flag you're sinbinned for 2 hours
3rd red flag - pack your bags and go home
If you have got 20 cars on circuit at once, and it takes 15 minutes to get everyone in and clear the problem, that's 300 mins = 5 hours of driving time you've compromised...
1st red flag you're sinbinned for 30 minutes
2nd red flag you're sinbinned for 2 hours
3rd red flag - pack your bags and go home
If you have got 20 cars on circuit at once, and it takes 15 minutes to get everyone in and clear the problem, that's 300 mins = 5 hours of driving time you've compromised...
I think that's a bit harsh TBH. My car popped a boost hose at a recent TD. Thankfully I was in an OK place on track so they didn't have to stop the session, but a bit further on would have deffo seen the red flag out. A jubilee clip had snapped, new one on and I was good to go. I would have been very unhappy at the TDO if I had to stay off for 30 mins.
If someone is driving beyond their ability in difficult weather conditions they should be shown a black flag.
If someone is driving beyond their ability in difficult weather conditions they should be shown a black flag.
Edited by steveavxt on Thursday 5th August 10:37
steveavxt said:
I think that's a bit harsh TBH. My car popped a boost hose at a recent TD. Thankfully I was in an OK place on track so they didn't have to stop the session, but a bit further on would have deffo seen the red flag out. A jubilee clip had snapped, new one on and I was good to go. I would have been very unhappy at the TDO if I had to stay off for 30 mins.
Yeah... at my last TD I caused my first ever red flag by having the throttle cable snap. Is 30 mins that big a deal if you're there all day? Red flag is either:Mechanical - You probably need 30 mins to fix it
Driver cock up - You need to calm down
Remember, you may be losing 30 mins but everyone else has lost much more time in total, and they didn't mess up their driving or have a problem with their car.
NorthernExposure said:
a good tactic on those types of day where red flags are occuring too often is for the TDO to bring everyone together and say something like anyone who spins will need to speak to the TDO before being allowed out on track again....certainly makes people think and driver a bit more carefully.
Did a trackday at Donington some years ago and it was red flag after red flag. TDO did exactly this and everything calmed down for the remainder of the day.
Weather was really good too, it was just people exceeding their own limits.
I was at Oulton yesterday, maybe I was lucky, I only had one session cut short by a red flag for an errant lump of bodywork on the track, by the time I had drove back to the pits waited 2-3 minutes we where back on track, personally I thought there was some excellent courteous driving on show yesterday the conditions till late afternoon where treacherous at best.
edb49 said:
steveavxt said:
I think that's a bit harsh TBH. My car popped a boost hose at a recent TD. Thankfully I was in an OK place on track so they didn't have to stop the session, but a bit further on would have deffo seen the red flag out. A jubilee clip had snapped, new one on and I was good to go. I would have been very unhappy at the TDO if I had to stay off for 30 mins.
Yeah... at my last TD I caused my first ever red flag by having the throttle cable snap. Is 30 mins that big a deal if you're there all day? Red flag is either:Mechanical - You probably need 30 mins to fix it
Driver cock up - You need to calm down
Remember, you may be losing 30 mins but everyone else has lost much more time in total, and they didn't mess up their driving or have a problem with their car.
Guess who got the round of applause from the pitwall as they made me drive the wrong way down the start finish straight back to the garage. I'd have been mighty pissed if i'd gotten a "30min cool down"
MikeO996 said:
Frustrating day at Oulton today - showers this morning, brightened up this afternoon, but everytime I went out was back in a couple laps later with a red flag. It was at least 7 in the day.
Can we ask which organiser that was? I'm sure some of them could be more pro-active in, er, disciplining wayward or hopelessly optimistic drivers.The stupid thing about yesterday at Oulton (the event the OP is talking about) is that when the conditions were really really bad I don't think there was a single red flag. Even when the track was patchy as it dried there was maybe only one red shown. It was only when the track was fully dry, very late on, that we had flag after flag. It's hard to blame the conditions for that.
At least nobody hit anything hard enough for the circuit to have shut to get barrier repaired, and even better than that, nobody popped a hose or an engine requiring an already greasy track to need dressing.
I thought the standard of driving was pretty darn good as well. Everyone was moving over quickly and courteously and backing off nicely to let cars through. At least that's what I felt anyway.
At least nobody hit anything hard enough for the circuit to have shut to get barrier repaired, and even better than that, nobody popped a hose or an engine requiring an already greasy track to need dressing.
I thought the standard of driving was pretty darn good as well. Everyone was moving over quickly and courteously and backing off nicely to let cars through. At least that's what I felt anyway.
jackwood said:
The stupid thing about yesterday at Oulton (the event the OP is talking about) is that when the conditions were really really bad I don't think there was a single red flag. Even when the track was patchy as it dried there was maybe only one red shown. It was only when the track was fully dry, very late on, that we had flag after flag. It's hard to blame the conditions for that.
At least nobody hit anything hard enough for the circuit to have shut to get barrier repaired, and even better than that, nobody popped a hose or an engine requiring an already greasy track to need dressing.
I thought the standard of driving was pretty darn good as well. Everyone was moving over quickly and courteously and backing off nicely to let cars through. At least that's what I felt anyway.
I agree with all of that - I think just one red flag in the wet of the morning then got worse as the day improved - odd, just people pushing a bit too hard I guess.At least nobody hit anything hard enough for the circuit to have shut to get barrier repaired, and even better than that, nobody popped a hose or an engine requiring an already greasy track to need dressing.
I thought the standard of driving was pretty darn good as well. Everyone was moving over quickly and courteously and backing off nicely to let cars through. At least that's what I felt anyway.
Seven, no not a record there were that many today at Abingdon with MSE. All the offenders were in modified shopping trollys, I think the owners think they have something to prove against sports cars and end up overcooking it constantly. There appeared to only be one well driven hatch today and in all fairness he was flying along in a very tidy manner.
Herman Toothrot said:
Seven, no not a record there were that many today at Abingdon with MSE. All the offenders were in modified shopping trollys, I think the owners think they have something to prove against sports cars and end up overcooking it constantly. There appeared to only be one well driven hatch today and in all fairness he was flying along in a very tidy manner.
Not the best of days Steve?I had fun, but it was a case of when the track was open stay out as long as possible incase it closed again. Also a lot of blue flag ignorers. One silver turbo or supercharged Fiesta was a right muppet I think every time I caught him he hit cones driving like a loon trying to stay ahead. All the other chaps I chatted to also had the same experience with him. We complained but the only difference was he that he then at least did get out of the way a bit sooner.
I was at Abingdon
Me and a mate was driving a Seat Arosa 1.4 ( yellow )
This was are first track day and we enjoyed it very much but there was a lot of red flags
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAfMml3gkLc
what was others driving?
Me and a mate was driving a Seat Arosa 1.4 ( yellow )
This was are first track day and we enjoyed it very much but there was a lot of red flags
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAfMml3gkLc
what was others driving?
Edited by Geek on Saturday 7th August 13:02
Hi I was in the silver VX220. I don't think I was out at the same time as you, don't remember seeing you on the track. It was a good day don't get me wrong but far to many people were hitting cones. As Jason Coffin said to me while having a lesson if the cones were Armco no one would hit them.
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