The yellow and red striped flag is used to indicate debris on the track. Alternatively, some race tracks employ lights to supplement the primary flag at the start/finish line. With the advent of two-way or full-duplex radios, this is not necessarily the case. In snowmobile water cross the chequered flag is attached to the racer's life vest, and the racer is rewarded with a victory lap. A boat or ship with a yellow flag that has a blue stripe down the middle is having difficulty steering.
The Thin Blue Line running between them, “the police,” separates the two, keeping crime separated … Most drivers racing on paved short track oval courses do not rely on flags; rather, they are informed of track conditions by their crew chiefs and spotters or by yellow / red flashing lights found on most oval tracks.
The "Thin Blue Line" flag is all black, bearing a single horizontal blue stripe across its center. A dark, rather than light blue flag, indicating that a faster motorcycle is approaching. [20], In 1980, USAC starter Duane Sweeney started a tradition at the Indianapolis 500 by waving twin chequered flags at the end of the race. This has effectively put an end to the "race back to the caution", in which drivers speed up during yellow flag periods to beat the leader to the flag. Racing flags[1] are traditionally used in auto racing and similar motorsports to indicate track condition and to communicate important messages to drivers.
Many hazards, such as rain, lightning, darkness, a blocked course (due to debris, water, or safety vehicles), a car on fire, or a multi-car crash (especially one that results in serious injuries or one that results in damage to walls, fences or the surface itself which require repairs) might prompt series officials to call for the red flag.
Under the VSC procedure, all drivers on the track must reduce their speed and stay above a minimum time set by race officials at least once in each marshalling sector. [17] Sidney Walden divided the courses into sections; the time check at the end of each section was performed by race officials called "checkers." Overtaking is forbidden until green flags are waved.
Overtaking is not permitted unless if another driver enters the pit lane or if a car slows down due to an obvious problem. Festival of Sacrifice: The Past and Present of the Islamic Holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Status flags are used to inform all drivers of the general status of the course during a race. Some administrators (NASCAR and IndyCar) do not distinguish mechanical problems or unsportsmanlike conduct from rules violations and simply use the solid black flag for all violations. In these cases, the cars are directed to the pit area where some may be worked on to the extent the race rules allow. In snowmobile water cross (racing on open water), the caution flag simply warns the racers that one or more racers have sunk and are in the water, however the race will continue as normal. Missing or disregarding a flag can have critical consequences, as Mario and Michael Andretti discovered during a 1991 CART race in Detroit, Michigan. FIA-sanctioned championship flags are the most commonly used internationally (outside of North America) as they cover championships such as Formula 1, the FIA World Endurance Championship and WTCC, and are adopted (and sometimes adapted) by many more motorsport governing bodies across the world such as, for example, the MSA. In Formula One, all lapped cars between the leaders are permitted to advance one lap. The black and white variation of the American flag certainly doesn’t mean patriotism, does it? In the case of snowmobile racing, the black flag comes in three stages to disqualification; the first flag is a warning to a racer, the second flag is a one-lap penalty, and the third is disqualification. Many organizations will display this flag for only two laps, after which the changed surface is considered to merely be "part of the track". The field is locked into place at the onset of caution periods and no one is allowed to pass another car without mutual consent (excluding crashed and immobile cars). Also, the chequered flag typically has a black rectangle at the corner of the flag closest to the top of the flagpole. [13]. In many short tracks, the flagman gives the chequered flag to the winner of the race, but a variety of other celebratory traditions, such as the burnout, the Polish victory lap and the victory lane or victory circle celebration, sometimes overshadow the chequered flag tradition. This race flag, which is black, carries the race sponsor's name on it. A black flag with a horizontal blue stripe represents mourning for law enforcement. [14], A diagonally divided black-and-white flag is displayed with a car number to indicate a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct. Safety workers were not able to respond to accidents until the cars were under control of the pace car, which markedly slowed their response times to potentially injured drivers. Ignoring the black flag or the black-white cross flag intentionally may result in post-race disciplinary action in addition to disqualification from the race. A single stationary flag denotes a hazard near the racing surface.
If the driver still cannot maintain minimum speed in relation to the leaders after repairs, the driver may be required to park for the remainder of the race. Sometimes a sponsor's logo is emblazoned in the center of the chequered flag. As such, it is often referred to as the "courtesy flag".
Different groups of first responders and military groups have their own flags to represent mourning. [18], There is a persistent urban legend claiming that the flag originated in horse racing, but there is no basis for this myth.
Previous starters had only used a single flag. This informs the driver that there may be marshals on the track and to prepare to stop, if necessary. This is rarely used where computer scoring is involved, and can create much confusion as the drivers attempt to get back in order.
(The starter will wave both a chequered and yellow flag if safety car conditions occur at the end of the race, in a yellow-chequer finish.). As an alternative to the full-course yellow and safety car periods used during other FIA-backed races, the 24H Series uses a series of purple lights and flags to declare a "Code 60" period. Green flag racing prevails around the remainder of the course. In the event of a bad start, the yellow and red flags may be displayed together, or a unique diagonally divided red and yellow flag can be displayed, to indicate a restart. What Flag Is Black With a Horizontal Blue Stripe?
Here's an explainer on what they mean and where they came from.
A black-and-white American flag with a thin blue line across its center appeared among the Confederate flags toted by the white supremacists …
Occasionally, though, some drivers must rely on the use of flags for information when they experience radio malfunctions.