Underwhelming Flagging

Posted for my girlfriend Marian -

A few random thoughts about corner workers:

I haven't worked corners yet this season - I'm not a racer and I didn't/don't need to. I did it last year because I really enjoyed doing it. I'm sure I'll work again this season, [now if only I could clone myself to help the boys out in the pits too!]. Barry, Claire, Ted, Walter, CrashTruckLarry are all great to work with. Not to mention that the corners are also some of the best places to watch the action up close and personal!

The training that is given to the corner workers is early in the morning - by that time of course Barry, Claire and other track officials have been at it for a while. The training is short, yes, but given that you have a reasonable dose of common sense, it is clear and easy to understand. Should you happen to be uncertain which flag to waive or not hear the call immediately, there is the eternally calm Ted giving you instructions on the radio to help you out.

There is one radio per corner worker station. It is difficult to hear everything said clearly even when there are no bikes going by. If there is a mishap at the corner, the flag person runs to the edge of the track [as close as is safe] and is then far removed from the person with the radio [who has sprinted off to the rider/motorcycle]. Since the flag person does not have a radio they have no way of knowing if different a flag needs to be shown, or if the flag they are currently holding needs to be waived. A solution to this may be to supply each corner worker with a radio and headset so that they can hear every call being made and possibly react faster.

A suggestion to get more people involved might be to break corner worker shifts into four groups, two shifts per day on Saturday and Sunday. Granted there are details about this plan that don't make it entirely feasible, perhaps it will spawn other [better] ideas. Make it mandatory for EVERYONE to corner work at least one shift per racing season - pros and [lots of] cons for this, but again perhaps it will spark an idea in someone.

Thumbs up or waving on cool down lap - may seem silly to you as a rider, but [speaking strictly for myself] it makes me at least feel as though you appreciate the work that's being done.


Marian Krugers
Affiliated with:
#51 EX
#49 EX
#59 EX
#69 EX
#153 AM
#82 Endurance - Short Bus
#3 Endurance - Village Idiots

Posted for my girlfriend Marian -

A few random thoughts about corner workers:

I haven't worked corners yet this season - I'm not a racer and I didn't/don't need to. I did it last year because I really enjoyed doing it. I'm sure I'll work again this season, [now if only I could clone myself to help the boys out in the pits too!]. Barry, Claire, Ted, Walter, CrashTruckLarry are all great to work with. Not to mention that the corners are also some of the best places to watch the action up close and personal!

The training that is given to the corner workers is early in the morning - by that time of course Barry, Claire and other track officials have been at it for a while. The training is short, yes, but given that you have a reasonable dose of common sense, it is clear and easy to understand. Should you happen to be uncertain which flag to waive or not hear the call immediately, there is the eternally calm Ted giving you instructions on the radio to help you out.

There is one radio per corner worker station. It is difficult to hear everything said clearly even when there are no bikes going by. If there is a mishap at the corner, the flag person runs to the edge of the track [as close as is safe] and is then far removed from the person with the radio [who has sprinted off to the rider/motorcycle]. Since the flag person does not have a radio they have no way of knowing if different a flag needs to be shown, or if the flag they are currently holding needs to be waived. A solution to this may be to supply each corner worker with a radio and headset so that they can hear every call being made and possibly react faster.

A suggestion to get more people involved might be to break corner worker shifts into four groups, two shifts per day on Saturday and Sunday. Granted there are details about this plan that don't make it entirely feasible, perhaps it will spawn other [better] ideas. Make it mandatory for EVERYONE to corner work at least one shift per racing season - pros and [lots of] cons for this, but again perhaps it will spark an idea in someone.

Thumbs up or waving on cool down lap - may seem silly to you as a rider, but [speaking strictly for myself] it makes me at least feel as though you appreciate the work that's being done.


Marian Krugers
Affiliated with:
#51 EX
#49 EX
#59 EX
#69 EX
#153 AM
#82 Endurance - Short Bus
#3 Endurance - Village Idiots

blake hate to say this but by putting out flyers to the local towns you're not getting any better cornerworkers than what you have already. some sort of incentive to get the good ones back is something to think of. maybe you can start doing it when you aren't racing, we do when we can. I enjoy this club and try to help out if i can with what i've got. Like i said before someone was donating gift cards for meals last year which was pretty cool. any other suggestions?

blake hate to say this but by putting out flyers to the local towns you're not getting any better cornerworkers than what you have already. some sort of incentive to get the good ones back is something to think of. maybe you can start doing it when you aren't racing, we do when we can. I enjoy this club and try to help out if i can with what i've got. Like i said before someone was donating gift cards for meals last year which was pretty cool. any other suggestions?

Rob,

You no read good. Me no say get better workers. Me say if need MORE workers, advertising good help. Me offer help.

Rob,

You no read good. Me no say get better workers. Me say if need MORE workers, advertising good help. Me offer help.

Blake, I appologize for my perceived ripping but it cam from your perceived *****ing.

If you read a little further down you'll see I actually said that this is as much your club as it is mine and you do have the right to offer suggestions and opinions. I obviously wasn't the only one who possibly missinterprited your post.

I still retain that offer suggestions, not
negitive observations of a single incedent.

That being said......

I actually LIKE your college kid sugestion.

At local colleges near the tracks if you could get it on the employment bullitin boards of the
common area's that they could not only see a extreme sport close up but get to particapate,
get fed AND paid I think you'd actually get quite a few willing respondants.

The trick is getting poeple from the club in those area's with pre-made up and approved fliers in their hands to put them in place.

Now mind you the quality may not be much better
as previously stated BUT you are correct about
possible benifit of quantity.

I agree what some one said about radios also.

I worked T8a during the 6 hour last year
because I knew they needed help and I had
no other obligations. 1 radio adn 2 people
seperated by 20 - 50 yards during a
occurance of a laps of gravity with a rider
can be a little hard to comunicate. The
person checking on the rider needs the radio to
inform race control and the flagger needs to
know when and if to throw a red.

Again "I appologize" for misinterpreting your intentions.

You do the same and we'll all make nice.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

Blake, I appologize for my perceived ripping but it cam from your perceived *****ing.

If you read a little further down you'll see I actually said that this is as much your club as it is mine and you do have the right to offer suggestions and opinions. I obviously wasn't the only one who possibly missinterprited your post.

I still retain that offer suggestions, not
negitive observations of a single incedent.

That being said......

I actually LIKE your college kid sugestion.

At local colleges near the tracks if you could get it on the employment bullitin boards of the
common area's that they could not only see a extreme sport close up but get to particapate,
get fed AND paid I think you'd actually get quite a few willing respondants.

The trick is getting poeple from the club in those area's with pre-made up and approved fliers in their hands to put them in place.

Now mind you the quality may not be much better
as previously stated BUT you are correct about
possible benifit of quantity.

I agree what some one said about radios also.

I worked T8a during the 6 hour last year
because I knew they needed help and I had
no other obligations. 1 radio adn 2 people
seperated by 20 - 50 yards during a
occurance of a laps of gravity with a rider
can be a little hard to comunicate. The
person checking on the rider needs the radio to
inform race control and the flagger needs to
know when and if to throw a red.

Again "I appologize" for misinterpreting your intentions.

You do the same and we'll all make nice.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif[/img]

nice reply blake, emmit you are right. try working a crash in turn 3 at ohr. real story. rider goes down coming out of turn 3. flagger runs to entrance of 3 with yellow flag at sight of crash beginning. another bike runs over first bike and debris is everywhere with both bikes still on track. with all the noise and distance flagger joe can't hear pickup crashed guys joe hollering for waving yellow or debris flag and can't see him thru the trees. multiple radios would help. maybe someone can get us the hookup on more radios as i know they are expensive. My apologies to blake but one responds strongly when they feel they are being attacked. maybe a little different wording or just make all your posts caveman style like your last reply so all of us with prior head injuries can understand. ha ha

nice reply blake, emmit you are right. try working a crash in turn 3 at ohr. real story. rider goes down coming out of turn 3. flagger runs to entrance of 3 with yellow flag at sight of crash beginning. another bike runs over first bike and debris is everywhere with both bikes still on track. with all the noise and distance flagger joe can't hear pickup crashed guys joe hollering for waving yellow or debris flag and can't see him thru the trees. multiple radios would help. maybe someone can get us the hookup on more radios as i know they are expensive. My apologies to blake but one responds strongly when they feel they are being attacked. maybe a little different wording or just make all your posts caveman style like your last reply so all of us with prior head injuries can understand. ha ha