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An interesting idea. Of course, it would be a disaster if drivers and officials alike came to rely too heavily on these displays, only to be confronted with a power failure!

I have a real problem with this idea in action. As an active Operating Steward, the equivilent of Race Director, I don't like most of the normal flags like the yellow being shown only on the orders of the control tower. There is just too much delay between the time of need and the order to display the flag. The corner worker has to notify Control by radio, explain the situation, then the flag is displayed after the Race Director considers it. Many flags are reaction flags in that they are displayed at the individual corner by instant reaction of the flagger to an emerging incident. Red and black should never be displayed except on orders of the Race Director, the EV on track should be ordered by the RD, but the others communicate conditions to the racers and should not be delayed.

I have worked oval track races where lights are the norm and they work very well. I believe that the difference is that they are controlled by one person who has a direct view of the track and any incidents unfolding on it. Road racing involves many areas that are not visible to the Race Director. As an Operating Steward, I try to always rely upon the corner workers even when the incident is directly in front of me and I am personally watching it. The corner crews are closer to the incident, see it better, and have a better understanding of it.

I simply do not believe that we officials should ever "flag from the Tower." We have trained excellent workers at the location and we should rely on their judgement and utilize their expertise.

In my own marshalling experience at hill climbs and sprints, it was pretty much let up to the judgement of the marshall on the post as we didn't have radio contact with the stewards (3 sisters and scamonden were so short anyway that any spoiled timed run could be easily repeated). Besides, most of the time I was a start marshall (good fun until some wally in a lotus accidentally reverses over the "chock"), so we were at the end of the chain anyway. The system has to work on trust and judgement. Central control of everything undermines that trust and judgement and discourages marshalls from making their own decisions.

If the corner workers could still control the reaction flags from their posts, would that work?

Introducing loads of fancy gizmos could lead to confusion. Nothing is simpler than a guy waving a stick with a bit of coloured cloth attached. I think the big problem is taking responsibility away from the man or woman on the front line. OK, a system that could be operated by the corner marshalls directly would be good but I'm not sure how it would work.

Umm he'd a button? <peek>

Here in the UK, a trial run with lights is imminent.

Initially the lights would compliment (Not replace) Red, Yellow & Green Flags.
They would be solid state and operate wirelessly by remote control by Marshals rather than Race Control.

The system would run on it's own power supply and would comprise of high intensity LED's that would not be affected by direct sunlight.

If an incident occurs, the lights would be switched to (eg) flashing yellow immediately prior to the scene, this would automatically activate the steady yellow light at the preceding post, and also turn on a steady green light at the post immediately after the incident. (Just like the flags already).

I'm led to believe that this system will be tried out at some MSV Circuits.

I guess it just has to be clarified how to differentiate between local control and central control. Obviously if a local yellow is needed, the corner marshals need to have full control. If it is a flag for the safety car, central control is needed. It wouldn't do for central control to accidentally cancel a local yellow.

With local control of the reaction flags it could work but I still have reservations.

If it is a complement to real flags, you have just added another job for the corner marshals.
Interconnection to adjacent flag stations causes worry about technical reliability. Communication land lines over here are continually being compromised by damp, small burrowing creatures, and other things.
There is the continuing desire of officials to run everything but the portapotti line from race control. One of the hardest things to teach new stewards is NOT to interfere with highly skilled people doing the job they are well qualified to do. The same type of attitude that caused the policy that "Stewards are qualified to be chief of any specialty". Egos, etc.

I shall be waiting with great interest in the results of any tests of the concept under real world conditions.

The TRIAL RUN will complement the flags Nomad.......the plan I guess is to replace the flags altogether!

Whether we like it or not (And I Don't) we have to accept that Marshal numbers are still decreasing and that alternative marshalling methods have to be found!

We have been having real problems staffing the corners for at least a decade here. We have massive programs to attract new workers but it is still a problem. Our minimum staff on a corner is two and sometimes one is a new trainee. Some one's crewman has been dragged out of the pits and put on a corner so the event can proceed. Needless to say, I don't like that because you are just adding more work to the qualified marshal. I'd trust them to do a better job by themselves.

There has been some talk of replacing corner workers with lights over here also. I will retire from stewarding if that ever happens. I remember quite well my years as a driver and know our reliance on the workers. When I'm upside down smelling smoke and gasoline, I don't want a damned electronic board telling me that Emergency has been dispatched. I want to see some half crazed SOB with a fire bottle running at the car. I trust you guys and gals more than I ever will trust automatic systems; we are cut from the same cloth.

That would be me then, except its usually dragged off the startline.