We had three goes at starting the Clio race today.

We lined them up on the grid, sent them off on their green flag lap and waited for them all to come back and line up ready for the race start. The green flag was waved at the back and the red lights promptly failed. The start delayed board was shown and eventually we sent them off on a second green flag lap. Unfortunately (and I'm not sure how this happened) one of them managed to get on the grass on the inside and took out the polystyrene marker board on the inside at Redgate and ended up facing from whence he had just come. <roflmao> He sat there for a bit and finally decided that it would be nice for him to join his friends so off he went.

When the cars came back round to the grid he plonked himself on his grid position, but the ones behind were in the wrong places, so the start delayed board was shown while someone went down and told him he should be at the back and would he please take himself back there.

Yet another green flag lap followed and we eventually started the race 15 minutes late by the age old method of waving the Union Flag.

The race itself was a typical Clio race. At the end, we counted the number of cars WITHOUT bodywork damage. There was only the one. <yikes>

We had three goes at starting the European Formula Renaults too.

We lined them up on the grid, sent them off on their green flag lap, watched them form up and started the race. They got as far as the Old Hairpin when one thought it would be fun to roll. The safety car was scrambled and yours truly was on the pit wall waving the yellow flag while another colleague was holding the SC board. The first three cars came through without slowing, then the following bunch arrived. One decided it would be a good plan to slow down. The one following it didn't <yikes> Chaos and mayhem ensued. There were cars littered all down the pit straight. Result - red flag.

The mess was duly cleared up and we sent them on their way again. They got as far as the Old Hairpin (getting a sense of deja vu yet?) where TWO rolled and several others were strewn across the track. Red flag time.

Third start was behind the Safety Car. <no>

The really sad part of all that is that the tossers were given a third start! <thumbsdown>

This surprises me not! Clios, what we need is Don Truman to do his FF speech to them. <nono>

It wouldn't make any difference to them Ed. They're Clios, it's what they do. Always have, always will. <roflmao>

I agree. If I'd been the Race Director they'd have all been sent home.

Formula Renaults are always spectacular...

BARC FRenault race, Pembrey.

Race start - and by the time they get to Hatchetts, one of them is upside down, balanced on the air boxes of two others - all 3 go straight on... Instant red flag - and fortunatly the fire car and the rescue unit were right behind on their chase lap.

The irony? It was 3 members of the same family - father and his 2 sons.

I wonder how they got daddy out?

Carefully, I presume!

Nah, they probably got uppity about poor driving and left him to sort himself out.