Question : Was the Black/Yellow quarted flag used in UK Circuit (Car) Racing

[MaxxUK]

Am sure I remember this being used in a car race I did once, today it is specified as (Only Karting) in the Blue Book.

Anyone remember it ever being used for car races? maybe before safety cars were that prevalent?

[Tim Falce]

It was used from 2001 until around 2005 when it was ditched due to some (a lot of) Muppet drivers not following the correct usage.

[roys1]

Oh yes,
The Battenberg flag was used quite well by a couple of clubs but there was also some against using it which is why it is no longer used.. Those couple of clubs were also on the race committee and vetoed it's use.
bah humbug.. Bring it back..

[The Fat Clerk]

We had a fatality @ Mallory caused by this flag in 2001 or2.

[Bryan Degerlund]

Yes Maxx, it was used for several years at the end of the 'nineties, introduced and championed by the late John Nicol, it suffered from "not invented here syndrome" I feel.

After some unfortunate experiences at one or two circuits, it was eventually dropped for cars but retained for carts.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by The Fat Clerk

We had a fatality @ Mallory caused by this flag in 2001 or2.

How does a flag cause a fatality, surely it'd be a driver not acting appropriately or misuse by marshals?

[Bryan Degerlund]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

How does a flag cause a fatality, surely it'd be a driver not acting appropriately or misuse by marshals?

[dave vass]

It was invented by Incarace, when the Eurocars were taken from Incarace short ovals onto the national race circuits. At first it was only used at Eurocar meetings, but then was used at many other race meetings around the country, (sanctioned by the RACMSA), but not all clubs, who didn't like/agree with it, used it, and eventually it was dropped. I preferred it to the current safety car system; which I don't think works any better.

[thepits!]

Originally Posted by dave vass

I preferred it to the current safety car system; .

Ah, Yes - the "invisible safety car" flag - I remember it well

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by The Fat Clerk

We had a fatality @ Mallory caused by this flag in 2001 or2.

Can you provide evidence of this conclusion? Otherwise I'm fairly unhappy with the legal implications of your statement.

[The Fat Clerk]

It was a meeting run by the 75MC and I was one of the Clerks.
The first nine or ten cars came out of the Devils Elbow saw the flag on the start line and braked down to 50 mph, the next car round, found the track full of cars considerably slower than himself, got onto the grass in avoidance, hit the barrier opposite Race Control and if my memory serves me correctly snapped his neck.

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by The Fat Clerk

It was a meeting run by the 75MC and I was one of the Clerks.
The first nine or ten cars came out of the Devils Elbow saw the flag on the start line and braked down to 50 mph, the next car round, found the track full of cars considerably slower than himself, got onto the grass in avoidance, hit the barrier opposite Race Control and if my memory serves me correctly snapped his neck.

...and there's an inquest report or similar that says that that the flag was to blame rather than any other factor?

[S.Moss]

The incident aside, i've never seen the batternberg flag used in karting either in 13 years..

[Ian Briggs]

Still got mine, its hanging in the garage.

Think it was a good idea, but only if you can guarantee that every driver knows the correct protocol, and behaves sensibly.....

On balance, the safety car works more, erm, safely, however, without wanting to open pandoras box, if every driver respected yellow flags, then we wouldnt need quite so many safety car scrambles because it would be safer to sort the problem out useing the marshals.









running for cover

[Speed Freek]

I would have thought if somebody like 'The Fat Clerk' makes a statement you ought to believe it without judgement. After all, he is a Clerk, MSA Steward and a rather experienced marshal. Especially when he was clerking that particular meeting.