In a message dated 9/27/99 8:54:51 AM Central Daylight Time, Tombread@aol.com
writes:
<< Re: remote flagging stations, some years ago the SCCA Indy Region devised
remote controlled flags, used mainly at IRP. This enabled workers to stand
in a safe position and place flags closer to the track. The flags were
anchored and controlled by ropes and pulleys. I don't know why they were
eventually done away with. I suppose maintenance and setup were fairly
complicated, but it was useful to the drivers to have flags virtually at
trackside, though it took some getting used to seeing a wildly waving
yellow
without a human nearby.... >>
I remember these from the mid to late 70's when I was racing in SCCA. Two
problems with them. One, they were just above ground level, and not all that
easy to see except in a formula car. As a driver, the natural tendancy was to
look for the course worker, who did not have any flags. Second, one time I
made an, ahem, "off course excursion", hitting a wall, and ran over the
mechanism, and one piece of the contraption impaled a corner worker in the
leg. I'm glad it wasn't a whole lot worse, but the remaining corner workers
ended up taking care of their fellow worker and me. I think that incident,
or others like it, made them rethink the safety of what they were doing.
Jon Lowe
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