Letter ID Number: #10465
Title: Start/Restart Flags
Class: FB
Request: Please note there is no category for GCR/operational issues and this is not a class specific request. The category and class chosen were done as a reference to the Group 5 incidents at the COTA Majors event.
The current SCCA practice of using double yellow flags on pace and restart laps is fundamentally dysfunctional. In the real world, it is impossible for each station to drop their yellow flags at the moment the starter displays the green flag to start/resume racing. The GCR currently does nothing to resolve the conflict between wording which says racing begins everywhere on track when the starter displays the green flag and the flag rules which state it is not permissible to pass when a corner is displaying a yellow flag of any kind until you are clear of the incident.
This conflict creates needless ambiguity in real world situations. Eliminating the use of full course yellow flags on pace and restart laps would resolve this conflict. In addition, it would provide much clearer communication to the drivers in the event there is a yellow flag situation as going from no flag to yellow flag is a much better attention getter for the drivers.
Specific recommended wording would be: On starts, corner stations will display no flags unless there is an incident that would otherwise require them (and since the GCR is already clear that racing does not begin until the starter displays the green flag there is no need for additional wording to prevent passing.) On restarts, when control has designated the current lap for the restart and when the pace car has turned out its lights, all stations will drop all flags unless there is an incident that would otherwise require flagging. It might be appropriate to reiterate the wording that racing does not recommence until the starter displays the green flag.