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The morning of the event ensure that you have a good breakfast because you may not have much time to stop for a bite later on. Hopefully you have brought a few good friends who will be able to volunteer their time and energy. Before you hold the Driver’s Meeting you will need to:
- do a track drive and ensure that everything on track is ready
- get the picnic coolers loaded with water and ice and ready at an accessible location
- confirm the marshal stations and that a marshal will be at the driver’s meeting
- ensure that your participants have access to the track
- confirm that others do not have access (my track day was once swarmed by an incoming group. We literally could not move due to the newcomers. That is a story for another article!)
- ensure communication with the tower
- have drivers use the appropriate paddock areas
- if you can, have a spare helmet available just in case
- you may wish to have a tech check to ensure that all cars are ready
- calm yourself down. I usually take a moment and pray.
- Grab your notes and call the driver’s meeting
- Accept payment from anyone arriving at the gate to drive after confirming that they are prepared to join your event. Be cautious as accepting a late comer who is not ready to drive in your event will irritate your other participants
- Be ready to send someone off of the track for inappropriate driving conduct.
At the driver’s meeting everything they hear from you, the organizer, should be something you have already communicated to them prior to the event. There might be something unusual like a rabbit family has set up home down by corner 21, but otherwise there should be no surprises.
This rodent, commonly known as a Groundhog, lived and raised a family less than two metres from the edge of the track. Truly, living life in the fast lane!Go over it anyhow. When you get the nodding heads and verbal agreement it is simple if you need to have a discussion with a driver who has had a black flag thrown at them. You or the marshal at pit out will be able to communicate clearly to them what they did wrong and what you expect. Just as they heard earlier. They must also have heard the consequence earlier – they will not be allowed back on track if they do not follow your expectations for the day.
A black flag is not to be viewed as an insult to the driver. It could be to alert the driver that their passenger has their arm out the window, their hood is not latched properly, and so on. Of course, it could be that they are driving erratically for the track and they need an instructor with them or their day ends quickly. I know that someone, somewhere has a picture of me being black flagged!As the day progresses you will be able to enjoy the smiles and observe the drivers who are having a great day. There will be some who are frantically working on their car in the paddock as an unexpected breakdown has occurred. There may be someone packing up because they got angry that they got a black flag – so be sure that you meet with them and explain the reason to ward off any ill feelings. A black flag is not a slight against the driver. It could be that their hood is not latched properly, their windows are half open (when they should be all up or all down), or their passenger is riding with their arm out the window. Some drivers have never been black flagged and they may take it as an offense to their skillset; I, on the other hand, have been black flagged at my own event. I will not say I am used to it, but I will not be offended by it.
I can assure you that this GT40 was not the recipient of the blue flag. As a passenger in this car on the Andretti straight at CTMP we were approaching if not exceeding 170 mph. That blue flag was for a car coming up that had a faster car just exiting turn 5. A momentum car may not even see the approaching car in their mirror when they first see the blue flag as the speed differential is so great, but our MMS marshals know when to throw the flag and warn the slower car.
