It’s been a busy spring here in the middle of corn fields, unfortunately nothing has progressed on the race car, but I have been working corners. Late April had me at MAM working a DS/Regional. Great fun, great workers, low car count, easy days, however the beer selection was poor. Then again, the beer selection in this area is poor. We have finally discovered a liquor store in Ames that understands microbrews. I will have to begin working with the race chair on the selection. By the way, I heard rave reviews about the beer choices at the first two weekends at HPR. Perhaps, (I hope) Michelle has heard the same.
Anyway, I stayed in my truck at MAM and discovered it was the noisiest race track in the country at night. Just to the east is I-29, to the south is a train track with trains every 20 minutes with horns, and to the west is a 1/8 mile drag strip. SCCA has a 103 db sound requirement, but drag racers have NO limit at night. Go figure! Did I read the National Board may be backing off on the sound requirements? Led by the Shaws, those Iowa folks still know how to party! With no chance of early sleep, I ended up over at the drags and had a blast. Just walked right in, no sneaking around the fence like at Second Creek. Well, almost around the fence!!! On Saturday I worked Turn 2 with a very nice lady would had been working corners for about 4 years. However, she said she wasn’t “comfortable” going to a car, so I responded to everyone that stopped. Had we just one more worker I could have helped her get that “comfort” feeling she needed.
Her lack of “comfort” may be a sign a bigger problem in the corner worker ranks. We have gone away from comprehensive training of workers and we now put “flaggers” in a box 6 feet above the track and let the safety crews handle any car off track. I can’t tell you how many ex-workers we have because they don’t like being just a flagger. In the May issue of Redline I read glowing reports of the TT and Regional events at HPR on Easter, but I didn’t see any report from the C & B school. 2 and half hours of classroom and later on-the-job training may not be enough to one, get workers to return, and two, provide any skills that may help a driver in need. Kevin and Sandy provide an excellent fire/safety school every spring in the Springs, weather permitting. However, weather doesn’t always permit. EVERYBODY should know how to put out a fire, do you? Did you see Scott “I’m not that” Sharp at Sebring drive around with his car in flames? When he finally stopped and a worker found a bottle, that worker did a wonderful job on the flames. He stayed up wind, put the powder on the ground, and swept back and forth, and had the fire out before the safety truck showed up. No panic, just textbook perfect. We should all be that good.
Animal always reminds me that I need to explain once again what a white flag means. If a vehicle (any vehicle) is slow (your definition) and goes by your corner, you put up a standing white flag and call control. If the car continues, white flags are up for two corners, if it stops between your corner and the next one you put DOWN the white and put UP a yellow. If the vehicle is on track the yellow is waving (paving/waving), if the vehicle is off track, the yellow is standing. If the vehicle (ANY VEHICLE) stops beyond the next corner, your white comes down and nothing goes up. Every time you change flags, you call control. A yellow can mean more than just a car stopped, it could mean large part (your definition), say a Miata bumper or a SRF nose, is on track, or your coworker is out and about.
Did you watch the Spanish F1 race and see the workers sitting in chairs with their backs to the track while cars were on track? I have worked with captains who have kicked workers off of the corner for doing just that. If you want to sit and watch, then buy a ticket. Also at Monaco near the swimming pool there was a worker sitting down with a notepad and pen. Sound control maybe?
A couple of weeks after MAM I worked a 3 day DNat at Blackhawk. Stayed in my truck again, only it was very quiet. Woke up hearing turkeys every morning. Blackhawk is a Second Creek with trees and turkeys and deer. On Friday my old friend Kim Joiner and I were at Turn 1 with me on blue for the first session, wings and fast funny little C and DSR’s. 54 cars in that group!! After 5 minutes I told Kim I hadn’t waved a blue that much in 5 years. Saturday was Turn 6 with 6 workers, Sunday Turn 7 with 6 workers, over 190 total cars. Most of my Indy F1 crew was there, except for the Hegeman’s, the Animal’s, the European’s, and the Aussie’s. Okay, some of my Indy F1 crew was there! I worked Saturday with another old friend, Ann Heffey, the NA of F &C. Over a couple (?) of beers Saturday night we discussed the current state of F & C. I asked her about the potential of going to FIA flagging rules. No way, she said, cost to every region to change flags, plus no way to upgrade a yellow flag situation. We also discussed license requirements, now and in the future. The current Divisional license is equal to the old National license. The new National license is for folks qualified to be chiefs.
I also did some checking about the NASCAR race at Road America. Turns out the workers are by invitation only. The track will be using their paid weekday staff and not SCCA volunteers. I also heard Boris ran a test there and was out of brakes in 4 laps. So, I guess it’s off to the Sprints in a couple of weeks.
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‘Soldiers in White’ is a monthly opinion column contributed by racer and corner worker Bob Stream. Opinions and views expressed here should not be construed to be those of the SCCA.
All from Iowa Speedway and Sprints, even flowers!
