It's been on other message boards. Lincoln Speedway is thinking of running races without a starter in the starter's stand.

Looooong overdue! I've always said the flagger is the bravest person on the property at any track. If you watch some of the videos coming out of Australia sprint racing, the flagging and lights are completly computer controlled. I'm suprised the insurance companies have not made it mandatory for all tracks.

I agree with paintman 100%.

We're at the point that the technology is already being used regardless if you have someone waving the flags or not. Just another step, people that don't like it will eventually get used to it.

Wall Stadium lost starter Dave Ennis in 1994 on the stand. Dave was hit by a car that came up into the stand. The worse night ever at Wall Stadium.

Agree 100% with what everyone has said above. If you've ever been to a SDS race and were distracted by starter Dave Farney, you will welcome the day when that perch is empty !

They can just hit the green button in the app.

Really ... ?  There goes another part of the show, the entertainment if the flagger is eliminated.  Auto racing still needs the element of "showbiz" if you want to call it that.  Give me starters like Tex Enright and Marty Beberwick from up at Lebanon Valley who had control of the races and also were part of the show. 

So, do they then have a digital checkered flag board rather that someone trowing the checkers?

Joel  

I would like to think that any track that is thinking of eliminating the flagger, would be better served to put the energy and effort into making the area where the flagger is safer, rather than doing away with them altogether.  Same goes for tracks that have corner flaggers.

It is part of the show and although they have been somewhat neutered by race control in the tower, the flagger is still part of the information that the fan can count on to have some idea of what is happening.  (Race is going green next lap... or not...  The initial green, yellow, how many laps left, and even the ocassional blag flag., etc.)  It could all be done with large light panels I guess, but as frustrated as we sometimes get when watching a flagger and maybe expecting a race to go green sooner.... or maybe a start needs to be called back, I think it'd be 10X worse looking at light panels, and waiting for them to change. 

I've seen some sketchy flag stands when watching Flo, so improvement can always be made, and should be made, and I'd like to think that the flagger should have a very loud voice in that discussion.  (I forget what track I was watching on Flo,but the flagger had kind of a complete rollcage around him which caught my eye.)

There's danger getting a car ready to race... Danger in getting the car in and out of the trailer... Danger in driving to the track....  Danger in getting cars in and out of the pits....  Danger in working on racecars in the pits.... Danger in working on the track surface....  Danger in responding to accidents/towing damaged cars off the track....  Danger in watching races to a certain extent.... Danger walking up the bleachers..... And oh yea... almost forgot, there's danger in racing.

Each year/each decade I am amazed and grateful for the  improvements made in safety.  But if we're going to eliminate things in racing just because either they can be replaced by technology, or because there is some element of danger,  then we should all just say home and watch simulated racing.

Kev - I know you've flagged at tracks in many different states.  Did you ever decline to flag due to safety concerns and/or if/when concerns were raised, was anything done?

There's nothing in racing that is 100% safe, but there's also some stuff that is more obvious than others, and at the end of the day, if somebody doesn't think it's safe, (looking at things from the perspective that cars, wheels, parts etc.,., end up where you'd least expect), then they shouldn't get on the stand, and should let track owners/promoters know why.

Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt at a racetrack, and that doesn't start and end with the drivers.

The first thing I thought of when this discussion started was of what the flagman adds to the show.  I have to agree with 3wides that another element of the show will be lost if the flagman is replaced by lights operated by race control.  Afterall, what hooked most of us on racing as kids was the SHOW...loud, colorful, and breathtaking.

I agree with you Joe...With all the cookie cutter car bodys its getting boring enough without taking the starter away...He runs the show(most of the time)...When spectating I always would watch what he was doing if there was an issue on the track...Cant think how bad it would be for the fans...Hard to get good crowds now dont make it worse..I would relate that to taking the Refs out of Pro Football and officiate from the suites...Not A Good Idea...My 2 cents...HtH

Agree with 3-wide message. Keep the starter!

For me, the "flare" of the "live" starter went out the window when Tex Enright's days were over.  Tex was "dancing with the devil" when he started races at Windsor from the inside of the track across from the starter's stand.  Dangerous for sure.  I think all of us who have attended races for a ton of years would think somethings missing if there was not starter.  But realisically, isn't everything controlled from the booth these days?  Even re-starts could be called "upstairs".  The one human element that I feel all tracks should have are spotters, with cummunication to the booth, on every corner.  Hopefully they have more than just a yellow flag.   In summary, I would miss not having a starter, but would get over it.  Scott Ely