Fickle is as fickle does.
Our last race at Infineon (Sears Point) we had a real time, not open book, test of the GCR and start procedures and what can go wrong if things, well, don't go right.
As we rolled down to the start, everything seemed normal. I was about five rows back in the CF pack (Group 4 in SF Region is FF, CF, and FV). As we roll toward the bend in the straight I was glancing at the flag stand and the row in front of me, back and forth, back and forth.
When I saw the green flag I launched and was off. As I approached Tom Duncan's VD RF98 at what seemed like Mach 2, I saw his arm up in the air wildly waving back and forth. I missed him by plenty (maybe a few inches). I was confused as half the field seemed to be signaling a "no start" and half was hard on it. Like a good Puritan boy, I fell in behind Tom and waited for the Black Flag All.
After I passed the first turn and saw no double yellow, no black flag, no red flag, I too was on it, if waaay back, largely due to my clean conscience at all cost Puritan upbringing. I spent the rest of the race getting back to where I thought I might finish before all the drama at the start occurred. In the last few laps I spun coming out of the carousel, perhaps trying too hard to catch Chuck Horn up, and that race was toast.
After the race, I came up to some of the FF guys and they were talking about the start. Seems as the front few rows of FF’s came rolling down to the start, the starter was shaking her head "No". All the FF’s up front thought that meant, "No start". Seems most of those that had radios, also got the "No start, no start" from their spotters.
Things got kind of hairy when the gal in the starter's stand apparently changed her mind and flew the green flag (I didn't say a word!). Thankfully for me, I was too far back to see the head shake "NO", so while confused the whole race at exactly WTF had happened, I was not officially enough misinformed to be totally screwed up. The guys with the radios were hosed.
In the end, nowadays even at venues like the Runoff's where the first two qualifiers might be separated by over a second, it really doesn’t matter how the front few rows start, but even then, for sure, some starts are more exciting than others. :debris:
OK, you made me dig up the GCR
Upon determining that the approaching field is at a constant slow speed, well bunched and in line, and close enough that the majority of the drivers can see the flag, the Starter shall suddenly and continuously wave the green flag, until all cars have passed the start line. The race shall be under way throughout the field at the instant the green flag is waved and passing may occur at any point, within reasonable safety standards.
H. If the Starter determines that the field is not in good order, or that some drivers have improved their positions by moving out of line or by passing prior to the waving of the green flag, the Starter shall abort the start by making no flag movements whatsoever, and at the same time shake his or her head in a negative manner, to indicate that a start shall not take place. This will inform the drivers to proceed on another pace lap. Drivers will raise one hand to indicate that the start is aborted. (Except as provided in 6.2.3.B.)
I. Should an aborted start occur and additional pace laps be run, those additional laps will be run under double standing yellow flags at all flag stations, and they shall be scored as race laps. Timing will start when the pole car crosses the timing control line, unless otherwise specified by the Supplementary Regulations for the event.
J. A car may not improve its position in the field once it comes under the Starter’s orders, regardless of circumstances.
1. A car that fails to start with the pack or falls out of position during a pace lap relinquishes its grid position. It may rejoin the field only at the rear of the pack.
2. A car that improves its position is guilty of a false start and may be penalized. A false start shall occur when a driver under the Starter’s orders moves forward from his or her prescribed position before the start. In the case of a rolling start, this movement shall refer to improving the driver’s position in relation to the moving field by moving out of line or passing prior to the waving of the green flag.
3. If the Chief Steward determines that a false start has occurred, and the race has been started, that driver or drivers may be black-flagged and held in the pits or at the start line for a period of up to one minute. Other penalties may also be imposed. (See 7., Penalties)
I have seen pole-sitters cause a wave-off by playing games, accelerating then braking, trying to cause the field to get screwed up in an attempt to get an unfair jump. I've seen the situation where the pole sitter was rightfully penalized 3 positions for such actions.
Pg 49-50
Note the first sentence says CONSTANT, slow speed.
Larry
problem with watching other group starts..
there is a problem if one tries to watch how the starters flag other groups.
the starter specialty typically has multiple people who are qualified to perform the actual flag waving for the start.
and they rotate the job around among them.
so, the person you watch wave the flag for a prior group may not be the one for our group.
obviously each starter has their own criteria as to when to throw the flag or do a wave-off.
in Atl region, I know that John Goetzman, a veteran FF driver, usually starts at least one of the formula car groups because of his prior experience as a driver. I don't know for sure, but it may work that way for other groups too.