Flagging and Communications, the F&C people, can be found all the way around the course on any race day. Next to the drivers, the flaggers are the most visible people on the track. We are a very important part of the race. We keep the track clean, respond to incidents and communicate with the drivers. The F&C folks use flags and hand signals to communicate track conditions to each driver. F&C serves as first-responder to any incident on course. Communications are continuous with Race Control maintaining information flow to and from the operating stewards. F&C people also staff Race Control working directly with the Operating Stewards.

When an accident, incident, or emergency situation occurs we are the first people on the scene. We are the people that run out there with fire extinguisher in hand when something goes wrong.

The job is to assist the driver and assess their condition, assess the scene and evaluate it and request emergency equipment or help when needed. We are constantly assessing the racing surface, watching for oil or debris and dealing with it as it occurs. Between race sessions and sometimes during sessions we will sweep the track or clear it of debris.

We observe competitors for driving behavior and mechanical condition of their cars and keep Race Control updated on any developments.

To quote a former WDCR Flag Chief, “To be a good flagger, you must employ many of the qualities that you need to be a good driver – concentration, situational awareness of what is going on in the race, the ability to keep your cool when things get hairy, and the ability to multi-process a lot of inputs.”