New Safety Car regulations

Trevor Williams · February 08, 2009, 16:34:18

Some of you may be aware that the way the safety car is implemented in 2009. It may not affect our shorter races, but I am sure it will be seen at the 24 Hour

I will try and get a copy posted on the website, but needless to say, I fully expect to be taking money off racers in my other guise!!

Cheers

Trevor

Derek Coghill · February 14, 2009, 16:01:16

Can you elaborate on this a bit? There's almost nothing in the blue book apart from "regulations available on request...".

Trevor Williams · February 16, 2009, 09:03:38

I will try and get a copy to Chris, though you should be able to download them from the MSA website

Basically, when the decision is made to use the safety car, yellow flags and boards go out at the start line, and flow around the track in BOTH directions. This means no more racing back to the line, as you are immediately under safety car.
When the safety car is called in, lights out as usual, leader maintains the pace of the safety car, NO speeding up, slowing down, weaving about etc. Green flag shown at the start line, it flows around the tack in the same way as the yellow. NO OVERTAKING until you pass the start line

Clear?
Trevor

Matthew Hollis · February 16, 2009, 11:08:31

So basically if you see the "SC" board anywhere on the circuit you must not overtake, but when you see a green flag afterwards anywhere on the circuit (i.e. if you are not in the safety car line as you've just come out of the pits) you must wait until you cross the start/finish line to overtake? ??? Am I right?

I thought for one horrible moment we would be subjected to the new F1 rule! :D

Trevor Williams · February 16, 2009, 13:34:47

As far as I understand it, on your first point yes.
The green flag is a good one, but if the safety car was still out when you left the pits yes, though I tihnk there needs to be a bit of thought on that. If the race was about to go green, you may be held in the pits till it had restarted (this is only my thought on that point)

helen deeley · February 16, 2009, 16:33:10

??? Im so confused. Can everyone just promise not to crash or break down so we dont have to have a safety car? ;D

Andrew Bull · February 16, 2009, 17:29:45

If i understand it correctly then, you will very quickly be under safety car conditions as and when it is deployed. Meaning safety car pace around the circuit and also no overtaking.

Does this mean it will be more difficult to form a train behind the SC? and subsequently, catch the train if you are at the opposite side of the circuit?

regards

Be-fuddled of Barnsley

Trevor Williams · February 16, 2009, 18:59:37

Bully
You don't have to go at "safety car pace" unless you are behind the safety car. The problem that the 24 hour race has suffered from when the safety car is deployed is that some drivers drive too slowly to ever catch the train. You have to drive at a pace that is not flat out, and remain in control, being prepared to take avoiding action, or stopping.
It looks more confusing than it is, though I believe that there will have to be a briefing regarding the use of the safety car and what the drivers must do at Snetterton.
On another point, I can't wait for the oportunity of penalising someone for overtaking under the green flag!!

Chris Yates · February 16, 2009, 22:15:57

I published the documents describing the change earlier. These are available from the front page of the 2cvracing.org.uk website (for the moment), or in the news section.

Direct link to the article is: http://www.2cvracing.org.uk/news/61-updated-safety-car-rules-09

Andrew Bull · February 17, 2009, 12:38:16

your evil, pure evil!!

Derek Coghill · February 17, 2009, 19:20:56

Providing the safety car driver does his job properly - ie bunching the cars up behind by not going too fast - there shouldn't be a problem with overtaking as the only non-bunched cars will be those that have nipped into the pits and they'll more than likely be on their own.

Martin Harrold · February 17, 2009, 20:28:42

Err, at night, we can hardly see the yellow stick light thingies. Will they be introducing green stick stick light thingies which we also won't be able to see?

And, to put this all into perspective, apart from one of John Davis' drivers a couple of years ago, who shall remain nameless, when was there last any kind of even minor accident under the safety car?

I think that this new rule maybe relevant with Caterhams and F Renault which are plagued by red flags, and Britcar 24hour (whoops, sorry, 6 hour, almost a sprint this year) where you have huge differentials in speeds.

No doubt Ian Watson and his guys will put a sensible interpretation on the new rule.

Trevor Williams · February 17, 2009, 22:25:05

Martin
The reason the MSA has introduced these new regulations is because of "sensible interpretation" by various clubs.

The MSA wants uniformity in the deployment of the safety car to stop this

As for night time, they will have to sort brighter lights

Derek,
The safety car driver is under the control of the Clerk and is told to speed up or slow down as required over the radio. The difficulty will be waving back markers through during the night!

Trevor

Paul Robertson · February 18, 2009, 08:56:06

[quote author

Derek,
The safety car driver is under the control of the Clerk and is told to speed up or slow down as required over the radio. The difficulty will be waving back markers through during the night!

Trevor
[/quote]
They ought to have a light sabre as well then trev.

helen deeley · February 18, 2009, 09:22:29

When did the safety car last wave any backmarkers through? I thought it would try to pick up the leaders if it could but we were briefed that it may just slot in where it could?

New Safety Car regulations

Paul Robertson