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When the orange roll bar rule was proposed, I assumed it was meant to help SRF drivers to distinguish GEN3's from GEN2's more easily in their mirrors. (By the way, the roll bar marking works very well in that regard.) One thing that I did not consider is that the orange roll bar also makes it very easy for corner workers to distinguish the cars and help out with blue flags when GEN3's are overtaking GEN2's.

One potential issue is the requirement that GEN3's have an orange roll bar may not be well known outside of the spec racer community. A member of the corner worker team approached me in impound after the spec racer race at Blackhawk Farms yesterday to confirm that the orange roll bar was meant to distinguish GEN3's from other SRF's. He said they had not received any official word about the orange roll bar prior to the event but had noticed that the cars with the orange bars were much faster and sounded different. He said he would make a point of mentioning it in their crew meeting during the week and they would be using blue flags when they saw GEN3's approaching GEN2's.

Peter,

If we could educate the corner workers in all the regions it would be helpful.

Unfortunately, my exeprience driving around the country a couple of years ago, was that corner workers would throw the Blue Flag if there was another car within 5-10 car lengths of your tail. Even when it occurred several laps in a row. Many do not actually realize that we are the same HP, and don't understand that (at least until the Gen3), that few cars would be able to overtake from that distance.

But it would be a nice unintended consequence.

GCR Pg 56
6.1.1
C. BLUE FLAG (Blue with Diagonal Yellow Stripe)
Another competitor is following very closely or is trying to overtake.
This flag may be displayed standing or waving, depending upon the
speed differential.

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The blue flag is advisory. It's intended to make drivers aware there is another car behind. In SCCA Club Racing it is not specifically telling you you'e being overtaken and it's not a command to allow the car behind to pass. You are still responsible to abide by 6.11.1 A, B, C & D according to your own judgement.

I used to work F&C, and we would set our blue flags down for the SRF race. Now with the Gen 3s, they have to start using them again.

I'd highly recommend all Gen3 cars tape the entire tallman bar. Some cars have a very small amount of tape on the bar and it is hard to see them coming. It behooves us all if we can tell it is a Gen3 on its way through the field.

SRF27 wrote:I'd highly recommend all Gen3 cars tape the entire tallman bar. Some cars have a very small amount of tape on the bar and it is hard to see them coming. It behooves us all if we can tell it is a Gen3 on its way through the field.

Totally agree -- take the guesswork out of looking in the mirrors.

Also speak up and remind everyone involved.
At the drivers meeting last weekend in NH where SRF and Gen3's were mixed in with production cars, I made it a point to tell everyone about the orange rollbar identification. Not surprising but many of the production cars were unaware of this. The chief steward was also present and said he would make the workers aware. During lunch I took it one step further and let a corner work know as well who said he would advise the other stations. Flagging at this event as a result I thought was excellent.