DC640

first black flag = my first day at the track.. i went off and did some off roading... didnt know i had to pit in.. i kept going for about 4 more laps... later they got pissed. lol.. Opps..

TXE36

Yep, me too. Sunroof multiple times, although I've only made it to the hotpit the first time and managed to figure it out the other, er, 3 times. It's just so easy to do, go out to lunch on a nice day, open the roof and forget about it. For the first one neither the instructor or myself could figure out why. "What's that for?" "I dunno". Guy at black flag looked down on us through the sunroof "Sunroof!".

I now have a policy of not opening it during track weekends until I'm on the way home. Corner workers have better things to do, although the creativeness of the hand gestures is impressive.

-Mike

kurt M

My 1969 912 would pop the hood latch if I twisted the body up enough in a hard corner. No amount of ajustment to the original latch fixed it so I just kept it latched and added a strip of racer tape. Can't see the hood up from the drover seat but you can feel the added air coming through the vents.

Got a meatball in the white car for dribbling oil from a loose case bolt.

Veloce Raptor

"Hey, Fernando, your sunroof is open..."

paradisenb

Oh let me count the times? Too many. Most have been for noise violations. Twice for forgetting to put my window net up - of course first session of first event of the year. But....the one that got under my skin was a 4 off at Sebring-end of Chateau straight. I missed turn in so I took the escape route which is fully paved. I didn't think that counted as 4 off since I was still on pavement. I got a mild reprimand for ignoring the BF. I didn't think it could possible be for me using the escape pavement, what with all the cars with mechanical and blowing engines all over the track. You guys who have attended the Feb race know what the first session looks like there after a long winter break. Ciaos. Complete ciaos.

Sterling Doc

My first black flag was for someone else
Ruined one of my first races. Now I make darn sure it's for me if I think I'm innocent.

I hate punitive black flags - they can't be taken back if they are wrong (like in the blend line violation example) and are open to abuse. Black flags should be for safety issues only. All else can be dealt with after the race, with time and cool heads to get it right.

mrbill_fl

not my 1st, but was given to my student(s) when I was instructing on threshold braking, and using the run out. (saftey pin at sebring, and T9 moroso).

I thought it was bogus.

it was a DE after all, and I was trying to get the student to use the brakes, where there was room escape. (T10 at sebring also has some, but less trackout)

I guess workers didn't like me using it.

both CI's didn't have a problem once I explained, but said to stop because it was causing problems for the workers...

mrbill_fl

Bingo! run outs are there for a reason. especially at a DE. its a training tool.

87turbo911

Three times (DEs).
First- looped it in Turn 1 at WGI before they paved the runoff...(was facing traffic by the time the spin stopped). I knew I was getting a flag for that so there was no surprise.

Second- smoke billowing from my exhaust on startup and early into the first lap (which would go away by the time I got to the pits)...slight leak something that would burn off every time I started the car and ran for a while...it was years ago but I think I remember it being a seal (turbo?). This was a surprise as I hadn't noticed it...of course, I couldn't help but notice it the next time I started the car.

Third- off-roading and spin after going too hot (for my skill level) into turn 1 at MidOhio after a late point-by...but was able to back out of the gravel trap on my own. I knew I was getting a flag so no surprise.

FrankyV

DE in the 90s a friend and I were black flagged to "racing" in a Summit Point DE. Black flag for alleged contact at Road Atlanta in 2012; denied it all as did the other driver and they let us back out to finish the enduro. Black flagged on Sunday at Mid Ohio after my pit stop for a loose window net, yet another enduro result ruined. Should have been black flagged at VIR enduro this year for a broken motor mount bar. Stewards came over after and said they saw it with 5 minutes left and decided to wait and see if the motor would fall out.

ninjacoco

This thread is making me glad I don't like sunroofs.

I've only ever gotten one other black flag--same Type 3, same LeMons race. Someone was spilling oil on the track and they assumed it was us.

{ facepalm }

We over-filled our oil a little bit that morning, but we burned all of ours off! Someone else's car was making the mess.

SiberianDVM

I've had 2 at DEs, and my heart flew up into my throat both times. Comes from growing up in a time when you could still get paddled at school, I guess.

1st was at Roebling, and neither I or my instructor could figure out why they would show us the black flag. I felt better and he felt worse when we came in: he had forgotten to pull up his firesuit top and was riding around comfortably in bare arms.

2nd was at VIR on my 1st solo day. Car started missing on the long uphill pull in 4th gear, and I was trying to duplicate the miss so I could figure out the problem. I missed the 1st checker flag and made an extra lap. Oops. Hopefully will not make THAT mistake again as they were not happy.

Larry L

My first black flag was on a track tour at Road Atlanta.

MikeJim

I could have sworn the guy pointed me by.

Mister C

Only one and I was mad.

Group carting race with my team in second place with only 10 laps to go. Someone had also just bested by FTD.

I take the anchor laps and was going for the win and the FTD. Got greedy, then was blocked out of several attempted passes. On last pass attempt I got too aggressive and tapped the guy in front of me. Black flagged and put in the "box" for 2 minutes. We lost the race and no FTD for me.

I was pissed but had no one to blame but myself.