Chief Starter?

[kestral]

I have just been looking through old Hot Rod and Custom Mags and I came across an excellant photograph taken by Eric Saweer. The potographn is titled Heroes and Villains and is of Gene Snow and Raymond Beadle at the startline at the Pod in Sept 1979. In the middle of the two cars is stood a man with his arms folded looking traight ahead I believe his name is Stuart Bradbury and he was the Chief Starter at Santa Pod. Does anyone know what his duties as Chief Starter were? Does he have the power to stop the race? Does he have any control over the Christmass tree? Thanks.

[Barry B]

If Stuart's powers were anything like Ian Marshall's are nowadays then yes he can stop the race. If drivers seem to be taking too long to go into stage for example, the starter is quite within his rights to motion them both away from the startline. Matter of fact I seem to recall this happening once during a Pro Stock "staging duel" in the states between Warren 'lip up, dummy out' Johnson and Scott Geoffrion if, memory serves.
Closer to home, If one Sunday Ian Marshall leans in your racecar and tells you it's Wednesday... it's Wednesday.

[Tet]

Barry B said:

If drivers seem to be taking too long to go into stage for example, the starter is quite within his rights to motion them both away from the startline.

True, although more commonly, only one driver will be penalised, and the other will run on a single, having been waiting in stage for the other driver to light both bulbs. I beat Rick McCann a couple of years ago when he was disqualified for taking too long to get into stage. I myself was a victim of exactly the same thing (unfairly, IMHO, but there you go) at the Springspeed Festival at Shakey a few weeks ago, although fortunately it wasn't in eliminations, so the only downside was that I missed a round of qualifying.

[DWphil]

I think in 1979 the system was automatic and the starter did not actually start the race.

[Nitroalkyholic]

DWphil said:

I think in 1979 the system was automatic and the starter did not actually start the race.

Any ideas how that worked Phil ?
Was the system started by the vehicle going into stage, or by a 3rd party in the tower?
Wasnt around then so I have no idea.

Darren

[DWphil]

As far as i can remember it was fully automatic , once the cars had both staged the countdown to green was activated . The timing crew could only stop the countdown [ like an emergency stop ] or reset it after the cars had run ready for the next pair. There was an indepth story about it in the old Drag racing news which i have somewhere i'll look it up.

[veryoldfart]

Flags, thats what we need again, lets get back to basics, and Stu Bradbury did use them on a few occasions i seem to recall.

[Time Machine]

veryoldfart said:

Flags, thats what we need again, lets get back to basics, and Stu Bradbury did use them on a few occasions i seem to recall.

It was great watching flag started hot rods (and the odd nostalgia car) run over the eighth at Shakey last year Or was it the year before) at eiter the Hot Rod Drags or the Nostalgia Nationals. Or was it in fact at the August Bank Holiday meet?

Damn my memory is good, must be all the methanol fumes pickling my brain.

[Barry B]

Time Machine said:

It was great watching flag started hot rods (and the odd nostalgia car) run over the eighth at Shakey last year Or was it the year before) at eiter the Hot Rod Drags or the Nostalgia Nationals. Or was it in fact at the August Bank Holiday meet?

Damn my memory is good, must be all the methanol fumes pickling my brain.

It was the 2005 Custom Car Allstar Nationals

[Time Machine]

Barry B said:

It was the 2005 Custom Car Allstar Nationals

That's the one, cheers.

That was a really good race meeting, I loved the combination of Hot Rods, racing and satic displays. Gave the place a completely different feel to Santa Pod which I think is a good thing as the tracks themselves are so different. One of the best things about racing at Shakey is the relaxed atmosphere which simply isn't possibly at Santa Pod, partly down to the layout of the strip and partly down to the sheer scale of the meetings held there.

[topnitro]

I know it was a special occasion, but there was also a little big of 'flag' starting at the Easter Thunderball 2006, on the Saturday. Santa Pod were celebrating their 40th Birthday and there was a special ceremony to induct several members into the newly established Hall of fame.

Stu Bradbury shows how the job should be done:-
http://www.topnitro.co.uk/06-Thunderball/Saturday/...

Stu waves away Chris Hartnell from the line where I shot the wheelie and Roger G (by the Xmas Tree) got the flag waving by Stu...
http://www.topnitro.co.uk/06-Thunderball/Saturday/...

And afterwards at the photo-call on the line. From left to right Dave Stone (receiving the award on behalf of late father Dennis), Roz Prior, Stu Bradbury (he could have sold hundreds of those jackets), Dave Riswick (John Woolfe racing) and Top Fuel's Ultra-Legend, Dennis Priddle.
http://www.topnitro.co.uk/06-Thunderball/Saturday/...

[nitromaniac]

The Chief Starter has full power over everything on the starting line, and beyond. He has control over when to press the start button.
After one car goes into full stage, the other car/driver has so many seconds or his light goes red.

[nitromaniac]

DWphil said:

As far as i can remember it was fully automatic , once the cars had both staged the countdown to green was activated . The timing crew could only stop the countdown [ like an emergency stop ] or reset it after the cars had run ready for the next pair. There was an indepth story about it in the old Drag racing news which i have somewhere i'll look it up.

The “Auto Start” system is used these days, after one driver lights the second stage bulb, the other driver only has seven seconds to stage. Otherwise, he’s “timed out” and the red light automatically comes on in his lane.

[kestral]

Was there a 20 second rule at one time.

[MotorPsycho]

I was of the opinion it was up to the chief starter, 7 seconds was the rough figure but it was at the starters discretion

and I've just noticed; nitromaniac you directly contradict yourself in your last two posts

Edited by MotorPsycho on Friday 15th June 13:15

[DWphil]

nitromaniac said:

The Chief Starter has full power over everything on the starting line, and beyond. He has control over when to press the start button.
After one car goes into full stage, the other car/driver has so many seconds or his light goes red.

The question was about Stu in 1979 and the system was automatic then. As you say now the starter has control.

[NitroWars]

DWphil said:

The question was about Stu in 1979 and the system was automatic then. As you say now the starter has control.

The same system was in use in 1987 when I was Chief Starter as it was in 1979.
As Chief Starter then you had contol over the track and what went down it up to the point when you waved them into stage. The timing system was the one built by Peter Billinton of G-Max fame. Once the first vehicle went into stage there was a set time for the second vehicle to stage before being time-out (bulbed) and it was a ridiculous length of time compared with today's standard. Once both vehicles had staged there was a delay programmed in by the timekeepers sitting in the tower before the amber(s) appeared so as racers could not anticipate the running of the tree.

[Benni]

Hi DragRaceFanz !
I think the job of a starter is a very responsible one,
and requires a whole lot of sensibilty,
also insight into the different classes and drivers.
There are fair and unfair burndowns,
the starter has to know the difference.
I mean that a "fair" burndown is happening when both racers know what they are doing,
and they want to test out the nerves of the guy in the other lane.
I think I have seen Ian realize that, then step back demostratively,
fold his arms and let his body language say : "Ok Boyz, if you want to play, do it."
Only when the last driver finally lit both bulbs,
he did not play this drivers game by instantly hitting the START button,
but then took his time to do it, thereby evening out the psyching game.
Like the Main Event 05, first round between Freddy (blown) and Peter Wacker (nitrous).
They took about 30 seconds to stage,
and Freddy later told me he had to press on the brake handle with his arm AND upper leg,
because the car wanted to move but Freddy didn´t.
Finally Wacker went in stage first, the starter did take HIS time,
and Wacker still had Freddy on the holeshot.
Or the Super Twin Top Fuel guys, they love to play even in qualifying,
just for the fun of it.
Ton and Acka always were/are good for this,amongst others,
and when I realize what´s going on,
I just say "the race has already started" to the audience
and keep quiet till they make big noise @ green.
Of course, there are also unfair burndowns/waiting times,
where the starter has to interfere by signalling one racer to MOVE forward,
or he has no run at all.
Like, when one racer is already in stage and the other hesitates without technical reason.
Therefore the starter has to know the classes and drivers,
wich one is just "cleaning his plugs" inches before the beams by revving in neutral,
and wich one is attempting an unfair delay.
At Hockenheim, we had the "Autostart" system doing the job for the 1st time last year,
and I did not like it at all, in my opinion it also added to the stress there was.
I could have understood it if the race was to be broadcast live on TV,
where tight schedules have to be kept, but this was not the case.
If this is happening again in 07 I do not know yet.
Cheers,
Benni