I just got back from the midget races at Grundy County Fairgrounds. And, maybe this is done all over, but, it is the first time I saw this. I am 70 years old and don't get out to the races anymore.

At the track, on the restarts, a cone in placed just before the third turn, being 4 turns to the track. This cone is placed near the outside wall. On the restart, the cars must go thru the gap between the cone and the wall. All cars going single file before they go into the turn. What this does is to prevent any cars in toward the middle or back of the field jumping the start. They all have to go into turn 3 single file. After all cars have passed, the cone is yanked off the track by a cord. I should say, that this probably only works for paved tracks, which Grundy County Fairgrounds is.

Well, if you know all about the above item, here is something else. During a heat race of midgets, on the second lap as the cars go by, the flagman is felled. He goes down to the floor on the perch which is out side of the track. The race is red flagged, because of an accident involving 3 cars. The flagman gets up and then goes to the inside of the track to an ambulance at the accident of the 3 cars. He must have been O.K., because he came back and flagged all the races.

The cone is pretty universal in short track open wheel racing these days...at the track I work at, it's placed halfway up the track on the frontstretch at the start/finish line, and nobody can pass until they go by the cone...once they field goes by, it's pulled off the track...The World of Outlaws and many other sprint car organizations do it this way as well...

Something I wanted to add about Grundy County Fairgrounds during the running of midget races. For The National Anthem, they had these little kids, maybe kindergarten to 1st grade sing The National Anthem. I know it is not proper to appluad after The National Anthem, but, the crowd really let the kids know they liked it.

NoviVespa3 - 17 August 2008 05:06 PM

Something I wanted to add about Grundy County Fairgrounds during the running of midget races. For The National Anthem, they had these little kids, maybe kindergarten to 1st grade sing The National Anthem. I know it is not proper to appluad after The National Anthem, but, the crowd really let the kids know they liked it.

It might be unusual, but I'm not sure it's not proper. Al least I'd never known that before. I know I have appauded well done renditions of the NA by children as well as adults.

Most dirt tracks here in the northeast use the cone-on-a-rope. I had never heard of it used that far from the flag stand, but whatever works. Most tracks that I have frequented put it somewhere from the exit of turn 4 to just short of the flagstand.
It eliminates a lot of down time from restarts for jumping the green, and mostly it's safe for the track staff.