WTF happened (or indeed should have happened) there then?

I've looked through the online Blue book today and can't really see a rule. I was expecting something that indicated an aborted start, either yellow or red flags. As soon as cars started steaming past, I decided it was better to be moving than sitting.

Can anybody point to the right section?

Interestingly our regs say;

3.6.7 A five second board will be used to indicate that the grid is complete. The red lights will be switched on five seconds after the board is withdrawn.
In the event of any starting lights failure the Starter will revert to the use of the National Flag.

I'd have sworn there would be a 3 -8 sec timing for the red - but I haven't found it yet...........

Q 12.14 states that the start will be given "not less than four, or more than ten seconds after all cars are stationary. A five second board will be used to indicate that the grid is complete and the red lights will be switched off approximately five seconds after the board is withdrawn". There does not appear to be any regulations concerning an aborted start. In my opinion as the ten seconds had long passed a "Delayed Start" board should have been shown and the red lights left on rather than just pulling the plug and let chaos commence.

The lights clearly were malfunctioning as they came on after the first start on their own which caused confusion at the marshal post at the chicane. The delay in putting the red flag out was too late to prevent the first cars arriving at the start finish line at race pace.

If it had not been so serious it would have been laughable.

Thanks Peter - I was sure that existed somewhere.
So between the MSA regs and our championship regs it was very definitely a false start and rather a dangerous one......
Do BARC owe us a race then....?
I think an apology would have been appropriate........

Should we raise it and get an official answer?

A bunch of cars being allowed to sit there toasting their clutches, whilst waiting forsomebody to find the fuse box isn't something I'd really like to see again.

All

I will be raising it at the next meeting of the Sporting Development Committee of which I am now a member [as well as being a member of the Management Committee of BARC under the new Chairman].

For now perhaps we can rest the matter by me as a Director apologisng on behalf of BARC forthe equipment failure and consequent confusion.

Just as well it was the responsible bunch that Clubmans drivers are....

Thanks for taking this up for us a Club, Jamie. I have received a few direct calls and messages to express deep concern over what could have been an issue with serious consequences, so learning what went wrong and rectifying the problem for the future is key for those in control of the meeting.

Thank you Jamie for the offer....
My point was that an instant apology from the responsible person was what would have been appropriate. Any one can screw up but first admitting it and then putting corrective action in place to avoid a repetition is key.
My fear is that due to their apparent ambivalence BARC will do neither.

I don't believe there is a 'sorry' board on the start gantry for making instant apologies and I doubt many of the competitors would have wanted another red flag in order to be given one ;)

I am given to understand that the issue was a sudden wiring fault [as opposed to a known repetitive fault]. The ability to 'take corrective action'does require that first one establishes what the problem is. A national flag will be present in future to be prepared.