THE STARTER
The starters task would be very simple if the field of karts approached the yellow Start Zone Line from the red Formation Line in close formation, one behind the other completely in their lanes at a steady pace between quarter and half speed.
All you as the starter would have to do once the leading karts are within the Start Zone is to extinguish the lights before the pole kart reaches the white Start Line to signal the start of that race.
Sometimes you may have to use the Green Flag. In that case the race start occurs when you first "drop" the green flag in a downward direction.
Diagram #1 shows the Optimum Rolling Start Formation. All karts have maintained their allocated grid positions and are in good formation one behind the other. The Pole Kart has delivered the field from the Red (Formation) Line to the Start Zone at a steady pace between quarter and half speed. For tracks that have Lanes (as shown in the bottom half of diagram #1) all karts are wholly within the lane.
For tracks with only two ‘center lines’ (as shown in the top half of diagram #1) all karts have their rear wheels placed adjacent to the white line.
To provide you with a challenge, a starter's life is often not quite as simple as this! From the time the karts enter the track from the out grid until you extinguish the lights to start the race there are situations you need to be aware of and to look for.
You must not start any race until :-
•Race Control is ready
•the pit gate is shut
•all the required flag points are manned
•anyone authorised to give outside assistance to the Cadet or Vortex Mini ROK classes is positioned within safe areas
•any kart that has "spun up" on the warm up lap is moved from a dangerous position.
Think safety at all times!
Depending on the track design or the class, the karts will either leave the out grid and pass the starter once before approaching the starter a second time - expecting a start - or they will leave the out grid and face the starter on their first approach to the starter.
The exception to this at present is the KZ2 class which has a standing start.
The challenge you have as the starter is being able to deal with the changing pre-start situations correctly before you start a race, or identify those that have not met the requirements of the starting procedure rules. Those karts can be reported by you to the Clerk of Course (CoC) as the Start Line Judge of Fact, after you start the race.