The 7 Flags of Racing (part 1)

In honor of the newly formed NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Racing) Hall Of Fame, I have decided to do a breakdown of all 7 flags used in the sport today. Today we will break down the 3 most important: The green flag, checkered flag and yellow flag.

Green Flag

The green flag signals the start/restart of each race. It is flown at the beginng of the race and each time the race resumes following any cautions or delays. Sometimes you may hear the term “green flag conditions” which just means the laps are not under caution or delay. The only other time a green flag is used is at the entrance of pit road. When it is flown in this manner, it indicates to the drivers that pit road is available for pit stops.

Yellow Flag

The yellow flag (caution flag) indicates to the driver that either a wreck, debris or some other situation has forced the race to come “under caution”. When this happens, speed limits are restricted and passing is not allowed. In NASCAR, a pace car will come onto the track to limit the speeds of the drivers and essentially line them up for the restart. The only time passing is allowed under caution is during pit stops; however, pit “row” has a speed limit as well.

Checkered Flag

The most recognizable flag of NASCAR and racing in general is of course: the checkered flag. This flag simply means that the race is finished. Most often this occurs when all laps are completed but can also be used in times where weather or track conditions have made it impossible to continue and the end of the race has been determined by NASCAR officials. Many times following the end of the race, the winner will drive a “victory lap” around the track holding the flag outside of the window.

You can check out our NASCAR or racing flag set to get the racing flags you need! Check back for part 2 of our NASCAR flag breakdowns!