Young Flagman Is Why We Need To Keep Them In The Sport

Photo Credit - Patrick Carpenter

If you have been watching East Bay on FloRacing you have heard Dustin Jarrett and James Essex talking about the young flagman in the stands. Meet Declan Carpenter from West Virgina. He has the whole flag set beside him in the stands just before the flagman.

In the offseason we all have read where tracks are removing a flagman and going electronically meaning more technology into out sport. I understand for safety and all for that but do we really need to remove them? Most drivers can't see them and rely more on the race director using Raceceiver to communicate to them but what about the fans? What about preserving the position?

Steve Arpin and Brandon Sheppard greets Declan with a door panel that BShepp autographed

We all know technology fails so then what happens? Why can't we have both? How many times has a driver's battery die or at some of these tracks there's interference? I know there's more issues that need to be addressed in dirt racing but as a fan in the stands how often do we look at the flagman. What about these tracks that don't have a working electronic scoreboard to know when it's halfway or 5 laps to go?

So please don't remove the chief starter,flagger, flagman , or whatever name you have for the position. Most kids imitate them in the stands whether it's a full set of flags as Declan has or the checkered flag you buy your kids at the souvenir trailer please don't take that away.