Passing Under Yellow Caution Flags At Road Atlanta Resulted In Penalties
IRVINE, CA – April 28, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Four riders from SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race two at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on April 24 were penalized for passing under a yellow caution flag on the final lap, which has since caused controversy in the racing community. The riders penalized were Kayla Yaakov, Cody Wyman, Levi Badie and Gus Rodio. Following the penalties, Yaakov was demoted from first to third, Wyman from third to fourth and Rodio from fourth to fifth. Badie crashed in the final corner on the last lap, which neutralized his penalty as he failed to finish.
The leading pack of SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup racers make their way through the esses at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
With Yaakov docked two positions, Max Van was declared the winner, his first-career victory in the MotoAmerica Championship. Aden Thao was second with Yaakov third, Wyman fourth and Rodio fifth.
The decision to penalize was based on the following:
When a rider racing behind the lead pack crashed on the penultimate lap in Turn 10, yellow flags were immediately deployed in the appropriate locations both on the back straight leading to Turn 10 and directly adjacent to Turn 10. Stewards left their positions and went into the gravel trap to assist the downed rider. Per international rules, a standing yellow flag denotes hazards off the racing surface, while waving yellow flags denote hazards on the track surface itself. As the rider was not on the track, and since there was no debris on the track, a standing yellow flag was deployed, according to the rules. As the lead pack approached the yellow-flag zone, the downed rider was still in the gravel trap near his bike, and stewards were still present providing assistance. At the point when the leaders entered the yellow-flag zone, several riders continued to race through both yellow flags…
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