NASCAR Flags.... Which Ones are Used for What

NASCAR Flags

Everyone knows what the checkered flag means, and every driver wants to be the first to see it. But what about all the other flags you see during a race? NASCAR flags are an integral part of racing for the drivers and fans. Here's a rundown of what you might see on race day.

Green Flag-signals the beginning or resumption of all racetrack event activities including practice, qualifying runs and race events. This flag is also used after a caution period to tell the drivers that the track is clear and they should begin racing for position.

Yellow Flag- A yellow flag or caution means that there is a hazard on the race track and that the drivers should slow down and stay behind the pace car. This flag typically is displayed when there has been an accident, debris on the track, wet track surface, or any other dangerous condition.
During a yellow flag situation it is forbidden to pass the pace car unless specifically told to by NASCAR (such as the "Lucky Dog"). Doing so will result in a penalty.
At most tracks, except road races, the yellow flag period will last a minimum of three laps. This to allow enough time for all drivers to pit and catch back up to the pace car for the restart.

White Flag- A white flag means that there is one more lap to go in the race or qualifying run. This flag is lets the race leaders know they are on the last lap of the race.

Red Flag- The red NASCAR flag means that all competition must stop. This not only includes the drivers on the race track but also the pit crews. If the crew is working on repairing a car in the garage area then they too must stop work when the red flag is displayed.

The red flag is commonly seen during a rain delay or when the track is blocked due to emergency vehicles or a bad accident.
A red flag is always followed by a few yellow flag laps which allow the drivers a chance to warm up their engines and pit if they need to.


Black Flag- The black flag is called "the consultation flag." It means that the driver who receives it must pit to respond to a NASCAR concern.

Frequently the black flag is given to a driver who breaks a rule of some type such as breaking the speed limit on pit road. A driver receiving a black flag must pit within five laps.

Black Flag With White X- If a driver does not pit within five laps of receiving a black flag they will be shown a black flag with a white 'X' on it.
This flag tells the driver that they are no longer being scored by NASCAR and have been disqualified from the race until they obey the previous black flag and pit.

Blue Flag With Yellow Diagonal Stripe- This is the "courtesy" flag or the "move over" flag. It is the only flag that is optional. A driver may, at his discretion, ignore this flag.
It is displayed to a car to let him know that the leaders are coming up behind them and that should be courteous and move over to let the leaders race.


Checkered Flag-This NASCAR flag means that the race is over. It is used to let drivers know that the race or qualifying run is over.

In the early stages of the history of NASCAR flags ,or the use of colored signal flags, was the only way for racing officials to communicate with drivers during the very noisy racing action.

Almost every racing series in the United States uses the same combination of flag colors, usually waved by a "flagman" standing on a platform at the start/ finish line, allowing NASCAR drivers to know immediately what's happening during the race.

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