Getting the chequered flag in .NET framework

Encode USS Code 39 in .NET framework Getting the chequered flag

The first driver across the finish line receives the chequered flag As the driver crosses the line to take the chequered flag, you often see him move off the racing line and swerve towards the pits But don t worry; he isn t trying

to scare the man waving the chequered flag Instead, he wants to cross the finishing line and get right alongside his team members, who will be crowded onto the pit wall and cheering him on It is a very special moment winning a Formula One race, and it s probably the only time of the entire weekend when crew and driver can relax for a few short moments

After the chequered flag, the driver has to complete another lap, called the slowing down lap, so that he can return to the pits to celebrate his victory officially It does not matter if the driver is overtaken on this lap, because the race finishes as soon as he has taken the chequered flag On the slowing down lap, race marshals often move to the side of the track to wave coloured flags at the driver and offer their congratulations The driver acknowledges them back often with thumbs up and by clapping his hand He also makes sure to wave at all the fans who have cheered him on his way Formula One drivers, unfortunately, cannot let the celebrations get too wild though In other forms of motor racing, especially in the United States, race winners sometimes complete some doughnuts, when they spin their car round in a fury of tyre smoke This celebratory move isn t allowed in Formula One because the rules state that drivers are not allowed to stop at all on the slowing down lap for fear that teams could cheat by handing items, like extra weight ballast, to their drivers if they stopped The wildest things Formula One drivers can do is usually to spin their rear wheels as they are moving along, wildly shake their car from side to side, or put on some spectacular power slides

Formula One is so popular now that almost nothing happens without it being fully explained, analysed, and logged in the history books Despite that, however, it is amazing to believe that no-one can properly explain why a blackand-white chequered flag is used to end a race Various theories have been put forward: It was a naval flag used by racing drivers who were also seamen, for example, or it came from horse racing, Roman chariot racing, dog racing, the railways or athletics None of these have been proved, and the real answer may well be not so romantic The first photographic evidence of a chequered flag being used was at the first Vanderbilt Trophy race on Long Island in the United States in 1904 and it could have been called into action simply because it could easily be seen against the multi-coloured background of spectators and other signs

When a driver wins a Formula One race, he may suddenly become the most important person at the track that day, but he still has to follow the rules However much the driver may want to drive straight back into his garage, crack open the champagne with his team, and party long into the night, he knows he has to wait a little bit longer for that As soon as he has completed his slowing down lap, the winning driver enters the pit lane and he is directed to an area called parc ferme As its name suggests, this is a closed, fenced-off area where only race officials and drivers are allowed This area is where the post-race checks take place These checks ensure that all cars are legal and that teams haven t cheated in their quest for glory The winning driver s team members and the team members of his two closest challengers all rush up to the side of parc ferme to cheer on their star This is the first time that a driver has seen his team members close up since the end of the race and, if the winner had managed to calm down on the slowing down lap, then this moment is sure to get his emotions flowing again Because the winners don t have long in parc ferme (they need to be weighed and rushed up to the podium ceremony), you often see them rush over to congratulate a handful of people with hugs and perhaps a kiss before they disappear again for a few moments The people a driver is likely to make a special effort to see are the following: His wife or girlfriend His team boss His manager His race engineer His best friend