1 , ▁Mary ▁F . ▁H ul man ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁rec ite ▁the ▁starting ▁command ▁due ▁to ▁an ▁ill ness . ▁In ▁that ▁year , ▁Mari ▁George ▁rec ited , ▁her ▁first ▁time ▁performing ▁the ▁honor . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁years , ▁the ▁starting ▁command ▁has ▁been ▁adopted ▁to ▁start ▁all ▁sorts ▁of ▁auto ▁racing ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁including ▁but ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁NAS C AR . ▁However , ▁in ▁many ▁ven ues ▁outside ▁of ▁Ind y , ▁the ▁phrase ▁" D ri vers , ▁start ▁your ▁engines " ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁preferred ▁version . ▁ ▁Honor ary ▁st arter ▁ ▁A ▁recently - added ▁tradition ▁is ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁an ▁honor ary ▁st arter . ▁A ▁special ▁guest ▁has ▁been ▁invited ▁in ▁recent ▁years ▁to ▁wave ▁the ▁green ▁flag ▁to ▁start ▁the ▁race . ▁Starting ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁tradition ▁was ▁expanded ▁where ▁another ▁celebr ity ▁or ▁special ▁guest ( s ) ▁arriv es ▁on ▁race ▁morning ▁by ▁hel ic opter ▁to ▁cer emon iously ▁deliver ▁the ▁green ▁flag ▁or ▁the ▁check ered ▁flag . ▁The ▁official ▁st arter ▁( or ▁" flag man "), ▁however , ▁is ▁a ▁trained ▁race ▁official , ▁and ▁handles ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁flag ging ▁duties ▁during ▁the ▁race . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁due ▁to ▁two ▁early ▁ca ution ▁periods , ▁honor ary ▁st arter ▁Jack ▁Nich ol son ▁elected ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁the ▁st arter ' s ▁per ch ▁for ▁an ▁additional ▁few