Race Timing System: Start a race from the display

Start a race from the display

Select the correct race, then press Start selected race at the gun. A successful start stores the server timestamp and scheduled timestamp in SQLite and writes an audit event. The live clock and all gun-time calculations use this actual start. Required chip crossings still determine individual chip times; pre-start observations remain archived and are excluded from timing.

Starts survive browser refreshes, receiver restarts and CLI status/export commands. Repeated start requests return the original timestamp without resetting it. A stale race selection is rejected. Starting a race that already has finishers is rejected to avoid changing recorded results. There is no reset/restart action in this release; a rerun needs a new timing database. Starting a race does not edit its Sports Hub schedule or publish anything remotely.

The local database creates a race_starts table automatically. Existing sessions and scheduled-time calculations remain compatible for result review/export; the live clock waits for a manual trigger. Do not trigger a historical race with existing results. The start route requires both the existing local login and the page's CSRF token. Users with this local timing login can trigger starts; use a trusted operator's browser for the controls.