Stewards are still placed around the track Terry
All the racing codes are about betting nowadays and that is the reason the standing start for pacers disappeared - people were upset if they did not get a run for their money
With all today's technology I think we could have MOBILE HANDICAPS - maybe a little slower than at present but still faster than walk up starts
Maybe keep the mobile barrier vehicle for the front line
then you have those off the second line as the first level of handicap
Then you can have a couple of other handicap distances at whatever handicap you wish 20m, 30m, 50m, ....
These races would start in the home straight where we have a sprint lane
These handicapped distances of say 20m and 40m would be paced/lined up by a noiseless electric scooter on the inside (who can then pull off easily into the spr lane)
The scooter riders (possibly with a passenger so that one is concentrating on driving and the other on the horses) would be in communication with the front row starter/mobile vehicle and as is the case now the starter can issue instructions to numbers to move up or pull back. The harness drivers know that they cannot be ahead of their pacing scooter
There would be technology that tells the scooter driver that he is the right distance from the front line (a set speed for the vehicles would of course help them get their distances right)
What do you think?
It would be interesting to see if front row drivers would learn to make use of their advantage. In pro Athletics and Cycling you will never see the frontmarkers make it easy for the backmarkers to eat up their handicap