diff --git a/visualiser/src/main/java/seng302/Controllers/StartController.java b/visualiser/src/main/java/seng302/Controllers/StartController.java
index 5903792b..ad173df1 100644
--- a/visualiser/src/main/java/seng302/Controllers/StartController.java
+++ b/visualiser/src/main/java/seng302/Controllers/StartController.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ public class StartController extends Controller implements Observer {
      */
     public void startRaceNoScaling() {
         //startRace(1);
+        while(visualiserInput.getRaceStatus() == null);
         countdownTimer(1);
     }
 
@@ -181,6 +182,7 @@ public class StartController extends Controller implements Observer {
         try {
             visualiserInput = new VisualiserInput(socket, raceData);
             new Thread(visualiserInput).start();
+            startRaceNoScaling();
         } catch (IOException e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
         }
diff --git a/visualiser/src/main/resources/scenes/start.fxml b/visualiser/src/main/resources/scenes/start.fxml
index 049c847a..ca3c2e3a 100644
--- a/visualiser/src/main/resources/scenes/start.fxml
+++ b/visualiser/src/main/resources/scenes/start.fxml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 <?import javafx.scene.layout.RowConstraints?>
 <?import javafx.scene.text.Font?>
 
-<AnchorPane fx:id="startWrapper" maxHeight="1.7976931348623157E308" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/8" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" fx:controller="seng302.Controllers.StartController">
+<AnchorPane fx:id="startWrapper" maxHeight="1.7976931348623157E308" maxWidth="1.7976931348623157E308" visible="false" xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/8" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1" fx:controller="seng302.Controllers.StartController">
     <children>
         <GridPane fx:id="start" prefHeight="600.0" prefWidth="780.0" AnchorPane.bottomAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.leftAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.rightAnchor="0.0" AnchorPane.topAnchor="0.0">
             <columnConstraints>
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
                 </TableView>
                 <Label fx:id="timeZoneTime" contentDisplay="CENTER" text="Local time..." GridPane.columnIndex="2" GridPane.halignment="CENTER" GridPane.rowIndex="3" GridPane.valignment="CENTER" />
                 <Label fx:id="timer" text=" " GridPane.columnIndex="2" GridPane.halignment="CENTER" GridPane.rowIndex="5" />
-            <Label fx:id="raceStartLabel" text="Starting time..." visible="false" GridPane.columnIndex="2" GridPane.halignment="CENTER" GridPane.rowIndex="1" />
+            <Label fx:id="raceStartLabel" text="Starting time..." GridPane.columnIndex="2" GridPane.halignment="CENTER" GridPane.rowIndex="1" />
             <Label fx:id="raceTitleLabel" text="Welcome to RaceVision" GridPane.columnIndex="1" GridPane.columnSpan="3" GridPane.halignment="CENTER">
                <font>
                   <Font size="36.0" />