UK Marshalling

This year Steph and I took the plunge and decided that we wanted to play a more active role in the events we went to see. So we signed up to become marshals with the BMMC (British Motorsport Marshal Club)
It's a simple process and theres lots to do, more than just sitting at a post all day! We have our training session planned at Castle Combe at the end of March and then it's a case of sign up for what races we want to do and hey presto!

I will be updating this thread with our progress and races attended throughout the year. If it picks up even a bit of intereste and promotes the BMMC even a little then I'll believe it to be a job well done.

If you are interested in becoming a marshal in the UK have a look here
www.marshals.co.uk

Funny you just posted this, I was actually looking into it yesterday. I'm pretty close to Silverstone so it would be perfect for me.

I was shocked that actually it's dead easy to get onto most series. I think F1 is the toughest but by no means impossible. I'm planning to marshal at LMS and Britcar at Silverstone at the least. I'll do more clubby races at Castle Combe and Thruxton too hopefully.

Matt, Was speaking to Mrs Ray and we will be intrested in this, well I will so will sign up at wknd.

Good work without Marshals no motorsport events will happen

Go for it Dunc. I think your nearest training venue will be Donny. They have an FB page too.

I really want to do this at some point in the next few years, it would be great fun. BTCC at Knockhill, plenty of work to do!

For my fellow Scotsmen.

http://www.smmc.org.uk/default.cfm

Hmmm...sounds very cool! Would love to be part of something like that here in the States!! I need to look into it!

Had our badges and signing books come through today so we are getting there.
Next step is the training day and getting our fireproofs. The BMMC, via sponsorship from a number of companies are able to get subsidies on the equipment and clothing needed for people to go marshalling. So even getting hold of a fire-proof race suit is actually VERY good value for money.
Gonna get me the new JB cap too to protect my lil head from the cold

All our MSA paperwork has come through now so we decided to sign up to some races. Start small? I don't think so!

Our calendar goes something like this.....

5th June: Silverstone Supercup - FIA GT1 World Championship
12 June: Thruxton - Dunlop Great and British
3rd July: Goodwood Festival of Speed
21st August: Silverstone - World Series by Renault
10th September: Silverstone 1000km - ILMC

Can't wait to get going!!!

That's a fairly impressive calander to be fair, bet someone's really excited haha!

We both are. We would have loved to have done F1 but I believe the 'rule' is that you have to have a year under your belt at least and NOT be a trainee which we both will be for the best part of this year.
Looking to be doing that for 2012 though
Will probably slot in a couple of other things this year but those are our main ones .

Matt wrote:We would have loved to have done F1.

Now, that's not strictly true. My least favourite car racing (except NASCAR) is in fact F1. I would marshal F1 if it was abroad, and not in Bahrain, Suzuka or Spa.

However, muchos looking forward to the FIA GTs (or whatever they've been renamed to), and chuffed also that we have been accepted for Goodwood FoS. It sounds like BTCC may reject you as they tend to get oversubscribed according to my 10 tenthers .

At the moment, we aren't doing Britcar, but that could change I guess.

Would be cool if some of you could join us though!

SuperDuff wrote:

Matt wrote:We would have loved to have done F1.

I would marshal F1 if it was abroad, and not in Bahrain, Suzuka or Spa.

Ok what's wrong with the Belgians? They are neither rioting in the streets nor highly radiated and submerged under water.

Matt wrote:

SuperDuff wrote:

Matt wrote:We would have loved to have done F1.

I would marshal F1 if it was abroad, and not in Bahrain, Suzuka or Spa.

Ok what's wrong with the Belgians? They are neither rioting in the streets nor highly radiated and submerged under water.

I was thinking that too! Valid reasons not to be going to Bahrain or Japan at the moment, but Belgium?



It does look rough.

Tbh I would still snap up the chance of going to Suzuka. Infact, If I could I would go to Fukishima to help out.

VVV Slim wrote:Infact, If I could I would go to Fukishima to help out.

+1 - If I wasn't so terrified of flying, I would love to help everyone out there as well slim.

@redbeard..... GENIUS!!!!!

So Castle Combe round up....

Got there at 7am, signed on and had some breakfast during which we met a nice lad from Exeter.....spooky!
The place was filled with marshals at all levels and soon enough us trainees were separated from the herd and 'marshalled' to a classroom to go over the basics. Incidentally the classroom was part of Wiltshire College which does courses in motorsport engineering and the like. Annoying seeing as the only places I could find such courses before was Cranbrook and Oxford Brookes.....and Swansea!

We were taught by two officials from the circuit, Lee and Michelle, who were fantastic and very informative. Michelle has marshalled at many events around the country and also across the pond most noteably at this years Daytona 24.
We had a tour of the facilities and I can certainly say there is no conparison to places like Thruxton, Donny or Silverstone. It's the first track I've been to that's not been based on an old airfield. There's no discernable separation between Paddock and Public areas when there's nothing going on, it was a strange experience. Utterly gorgeous circuit though. I am a fan for sure!!

We then got to watch the intermediate groups doing their fire training which was fun! No better ways for 2CV's go! Also had a visit from the Air Ambulance and saw how they operated in a racing situation which was fascinating and well received by all in attendance.

It was a long day but further fuelled the desire to go marshalling. As posted above we are already signed up to a good number of races and I can't wait to get started. A massive thank you to the team at Castle Combe for making us so welcome and doing such a good job at passing on the motorsport bug to a new generation.

Apologies for lack of pics but phone died during breakfast thanks to rampant Twitter use trying to follow the Australian GP!

Next stop FIA GT1 Championship: Silverstone.

^Dont forget some photos! The FIA GT1 is my favourite motorsport right now.

Can only take photos on our breaks but will be there for two days so chances are we'll get some gooduns

Ok so this weekend we kick off!
Tickets received, parking pass already stuck in the window and a good portion of the packing already done.
We'll be getting to the circuit late Friday evening after work with sign on Saturday morning between 7-8am! Weather looks to be promising so fingers crossed.

Ok so marshalling week 1 is complete and what a contrasting two weekends!!!

Silverstone
First weekend and first time using the new Wing complex. Arrived at the circuit at 10pm Friday night and set up camp behind Copse. (Same place as Area 24 for Britcar!) Sign on was from 7-8am on Sat. We made the mistake of not signing on until about 7.30 which meant breakfast time was severely limited. Luckily I was posted on the Old Pit Straight and Steph was at Woodcote. Had four other guys with me. Brilliant fun, our Incident Officer (I/O) Edward was fantastic and made me feel really welcome. (A self confessed equal opportunites piss-taker!) Saturday itself was quiet in terms of incident. As the post is no longer as close to the track and the grid spot isn't used there's not alot to do there. However, not having fencing between you and the action was pretty impressive on it's own! Weather was VERY hot and got incredibly sunburned!
Sunday was more fun for anyone who saw the action! Super Trofeo saw two cars catch fire, both of which made it as far as Copse before stopping, even they had caught by us. GT3 and we were watching on as one of the Ferraris tried an impossible pass around the outside of the second NFS BMW and launching itself into the Copse gravel trap.
In GT4 we had Jake Rattenbery driving round with the back end of his Ginetta on fire, despite us waving extinguishers at him he carried on for another lap!
GT1 and alot of the incident occured either side of us. But the DKR Corvette which came to grief at Luffied reached our post on the grass, we were waving at him to stop as he deposited bits of Corvette everywhere and had his screen covered by his bonnet! I got within touching distance of an active race car!!! He chose to be silly however and weaved back onto the track before thinking better of it and putting off the track again at the Copse flag post (which you see on TV)
No more major action after that really. It was a good weekend and came away feeling really pleased with what had happened. Met some really nice people and had a good laugh during the more boring bits (GT5 Academy!)

Thruxton
Britcar at Thruxton sounded like an awesome race! Havng experienced the multi-class epicness that is Britcar 24 at Silverston, hopes were high. The weather had other ideas. Sign on at the circuit was not until 9.15 so after a 2hr drive in steady rain we got to the track and discovered we were posted on the Pit Straight (again!). But of course with this being an active grid, the possibility for issues was far greater.
Started with the Britcar warm up (swimming practice) at 10.15. Very wet but managable and no one was being silly. Some cars such the mighty Aquilla choosing to remain in the garage. The only incident was the Intersport BMW having a blow up coming out of Club and despositing a shedload of oil down the Pit Straight.
Production Touring Cars was a good race, mainly filled with Astras and a few SEAT Leons among others. Apart from some exuberant driving from sone on the exit of Club which saw them using the grass and kicking up mud and stones in our direction it was all fine. The weather was getting gradually worse.
In the Porsche Club race, our hero Mark Sumpter he of Paragon fame, looked to be winning the race before an error out the back of the circuit dropped him to second after a close dice with the #2 car.
By the time Britcar came the conditions were terrible, and clearly worse out the back of the circuit. Stood inches away from Vipers, Ferraris and others as they start up and pull away for the start was epic! The spray was not!
Clearly the conditions worsened at the back of the track, a crash for the Synchro Civic into Allards on the opening lap saw the SC out for the first time and remained out for 10 mins while the armco was repaired. Racing resumed, only to be stopped for the SC as the Ultima had ground to a halt out by Church. Once again Callum Lockie made a controlled restart and led one of the Ferraris and the Aquilla in third. Conditions worsened and with another crash the SC was out once more. In afteer 3 laps it was called out again (!) after only a further 2 laps of racing. By now the conditions had severely deteriorated, and my right boot was full of water! The decision was taken to concuded the race at half distance, Steph was on chequared flag duty and ended the race before more cars could have anymore excursions.
The race stewards made the decsision soon after to abandon the meeting with track conditions simply too dangerous to race safely. A wise move.

So there you go, sunburn one week, trenchfoot the next! It's been a huge learning curve so far in terms of what you really need to have with you to remain either non crispy or indeed, dry!!
I still highly recommend marshalling, you simply cannot get closer to the action!!

Sounds epic Matt!

Can you marshal only car races or could you marshal bike races as well?

To do bikes you need to do a 'Bikesafe' course which is different to the general training undertaken for cars. We are considering it for 2012 though. I'm unsure as to how it might work in the US mind.