The "strength" of British Marshalling

[Steve Tarrant]

Last weekend, BARC ran a 2 day meeting of WRDA sportscars and saloons, modified production saloons, MG sportscars and trucks. Nothing unusual there then.

But the marshalling feat of the weekend happened yesterday afternoon. At the 1st start of the truck race, the truck in 3rd place locked up and spun, ending up with most of it on the grass and the driver unable to get traction to pull himself back onto the tarmac. The race duly red flagged and the heavy recovery truck summonsed.

BUT before it could arrive on the scene, the five marshals of post 1 got behind the truck, pushed like hell, and managed to get the truck back onto the tarmac where the grateful driver was able to restart it and join the restart!!!!

Alan Hyde, the commentator, was so moved by this action that he questioned just how many Shredded Wheat British marshals have every morning!!!!!

Photographic evidence of this feat will appear in the next day or so.


Steve

[Stuart Hill]

And just think, some circuits scramble "Snatch" for a tin-top" !!!!!
Just goes to show, if you WANT it moved, it WILL move !!

well done to Post 1.

[Richard Sneader]

This is a policy I have on my post. If the conditions are right and it is safe to push( even in gravel) then I give the marshals time to do this before making a complete decision on stopping the session.I do emphasise before I am ripped to bits if everything is right and safety is not compremised for anyone.
Rich.

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by rzsio396
This is a policy I have on my post. If the conditions are right and it is safe to push( even in gravel) then I give the marshals time to do this before making a complete decision on stopping the session.I do emphasise before I am ripped to bits if everything is right and safety is not compremised for anyone.
Rich.

This is the attitude that I encountered when I first started marshalling and is why I do so many Hillclimbs. Lets face it, we all want the rush of working trackside. (well, most of us do). If I want to watch snatch at work I'll go and spectate.

[Gizmo]

Originally posted by crazystu
This is the attitude that I encountered when I first started marshalling and is why I do so many Hillclimbs. Lets face it, we all want the rush of working trackside. (well, most of us do). If I want to watch snatch at work I'll go and spectate.

To add to this, as Crazystu knows when I was Chief hill marshal at Prescott my instructions concerning cars in the gravel were simple. If it goes in and stops then call the safety nad ask for the tonka toy ( our snatch thing ). Then go and give it your best shot to remove it. If you get the car out fine, we can send the tonka toy back, if you find that you need the tonka then it is already there for your use, hence a valuable saving of time. Our snatch vehicle is a tool for marshals to use, it is their decision to use it or not as the case may be. I guess what I am saying is that I agree with your line of thinking.

[robert77]

That is something that I totally agree with, but with doing circuits, we are usually told (depending on the i/o or obsever) "if there is a reasonable gap, go out and give it one go, if it goes.... fine, if not bail out and we call snatch" That is something I'll go with everytime. You gotta give it one good chance, you never know, it might just move.

[N M Ramsden]

Well done the Pembrey Marshals.

I was there but on post 5. I noticed that the Marshal numbers had increased somewhat since last time I was there. Early season enthusiasm or just growing numbers ?

[Richard Sneader]

Hopefully the numbers at Pembrey are inceasing. It is a good circuit and they are all a friendly gang.
Rich.

[Woolley]

Two of the best days marshalling I've done at circuits followed the following briefings:

1) "If anything goes in the gravel, we will get it. I don't want to have to call snatch."

2) "This is a small club, and they can't afford snatch tractors..."

What we found, curiously, was that it makes you more determined, and the car will come out. Secondly the drivers took more notice of the yellows because there were people working out there. Thirdly, we all enjoyed ourselves because of a job well done. Perhaps the declining numbers may also be connected with the fact that we rarely do the job we're primarily there for - clearing the track?

[Pike]

Trouble is these days drivers hit the seat belt buckle as soon as they hit the gravel as they just assume it aint going to shift out of there, if the drivers could be encouraged to stay put for a few seconds to give marshals a chance to shove it would make our lives easier.

There aint going to be many gravel traps left soon anyway the way its going!!

[Clive]

Originally posted by Pike
Trouble is these days drivers hit the seat belt buckle as soon as they hit the gravel as they just assume it aint going to shift out of there, if the drivers could be encouraged to stay put for a few seconds to give marshals a chance to shove it would make our lives easier.

There aint going to be many gravel traps left soon anyway the way its going!!

But would you want to sit in the car knowing someone might do what you just did, ie come off. Surely tarmac run off areas can provide the means to 'spin and continue'

[JimW]

But would you want to sit in the car knowing someone might do what you just did, ie come off. Surely tarmac run off areas can provide the means to 'spin and continue'

Yes but they also provide the opportunity for failing to stop a small subset of people who are not having the usual sort of accident. No brakes - gravel - unh but tarmac - oh ****.

Better for some, worse for others. The question is, how many of each?

Jim

[Pike]

Always a comprimise whichever, spinners hitting gravel have chance of rolling where as tarmac they dont. In theory (good one that) another car shouldnt do the same because of yellow flags........... then again ask Montoya and Schuey about that!!!

[Garry Holmes]

My view is have a go, if we get it out fine or can move the car to a safe place fine, if the driver then drives off its not our problem anymore. If we have the attitude of 'Its in there & we are gonna leave it@ why be there in the first place??? Snatch vehicles + FIVs = no bank side marshals ???? One of the biggest problems is where to go with something once its out of the gravel, most places I marshal don't have any convenient gaps to stick stuff. Also try rocking a car in the gravel back & forth, builing up a pendulaum motion, you'll be amazed what you can shift.

[Smokey 6 litre]

although this may not have gone unnoticed but i believe that there is a significant generation gap in the marshalling ranks. maybe this is because i'm a young marshall, 17, but it seems to me that the majority or my generation are not prepared to give up their time for anything which doesn't offer any financial reward, although saying that i did win £5 in the 750 marshall draw at Snettertoon on sunday.

[Steve Tarrant]

A 17 year old marshal, with great musical taste!!!! Good on you!!!!

But agree with your point on expectations of life these days. Seems we all want something for nothing, or at least it's what yopungsters grow up to. One day reality will set in and they might then come and join us.

[pixie]

Hopefully the numbers at Pembrey are inceasing. It is a good circuit and they are all a friendly gang.

Qute agree...................all except for the Circuit Manger who's a complete schizophrenic and a t#at without the merest grasp of what is meant by Customer Service..... how he stays in the job is beyond me.

[b1ackcr0w]

I've made several hundred friends who I can trust my life to (because I have done), and get to watch motor racing for free every weekend.

If that aint the sale of the centuary, I don't know what is?

[Logrence]

Originally posted by Steve Tarrant
A 17 year old marshal, with great musical taste!!!! Good on you!!!!

But agree with your point on expectations of life these days. Seems we all want something for nothing, or at least it's what yopungsters grow up to. One day reality will set in and they might then come and join us.

I'm not bothered by it, but I tell people I've started marshalling, and the first few questions are "what do you get paid?" and "do they pay for such-and-such?"

They just don't seem to understand how the British motorsport industry relies on enthusiasm.