So how did you start?

[aprescott]

:confused: I'm sitting here on a day off from work wondering have many people came to start in Marshalling? I was one of those mad people that saw it mentioned on the BRDC website and continued from there, so how did you start?:confused:

[Gnomex]

A friend (well, brother in law) was marshaling at rallycross events and in 1981 (I think) asked me to come along. Twenty plus years later and I'm still at it, doing circuit and rallycross events. He has sensibly taken up golf...

[Stephen Green]

I was lucky to have a friend who used to have a contractors pass to Brands Hatch which I used to borrow if he wasn't using it. Then one day while preusing the programme I saw an advert for marshals by the BRSCC. The rest as they say.....

[mark_l]

I had been marshalling in the forests for a few years, then during a stage of the '92 RAC Rally, I got talking to a bloke dressed in orange.

After talking to him for a while, he gave me the contact details for my regional chairman.

He lived in the next street, so I paid him a visit.

And the rest is history

[ascarracinguk]

i picked up a leaflet at an amoc raceday at donington...

[Mark Mitchell]

I picked up a silverstone handbook at the Autosport show in 1994 and on the back page (where else?) was a contact for marshalling!

I chose the BMRMC opposed to the BRDCMC and was accepted by a guy called Trevor Foster of the Midlands region.
My first event was at Donny at easter 1994 in the snow on post 25.

[EvilPumpkin]

Heard an announcement at Mondello and showed up for a training session.

[Hog]

17 years ago - watching the rallycross at Lydden thinking "I can't afford to race, but I could afford to do the marshalling thing"

[Stuart Hill]

My father has been a motorsport journalist since I was born. Remember having family picnics at the Mallory Park fun-fair. Used to walk around with a press pass on!! (age 9).
Many years later took up an offer of some free tickets to Prescott Hillclimb and saw the advert for marshals. Joined them the next year, 1986. They still haven't revoked my membership so I still keep going !!!! (plus all the other events).

[ascarracinguk]

bloody hell stu...didnt think racin had been around for that long lol.....

[Alan Green]

An uncle in South Wales said that there'd been an article on the local news asking for people to act as marshals on the Network Q rally. I was travelling down there anyway, so thought I'd give it a try. Enjoyed it, came home to search for more details, joined BARC, went to Thruxton training and started circuit marshalling at Donington a few months later. That was 6 years ago.

Al.

[Don Truman]

1959 the cascades at oulton- it rained stair rods all day-after 10 hours of this with no lunch break I thought "if you can stand that-you had better be a marshal" That began a beautiful relationship!!!
Don Truman

[CookieMonster]

Went to the BTCC race at Donington in 2001, the weekend I moved up to Nottingham to start Uni, and picked up a leaflet.
It pnly seems like yesterday - can't believe I'm going to be graduating in just 4 months!!!

[Woolley]

Spectated RAC rally in 1983, then started circuits, then hillclimbs. Joined the MAC becasues it was cheaper than paying for all the events. They wanted marshals for the rally, so marshalled that in '86, then did sprints and hillclimbs and on to circuits from '88. So 'converted spectator' would be my vote.

[beefy]

Spent a season sitting at Quarry Corner at Castle Combe back in 1994. Oddly enough, it was watching certain orange bods cement dusting that made me think "I want to get involved in that". Oh the irony!

[stevebrown]

I have mentioned this before on another thread. A friend asked me if I wanted to go to a race meeting for free, only catch I would have to go on the bank. That meeting was the 1987 Wilhire 24 Hour!

Steve B

[Cynic]

Saw a two line advert in the back of a BTCC programme for a race meet at Thruxton. Sent of a letter asking for details, and the rest is history! I don't know if it's coincidence, but I've never seen the ad repeated since.........

[neilwaynesmith]

We initially joined at the Autosport International show in 1991. 3 weeks after that I lost a territorial dispute with an articulated lorry.....

Tried again at the Autosport International show in 1993, our first meeting was at Donington the week after the European Grand Prix. Awful weather and something like 11 red flags. We were hooked!

[Bryan Degerlund]

My father (Ron) marshalled for the BARC in the 50's and 60's, mainly at Brands and Crystal Palace. When I reached the age of 18 in 1961, I started marshalling as well, and have been ever since, although there were some lean years in the late 60's and early 70's due to college and work commitments. In 1980 I started to mix flags (Thruxton) and startline/pits (BH), until 1983 when I moved to Dartford and joined BRSCC. I became Chief Startline in 1986 and have also been Starter off and on since then. Although I still do the GP, my favourite meetings are the two Goodwood events, the FF Festival and the HSCC Super Prix at BH.

[Shinners]

Followed motorsport since I was a nipper (thanks to my parents) Live near Mondello and stumbled across the marshals stand at a motorshow and the rest is history

[tangoed sparky]

After I had learnt to drive I used to go and watch the RAC rally. I always thought that the marshals were employed and wondered how I could get involved. I visited a car show at Donington and the rescue unit was doing a demo of there skills I signed up that day and started the next year after the training day. That must of been 6 or 7 years ago. My first meeting was on post 1 at Donington for a boss meeting (only 1 f1 car in it then). Ironicly I have never marshaled at a rally (other than Donington stage of RAC once)

[blueflagger]

A school friend dragged me kicking and screaming to a bike race and I never looked back. Truly, I told her that IF I went, she would have to agree to never bug me about it again. True to our agreement, she never did.

She got out of racing ages ago but I've been at it for over 20 years.

[Upside Down Bug]

Firstly, helping out in the pit lane at Lydden for rallycross events, and then when my world turned upside down, Gary Turtell convinced me to have ago on the circuit.

[Sheila M]

After spending truck loads of money to get in as a spectator to watch Richard Dean racing in F3000, my ex and I met up with several people in the bar (as you do) who said they were marshals. At that time I hadn't realised that marshals were volunteers but these kind souls soon put me right. Between them, they persuaded my ex and I to join the marshal's club, which we did at Oulton Park in July 1991 (the day before Paul Warwick died)and that's where I started my career in the sport. I'm now Chief Pits for a couple of clubs and a Clerk of the Course for sprints - seems a long time since I cowered in a corner terrified of racing cars and their occupants, not to mention Mike Abbott and Dennis Harris!

[petestenning]

I was taken along to the Guards Trophy race, Good Friday at Snetterton 1969, by a friend of my late father. We only went as spectators but were hooked by the Lola t70" s. So went along to the next BRSCC meeting where we started Marshalling,
I have been going ever since!!