Jim Russell Race Days At Donington

[Mark Mitchell]

Just had one of those moments, you know where you ponder things you did in the past!

In my early days of Marshalling, I recall volunteering to do the mid-week JR race days.......they were monthly I think - at Donington.

We were paid £4:00 and we marshalled something like 4 qually and 4 races for the racing school pupils.

You were nearly always on post on your own.......and one day (I had only been marshalling for about a month) I was put on a Fire Tender (The Landrover) on my own!

I think the cars were Formula First and Astra's?

Brings back some good memories of my early days..... 1994-ish.

Whatever happened to to the JR Race School?

[The STIG]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Whatever happened to to the JR Race School?

Evolution. Times change, you could say. I do believe that the JR School was the basis of the Silverstone school too, but I stand to be corrected.

[Mark Mitchell]

I also remember see "Jim Russell" somewhere in the USA

[Richard Sneader]

When I used to do them it was vaux louts's, vectra's and vaux juniors ah remember them with BTCC. First event my wife marshalled was a JR day on post 4. First practice, junior came out and straight into the gravel, no snatch around for this. tried calling race control, eventually got through and asked for a stop. Excuse we were not in control at the that time. Really!!
Ah good days though.
Rich S.

[mountainstar]

Jim Russell is long gone as a school and out of business in the UK. There are two schools using the name in the USA and Canada, both owed by separate companies with separate curriculum's and different types of cars.

The USA school is owned by a company that has sunk almost 20 million into the school at Sonoma. The school cars are Lola F3 based and the prices are really high. It will be interesting to see whether that high price tag is sustainable.

The racing school business has evolved and "racing schools" are a small part of the business now. For big "racing schools" in the USA like Bondurant and Skip Barber about 80-85% of the business is entertainment, corporate events, defensive driving, etc. and not actual racing schools in single seater formula cars. It's the same in the UK I hear from some instructors I know over there.

[stroller]

Did a weekend at the Circuit a few years back when they hosted a motor dealers exhibition. The idea was that groups of 5 or 6 cars with potential punters could have a few laps of the Circuit - behind one of the Jim Russell Astras. Some of the ES team were given the jobs of pedaling the Astras with the strict instructions not to do anything stupid !!!
The problem was the Astras had their speedo's blanked out and we were driving on th tacho's so had no idea what speeds we were looking at !
After 2 days of being "sensible" late on the Sunday we had the radio message that most of the public had gone and it was mainly dealer employees left having the rides and we were told we could "wind it up a bit"

Perhaps those blanked out speedo's were a good thing as a little while later I worked out what the revs I was pulling before braking for the chicane actually meant in terms of top speed !!!!!

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Just had one of those moments, you know where you ponder things you did in the past!

In my early days of Marshalling, I recall volunteering to do the mid-week JR race days.......they were monthly I think - at Donington.

We were paid £4:00 and we marshalled something like 4 qually and 4 races for the racing school pupils.

You were nearly always on post on your own.......and one day (I had only been marshalling for about a month) I was put on a Fire Tender (The Landrover) on my own!

I think the cars were Formula First and Astra's?

Brings back some good memories of my early days..... 1994-ish.

Whatever happened to to the JR Race School?

Remember those days too Mark. Also, when the Marshals National Training Weekends were held at Donington, the Jim Russell school used to help out too, around the Melbourne loop simulating various incidents. I also have a book here at home ''The Jim Russell Story'' by Norman Greenway published byTransport Bookman in 1999. A good read if you get a chance.

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Also, when the Marshals National Training Weekends were held at Donington, the Jim Russell school used to help out too, around the Melbourne loop simulating various incidents.

Ah yes Chris! A car stopped by me under the Fosters Can and the driver was slumped over the wheel.....clutching a pink card.
When I got to him the card said "Had Heart Attack"

National Training Weekends.....brilliant. Opening speech from Mr Felix.....fire putting-out from Mr Whitaker.....dragging people out of cars by Mr Rae etc!

I got both my Green & Red badges from NTW @ Donington.
Thanks for reminding me of this Chris!


Jim Russell Story http://www.500race.org/Men/Russell.html

[Garry Holmes]

The old days eh!

i remember when they first came with the Van Diemans (rf78s possibly), they were absolute sheds with bits falling off (usually the silences) all over the place, we got 2 practices and races, finished for lunch and paid. At the end of the first season we go a go in the cars up and down the loop, I was 16, couldn't drive, but got a go anyway.

The FVL, Vauxhall juniors and Astras / Vectras came later - they then started being a full day with something like 8 races. Something I'll always remember is the b********g the drivers got off John(?) Kirkpatrick if they binned any of the cars.

It would be interesting to find out what happened to any of the drivers who passed through, I remeber Warren Hughes was an instructor for a while.

[Gerryc]

I remember doing these JR school days in the early 90s. I reckon that the school must have had a tie-in with somewhere in Japan as most of the pupils seemed to be oriental around that time. One one occasion I was on my own at Coppice when a youg lad (looked about 10) binned it quite well. I got him up on the bank and tried to ask if he was ok etc. when he suddenly burst into tears. Even as we were loading him into the back of the course car 5 minutes later he was still sobbing his heart out, so the comment about the b******g must be spot on. It was a very strange experience.

Luckily I haven't had anyone in tears on the bank since then but one young lady in the Formula Women race at Mallory came very close after crashing her Caterham. It was obvious that shw wanted a quick weep but it was also obvious that she wasn't going to do so in front of a fat, middle-aged, male, marshal; she almost bit through her lip. I couldn't even give her any privacy as we were both on the landing stage (post 4) and there wasn't anywhere elso to go!

Gerry

[Stack]

I did a day with them. First off was Astra's to get use to the circuit. Barbara Babbage took me roundfor a few laps then she got out. I got in the hot seat and who should get in the passenger seat but Kelvin Burt! Took him for the ride of his life with him continually shaking of his head and a wry smile on his face.

Then on to the single seaters. They had Vauxhall Junior cars but only had 9 running. As there where 10 of us they wheeled out a Vauxhall Lotus, guess who got it....?

Ah happy days!

[Pensioner]

It must have been around 1972 when I first got involved with the JRRDS.
We had meetings at Silverstone and Mallory, then at Donington. After the school were pushed out at Donington, for the Silverstone school to take over,
they were going to Rockingham but were gazumped. That left them with nowhere to go.
Don Trumans briefings were very entertaining, especially when Blue Peter were at Donington one day. With Don in full flow a fluffy microphone appeared by his right ear with the comment from Don along the lines of " I say old chap would you remove that thing from my face" (pc translation edit) all to our amusement as the Japanese interpreter tried to translate.
Happy days indeed. And then the Jim Russell Annual Dinners. They were something not to be missed. JK is now with the Motor Industry Association.

[JEP]

I too remember Don's briefings, part of which went along the lines of

"If you see the chequered flag you may have won, if you see it twice you've won a *******ing"!

Very good days, the banter on the radio between Di and JR's chief (Mr. Fitzpatrick?) had me in tucks on many occasions and the weather in December and January sometimes was amazing, horizontal snow, rain etc., carbs freezing up etc.

And they always looked after the marshals by doing us a "corporate" style day every couple of years, pity they ran into trouble.

JEP

[Shelagh]

I remember sheltering under the post at Coppice with Julian Floyd as we ate our lunch during a hailstorm pre GP.

I also believe I might have been amongst the first person to have used the "new" "prototype" observer bases ,which I did at a Jim Russell meeting just prior to the 1993 GP. Biggest fact was that the hazard board was facing the wrong way!

[Julian]

Originally Posted by Shelagh

I remember sheltering under the post at Coppice with Julian Floyd as we ate our lunch during a hailstorm pre GP.

I also believe I might have been amongst the first person to have used the "new" "prototype" observer bases ,which I did at a Jim Russell meeting just prior to the 1993 GP. Biggest fact was that the hazard board was facing the wrong way!

Now that is a few years ago Shelagh! I remember it well...........

In my early days at Silverstone with the ES Team I marshalled at many Jim Russell events (late 70's) - That also ages me!

Julian

[Sheila M]

Originally Posted by Pensioner

Don Trumans briefings were very entertaining, especially when Blue Peter were at Donington one day. With Don in full flow a fluffy microphone appeared by his right ear with the comment from Don along the lines of " I say old chap would you remove that thing from my face" (pc translation edit) all to our amusement as the Japanese interpreter tried to translate.

I remember that day! The look on the faces of the BBC types was a joy to behold.

I used to enjoy doing the Jim Russell meetings as I learned other skills (like how to wave a yellow flag!).

I remember being on the cage with Ian Dixon once - that was a great day as Ian tried to teach me the black art of blue flagging while he kept up a running commentary on what was going to happen next!

God I feel old now.

[Frailloop]

Did a good few of the weekend meetings at Donington - one marshal to a post, if you were lucky the post next to you was manned too!

My signwriter still has a JRRDS sticker on their wall. Surprised the staff by knowing what it was.

[kelvin88]

I was a Vaux Jnr student there at 16, 1994. I qualified pole for the race but my battery died. I got a second race starting at the back, where I threw it off at Craners, they then put me in a third race where I finished, but I don't know what position. If anyone has any photos from back then, I'd love to see them!

[stroller]

Happy thread resurection