Why
not volunteer as a marshal at one of the Club's motor racing
meetings?
Marshalling at MGLive! 2010 at Silverstone will be a once in
a lifetime opportunity to see MGs on the full Grand Prix circuit!
Don't miss the chance to be on trackside.
14.1.10 |
Why
not volunteer as a race marshal at MGLive! 2010
Marion Quarrington volunteered to be a marshal at the MG Car
Club's annual weekend meeting at Silverstone in 2009. With the
plans for MGLive! 2010 settling and the good news the event
over the weekend Friday 4th to Sunday 6th June 2010 will see
the motor racing programme on the full Grand Prix circuit, it
is a once in a lifetime opportunity to volunteer as a marshal!
Here Marion urges you to volunteer and have a great time.
In last summer's Safety Fast! Ron Gammons asked for volunteer
marshals to help out for the last meeting of the 2009 MG Car
Club racing calendar at Snetterton. I have always been a motor
racing fan but my experience of marshalling up to then was little
more than organising the waiting area for the Members Track
Laps at MG-Live! at Silverstone. As my husband and I were already
planning on going to the Snetterton meeting for a V8 Register
gathering, I contacted the Club to offer my services as a marshal.
As the day drew nearer I was getting a little anxious being
such a novice, but I needn't have worried.
On arrival I was directed to the Marshal's parking area and
then went to Race Control to sign on. I found I was allocated
to the "Pits and Start Line team" - wow, can it get
any better than that! I clambered into my borrowed orange Novex
overalls and listened carefully to Ron's pre-race briefing,
ending with ". . . stay safe and above all enjoy yourselves".
And how true that would be!
There were five of us in the team, four with extensive experience
and me as the "baby". After some gentle teasing from
the team, based mainly on my having arrived driving our RV8
with the hood down, I was taken through the Pit Lane rules and
the details of my duties - helping to manage car flow through
the pit area, ensuring spectator and pit garage personnel safety
and helping to flag the drivers to the start line for each race.
Also, in the event of a pit lane or nearby racing incident,
it would be my job to help manage the spectators and provide
appropriate access through the pits for safety vehicles, as
I did not have any formal training to deal with the incident
itself. Then the tannoy in the pits called for cars for the
first practice session, and we were off!
The practice sessions created a hive of pit lane activity. Cars
drove on to the track through the pits rather than over the
start/finish line, and then came back through the pits afterwards.
In between times drivers would come into the pits to check their
cars after their initial shakedown laps. There was plenty for
us to do but we still managed the odd chance for a cup of tea
and a friendly banter. The races started in the late morning,
and, with the cars going directly to the start/finish line from
their assembly area for their yellow flag lap, our duties changed
slightly. With cars coming through the pit lane less often but
more spectators to keep an eye on and to keep safe, we were
able take turns to have a few minutes "off duty" to
watch the racing from the pit wall, but always ready to return
to action when needed. After the last race was finished and
the track officially declared closed we did a final check through
the pit lane to clear up and leave everything ready the next
day's racing, before signing off at Race Control.
So, did I enjoy it? You bet I did! Would I do it again? Well,
I've already signed up for over half of the Club's 2010 series
of motor racing events, so I'm on the look out for my own Novex
suit and I've been looking on the internet at various marshalling
courses. Would I recommend it to others? Absolutely! It was
hard work but I couldn't have asked for a more friendly and
professional team to introduce me to marshalling. You don't
get a better view of the racing other than actually being behind
the wheel, and you get the additional satisfaction of helping
the MG car Club put on an exhilarating racing programme. So
whether you are a novice like me, or someone with a bit more
experience, contact the Club and sign up for marshalling, even
if only for a single day, you'll have great fun. |
