A Quick Thank you to the marshal sense of community

[Terrible-Tones]

On Sat night, as we were about to leave Silverstone after the MG meet, Nina and I suffered a really bad puncture on the left front of the Mondeo, we only discovered it on driving around to the campsite to drop someone off. So we damaged the tyre in that drive.

It turned out that problem 1 is the jack was rubbish (I normally use a race jack but it wasn't in the car) and the wrench was missing. Just great. A good number of marshals turned up, or stopped to help us out and stayed by our side for a good 3 hours. After a fashion we found a member of public in the campsite with the needed tools.

Then I couldn't budge the wheel nuts (weird, since I had put them on myself - and yes I do use copper grease). So a longer wrench was sought. After much faffing someone found an MG Team member who did his best to try and help to no avail. Then amongst much mickey taking I managed to shear the locking wheel bolt adaptor just to really make our night.

A discussion ensued about pumping up the tyre as the suspicion was that it wasn't punctured but had popped off the rim. However, Marshal Simon basically told us that he would stand in front of the car if we were to attempt to drive on a damaged tyre. Caring at its most basic and needed level.

Eventually we resorted to calling our Insurance Breakdown. A guy from CMG turned up with plans to do a full lift and transport us home. This would have "b*ggered" getting in on Sunday. However, it turned out he knew Silverstone really well as he was also there regularly to provide breakdown on circuit for bigger events. Indeed he is doing GP. So since he was "one of us" he bent over backwards to help and managed to remove all the offending nuts (inc locking) and put the spare on. Result - so we were able to get home and get back in next day.

Glad we did as I was on post for the Luffield MGB roll and I was glad to be of service to the poor driver.

However, Sunday evening we went down to the White Horse with some friends. When we went to go home the other front tyre was as flat as a pancake. FFS!! We just managed to flag down our friends Luke and John and rang another set of marshal friends, Fay and Alan in the village to get a compressor pump. John popped down to pick it up. We over inflated the tyre and it popped back onto the rim and we had a careful and safe journey home.

Our friend Tim, who runs a garage in Kettering, sorted the tyres out for us, replacing the damaged one (Simon was quite right) with a S/H (but well checked) one for nothing, and replacing all the now U/S lock nuts with new ones brought for £6.

So total cost to us - £6

However, marshal family (and public/team/CMG and our mate Tim) not leaving us in pickle, rallying around when they were most needed, providing laughs and measured mickey taking, but so caring that they would not let us even think of risking our necks -

PRICELESS.

Thanks guys

[Robin_D]

It didn't sound too bad though Tony, I heard that it was only flat on the bottom.

[Terrible-Tones]

Originally Posted by Robin_D

It didn't sound too bad though Tony, I heard that it was only flat on the bottom.

Yes that is right, but everytime I span it round, the flat bit dropped to the bottom again and I couldn't get it to stay at the top, aggravating in the extreme.

[SouthportFC Fan]

So, there's going to be a second race jack and long handled wheelbrace on the list for Santa this year !!

Remember to be nice, he'll be checking his list twice !!

[Stone-kicker]

Nina and I suffered a really bad puncture on the left front of the Mondeo

As opposed to a slightly bad one?

[Terrible-Tones]

Originally Posted by Stone-kicker

As opposed to a slightly bad one?

Yes, exactly........

[Red_08]

Just when the world is going a little stir crazy we get a nice warm fuzzy story like this.

Which is why I love the Motorsport community spirit. And most likely why I have made so many good friends through Marshalling.

Carry on.

[Terrible-Tones]

Post Script Formal Statement...

I would like to point out that both our flat tyres were not made by a certain Italian manufacturer. Also I would like to point out that I had not driven over any trackside kerbing and neither had I swapped tyres from the correct side. The starting pressure was above 15psi and we had the correct negative camber (until I kicked the wheel really really hard LOL).

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Terrible-Tones

Post Script Formal Statement...

I would like to point out that both our flat tyres were not made by a certain Italian manufacturer. Also I would like to point out that I had not driven over any trackside kerbing and neither had I swapped tyres from the correct side. The starting pressure was above 15psi and we had the correct negative camber (until I kicked the wheel really really hard LOL).

Sorry TT, but we cannot allow you to take part in the young driver test, as you might gain an unfair advantage.

Bern ...... Oops! Bob.

[Terrible-Tones]

Originally Posted by bauble

Sorry TT, but we cannot allow you to take part in the young driver test, as you might gain an unfair advantage.

Bern ...... Oops! Bob.

Am I still OK for the "old driver test", since I think I qualify more for that?

[SouthportFC Fan]

Only if you promise to drive over all the same kerbs that were there last year and then blame them for the damage to this year's tyres.

Have you put a new jack on your Santa list yet ?

[Terrible-Tones]

Originally Posted by SouthportFC Fan

Have you put a new jack on your Santa list yet ?

New car more like!