Rockingham BRSCC-EA 31st July

[Terry Scannell]

It must be Snet Marshals on Tour season, what with Snetmarshal going to Brands and starting a new trend for us regular Snetterton marshals by venturing away from our Norfolk home on a rare weekend off, combined with several of us being cajoled and encouraged by a very persuasive Mr Peter Rodwell to help out at Rockingham on the 31st for the first time may I ask who else is down to be there?

I would also welcome any advice from the Rockingham regulars as to what we should watch out for and any operational differences with regard to signing on, post operation and procedures etc that are specific to Rockingham.

Hopefully also looking forward to meeting many other 10/tenthers on the day.

[Claire]

I will be there, I have visited The Rock many times as a spectator but never as a marshal. I know that having race control on the outside and everything else on the inside can be problamatic. I have also heard that you have to park outside and then either get a lift over or walk thorugh to the inside paddock. I'm very interested to see how our first meeting there goes!

[Ian Sowman]

Yes, there is a minibus arrangement from the parking area which is adjacent to the outer paddock to the signing on room, which is at the end of the pit lane garage complex.

[adstubbs]

My tickets/instructions must have gone the long way in the post - I see the first session starts at 9:30, so I'm assuming sign on is 8 till 9 or thereabouts?

[Claire]

sign on starts at 8.15 but remember we have to get there from the outside paddock, allow plenty of time. I'm not sure if the mini buses are running or not.

[Alan Green]

minibuses should do a pickup run at all meetings, providing someone volunteers to do the driving

[Terry Scannell]

Thanks everyone for the info, should be a good days racing, especially the Sports 2000's, the VSR V6 & Silhouettes and the Fiats.

Looking forward to seeing you on the day, let's hope the weather stays fine.

PS If any regulars travelling to the circuit see cars with drivers and passengers dressed in orange who appear to be looking lost somewhere between the A14 and the circuit don't worry that will just be us from Snet!

[peter195001]

to all snetterton marshals going to rockingham,(not me going to lydden)
most locals(corby) folk have scottish akcents, cound be trouble understanding your "norfolk/suffulk" akcents. tip just ask loud and slow.might work if not follow race cars and hope going to rockingham

enjoy the BRSCC EA tour,maybe next year i will be there

peter

[Terry Scannell]

Hi, Peter - Good to hear from you - hope you have a great time at Lydden with the 750MC - should be interesting with lots of stock hatches etc to keep you busy!

Looks like all East Anglian marshals are on tour in other parts of the country this weekend! Last one out please turn off the lights!

Are you going to be at Snet next weekend for BTCC? If so see you there Friday evening?

Terry

[Claire]

After looking forward to marshalling at a new circuit I was very frustrated by my first visit to "The Rock" as a marshal and I won't be doing it again. I have made my feelings clear to the officals of the meeting as to the my reasons why. I hope the rest of the EA marshals that made the trip to Corby had a better experience than I did.

[Ian Sowman]

I'd be interesting to hear why, if you don't mind? From what I saw it was a reasonably well-run meeting, although there were obvious problems with the published timetable being unworkable. Overall, it was the most well-manned meeting I think I have ever seen there.

[GT3]

Originally Posted by Claire

After looking forward to marshalling at a new circuit I was very frustrated by my first visit to "The Rock" as a marshal and I won't be doing it again. I have made my feelings clear to the officals of the meeting as to the my reasons why. I hope the rest of the EA marshals that made the trip to Corby had a better experience than I did.

I didn't enjoy it either and I won't be going again!.

[Ian Sowman]

But why!?

[peter195001]

terry, snetterton is the ciruit closet to home but will travel to where the club "takes me" will see you saturday morning working till late friday

peter

[Alan Green]

I'm with Ian on this one - Why???

I'm at Rockingham this weekend for the SCSA races and if it's something circuit wise I can bring up with the team at Rockingham I'll gladly pass it on. Or is it a club/timetable/entries thing?

We need all the marshals we can get at Rockingham so a grievance being aired about nothing to do with the circuit is something we can do without, but if it's a problem lets try and get it fixed to make your next visit better.

Al.

[Claire]

It's nothing to do with the circuit as such, I went with an open mind as I knew it was our first meeting there but it started off badly when no one seemed to know where I could park, I took it upon myself to head over to the inner paddock and find a space to park. Sign on wasn't where we were told it would be, I was put on a post that took various "officals" 20 minutes to find, I was doing a duty that I don't normally do - I don't mind that but found it quite frustrating trying to get my flag through a very small hole, blue flagging was near on impossible. I did feel, perhaps wrongly, that the Rockingham marshals had all the hot spots and we were left to pick up what was left. Being stuck on the outside of the oval at flag point 3 all day was not my idea of fun and due to that I won't be volunteering there again. As i said in my previous post I have let the Cheif Marshal and Cheif Observer of the meeting have my thoughts on the day. After all I am a volunteer and I marshal because I enjoy it, I didn't enjoy Sunday.

[Ian Sowman]

Isn't it the case though, Claire (and anyone else) that now you have been through the experience once, parking will probably be easier next time, you will know where sign-on is, the officials (who may well have been new to the circuit too) will be a bit more familiar and you will probably be on another - more interesting - post? So wouldn't it be better to go with an open mind and give it one more chance? There are bound to be teething problems with anything new.

As most of you know, I normally attend race meetings as a journalist but one of the two meetings I have marshalled was at Rockingham. It rained nearly all day, I got soaked, there were some lengthy delays - lots of reasons for me not to enjoy the day. But as and when I have the opportunity to marshal there again, I would be happy to. I guess different people have a different perspective on the half full/half empty debate.

[Claire]

Ian, I take on board what you have said but I won't be changing my mind. Tried it didn't like it, won't be going back (well not as a marshal). There is one more factor invloved but this forum is not the place to discuss it. The next meeting the BRSCC EA holds at Rockingham also clashes with the 750MC meeting at Snetterton, I'm sure I'm not the only EA regular who will be there rather than watching the Uniroyal Fun Cup trundle round Rockingham for 5 hours!!

[GT3]

I did feel, perhaps wrongly, that the Rockingham marshals had all the hot spots and we were left to pick up what was left. Being stuck on the outside of the oval at flag point 3 all day was not my idea of fun and due to that I won't be volunteering there again.

I have to agree with Claire, I was on Point 9 (Turn 4) and it wasn't my idea of fun either, but also for me there were other factors which have put me off - the reasons why I do not want to discuss here but I will be emailing the officials of this meeting to let them know why I won't be returning (as a marshal) to Rockingham.

[Ian Sowman]

As it happens, I will be at Snetterton too that weekend, in the commentary box! On the basis of what you said, GT3, it appears to be a problem with the organisation rather than the circuit per se.

[goforit500]

Originally Posted by peter195001

to all snetterton marshals going to rockingham,(not me going to lydden)
most locals(corby) folk have scottish akcents, cound be trouble understanding your "norfolk/suffulk" akcents. tip just ask loud and slow.might work if not follow race cars and hope going to rockingham

enjoy the BRSCC EA tour,maybe next year i will be there

peter

Ha - Don't be too quick to follow - I once got totally lost on me way to Croft and ended up in a tiny village with a ford through a river. I looked behind and there was a queue of pristine Autin Healeys and MGs behind me who were going to the circuit for a display - Silly buggers obviously thought I had half a clue where I was going with the racer on the trailer....

Anyone with ANY experience should know never to assume that a race driver actually knows where he is going and that if he does, it doesn't mean that the actual trajectory will be in anyway similar to the intended one :-)

[GT3]

Originally Posted by Ian Sowman

On the basis of what you said, GT3, it appears to be a problem with the organisation rather than the circuit per se.

My problem is not entirely with the organisation otherwise I wouldn't marshal for the BRSCC-EA at Snett, but it's the issues with the Circuit that have put me off from returning.

[Grandslammer]

Speaking from experience,you can feel isolated ,when flagging from certain points at Rockingham,namely,posts 2,3,4,8,& 9.which form part of the oval section. Communication,is the biggest problem,thoughts of dropping flags onto the track ,without being able to retrieve them(6x6in gaps IIRC) and transport to post could sometimes be 'hit or miss'.My mate had to walk back to sign-on from post 4 to return equipment,after transport 'failed' to turn up.Apart from that Rockingham is a nice Circuit

[Terry Scannell]

Claire, sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy the day as much as I know from your earlier comments that you had hoped, all I can say is that I was asked to cover Post 14 with Tim and from where we were I would refute the statement that the Rockingham marshals had all the hotspots, indeed I would say from seeing most of the posts visable around our area there were regular Snet marshals covering flags, incident and indeed many Snet observers on the "interesting points" and being kept quite busy.

Indeed as a first timer at Rockingham, I must admit I was rather apprehensive when I arrived and parked up behind Turn 1 at approx 5.30 am to find only one other car and a car and caravan which I later discovered to a well known Snet Observer,(who will be very busy in another role this coming weekend!), while seeing that we appeared to be totally out numbered by Security staff.

All I can say is that it was the first time for many of us and it must have been a steep learning curve for the BRSCC-EA team, trying to allocate marshals from several different regions, perhaps not being as well versed on some of their preferred duties or indeed skill levels, whilst trying to ensure that all posts were adequately manned with the right mix of people. Also bear in mind that they didn't perhaps know until signing on time just who would or could actually turn up for duty.

On our home ground when confronted with the regular Snet teams that have been together for many years the crews can and do virtually sort themselves out, making life much easier for the Chief Marshal and Chief Observer.

I am sure that the BRSCC-EA team have learnt a great deal by running this meeting and I am confident that the next one in October will run as smoothly as any Snet meeting, although I am concerned for them regarding available numbers due to the clashing Snet 750MC meeting.

Finally I would just wish to thank everyone who did travel to Rockingham both from Snet and those that supported from the other regions, (it was great to meet face to face several other 10/tenthers) it could have been a lot more difficult for the organisers if you hadn't and I am sure that they really appreciated your support.

I'll get off my soapbox now!

PS. Peter - Yes, see you Sat morning.