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Old 19 Aug 2015, 18:23 (Ref:3566982)   #1
adam46
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Your First Marshalling Experience

Having very much enjoyed my first ever marshalling experience last weekend, I was wondering if anyone has a fun story or interesting tale about their first go at waving the flags and manning the extinguishers.

My marshalling experience took place at an off-road Autotest. I was sent to the post that caused no one any issues all day for the final run, and because I was there, there were stoppages and rolling Suzuki's to deal with. I've caught the bug, so while commentary is my main focus, I'll definitely be donning orange in the future!

I wrote an article about my stint as chaos bait here - http://downforce-radio.co.uk/speed-s...als-first-day/

I couldn't find a similar thread, so hopefully this should be a fun little chat.
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Old 19 Aug 2015, 21:21 (Ref:3567031)   #2
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Welcome to the mad bunch Adam. Life will never be the same, the insanity is within you.
Glad you enjoyed yourself, it makes a change from days of utter tedium interspersed with abject chaos.
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Old 19 Aug 2015, 23:51 (Ref:3567058)   #3
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Welcome to the mad bunch Adam. Life will never be the same, the insanity is within you.
Glad you enjoyed yourself, it makes a change from days of utter tedium interspersed with abject chaos.

The insanity has long been present, it's just found another way to rear it's head...
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 00:26 (Ref:3567068)   #4
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My first marshaling experience was Singapore GP.

The most important lesson I learned there is how far from reality that experience was compared to every other experience I've had since
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 08:51 (Ref:3567165)   #5
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My first stint was back in the last century. I was racing one Saturday at Snetterton and stayed over. Sunday morning heard paddock announcement "We need more warm bodies to stand trackside looking like marshals or we won't be able to run the meeting". So I turned up and when asked if I'd done any marshalling foolishly said "No but I was racing yesterday". The CM, who really should know better, said something like "Oh well if you're a driver you should know all the flags. Here's a set, you're flagging at the Bomb Hole".

Loads of fun and I only blue flagged the leader in one race (that I noticed). I still enjoy flag waving and I still get it wrong sometimes.

Steve
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 09:13 (Ref:3567180)   #6
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I did the Taster Day at Donington in 2009 at the VSCC "See Red" meeting immediately before the circuit was closed for... well, we all know what happened there.

Within about 15 minutes of getting there at 7am on the Saturday morning I thought 'Ooh, I like this'. The morning passed in a bit of a blur, then out to post in the afternoon where my first attempt at flagging was the VSCC Handicap Race. I was handed the blue and told 'this should be a good challenge for you'. It was! The rest of the day flew by, watching flame-belching Bentleys racing as the sun set. Awesome.

I decided before I left that I'd also do Sunday. I rolled up, signed on, got put on the same post. As happens sometimes, the people present had mostly changed from the day before so when I was asked 'how long have you been marshalling then?' my answer was...

'Slightly less than 24 hours'

Just shy of 6 years later I'm still at it!
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 09:33 (Ref:3567183)   #7
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Castle Combe - Easter Sunday in 2012. Arrived by train first thing in the morning and thumbed a lift to the circuit. Signed on, free chocolate (winner!) and was wrapped up in everything fluorescent orange.

About fifteen minutes into the FF1600 race the snow came, chaos ensued and I attended my first incident, three in the wall at camp and a soggy marshal who had managed to take a tumble on the snowy grass attending said incident.

Three years later and still hooked!
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 09:56 (Ref:3567190)   #8
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Donington, Old Hairpin, early 1997, BTCC. John Cleland spun into the gravel during the Saturday morning practice session causing it to be red flagged. As we moved up to recover the car the I.O. said "Mike, its your first day, get in the car while its towed out". On seeing John Cleland I said to him "First day as a marshal and i get a go in a Super Tourer!" with a big smile on my face. John Clelands remark (with a scowl) was "F*** Off!"

Must have made an impression on me because i'm still marshalling over 18 years later!
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 10:22 (Ref:3567194)   #9
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I did assembly and startline at mallory. Actually got to experience that rarity of an actual fire on the grid (engine fire) on my first day on the job. I grabbed the extinguisher, but didn't want to use it because I'd never used one before, and had absolutely no idea what to do .... would I waste it and fail to put the fire out etc .... so I handed it to somebody else to deal with.
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 10:35 (Ref:3567198)   #10
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March 1986 BMRMC Race Meeting @ Silverstone, I was at Maggots along with what seemed to me the world and his Wife, up until then as a Competitor, Marshals were just a blur, or someone to swear at when you broke down.

Most of my racing was done in Europe, and to this day I swear there were more Marshals on that one post @ Silverstone that day than i'd seen at a whole circuit when racing!

My 2nd ever meeting was more memorable though, I was put on Runway Crossing and all my new friends (who I shall call Bob) laughed and told me it was the worst post on any circuit anywhere. Well it was a Silverstone School meeting and we had one of the biggest accidents I've still ever seen, involving most of the field of FF1600's.
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 11:18 (Ref:3567210)   #11
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First marshalling was RAC Rally. The club I was a spectating member of asked in the newsletter if anyone wanted to join them. Since I'd been to a few RACs before I decided it would be cheaper to go as a marshal. Sunday in Sutton Park and Monday in a service halt near Tarenig, mid Wales. I did a couple before my first marshalling proper.

At Curborough, 1987, buddied up with the wonderful Eric Figgit, and receiving such pearls of wisdom as 'you know if methanol's burning because your wellies melt'. Laughed all day and learned a lot and started a mad hobby which I enjoy just as much now as I did then.
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 17:55 (Ref:3567291)   #12
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My first 'marshaling' experience was on water, literally.

I was put on the rescue boat at the then Lancashire Hydroplane Racing Club at Carr Mill Dam near St Helens while 350cc outboard hydroplanes raced around us in an oval at nearly 100 mph.

On one occasion I helped drag a driver out of the water into the rescue boat - while the water around us was on fire (two-stroke petrol/oil mix).

(I still smile when I see cars racing in heavy rain.)

I was eleven years old. I am now 64 and it's still like yesterday.

Exciting, dangerous, incredibly thrilling and nowadays totally illegal for one so young, I am still totally hooked on that buzz.

The nearest I've been to that level of excitement was at Druids three years ago when a Jag XJS, doing a ton, smacked into the Armco a few feet from my flag point and virtually exploded. I didn't stop grinning for a week. (PS. The driver was fine.)

Base jumping - pah!
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 19:38 (Ref:3567322)   #13
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My First "go" at marshalling, was a sprint at Southsea, when I was in the Royal Navy. Cold ,Wet but totally hooked on a new hobby?
That was in 1974

In 1975...after Standing on the Bank at Castle Combe, I got used to putting out fires, Sweeping up & having plenty of banter with drivers.(sob,sob)

This was ALL BEFORE H&S, and some of the risks we took...running onto the live track..picking/kicking bits of cars into a safe position!

Still dressed in Jeans, T.shirt and Plastic Rally Jackets..(they were top fashion) in 1976!..Thats when I did my first G.P. at Brands Hatch..Niki Lauda won in a Ferrari...James Hunt won on the Track!!

Now 4 decades on I still get to a few meetings from Clubbies to Internationals.
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 22:25 (Ref:3567367)   #14
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June (or possibly July) 2003 at Oulton Park for a clubbie.
I remember I was paired up with a then green badge marshal called Dave Brand. Whatever happened to him?
I think Cliff Hammond was my observer for that and, co-incidentally, the next 2 meetings I did at Oulton. Couldn't have asked for a better introduction. Obviously it did work as I've never turned back...
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 23:31 (Ref:3567380)   #15
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I have to go back to 1987 when a mate asked me if I wanted to watch some racing at Snetterton. There was a catch though; I had to go trackside and help marshal and it was the Willhire 24 hour! I can remember getting soaked helping to rebuild a tyre wall at Russell at 11pm (ish) and thinking, what the flip am I doing here? After 24 tiring hours and hardly any sleep I was asking when the next meeting was.

Unfortunately, work and family have forced me to retire but it took 25 years and a lot of treasured memories.
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Old 20 Aug 2015, 23:48 (Ref:3567385)   #16
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My first 'marshaling' experience was on water, literally.

I was put on the rescue boat at the then Lancashire Hydroplane Racing Club at Carr Mill Dam near St Helens while 350cc outboard hydroplanes raced around us in an oval at nearly 100 mph.
I remember staying at my Aunt & Uncle's in Birkdale When I was young (they lived near Ginger McCain's Garage and I got to meet Red Rum). Anyway My uncle took us to Carr Mill to watch some F1 powerboat racing. Bob Percival was racing, his is a name I always remember. I recall there was a ski ramp on the water and and the boats went out, one opened the throttle, lost control and got stuck on the ramp.

Those hydroplanes were always exciting. I saw a couple flip at Oulton Broad once. Luckily no one was hurt.
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Old 21 Aug 2015, 08:45 (Ref:3567447)   #17
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I can never remember if it was 1974 or 1975 Easter Meeting at Snetts - still enjoying it….
Bladders
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Old 21 Aug 2015, 09:43 (Ref:3567453)   #18
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It was 1974. You may be enjoying it still ....but it's difficult to tell sometimes! Anyway,' mustn't grumble" .
Seriously (!) .....our combo of over 40 continuous years working together must be a record of some sort? Keep enjoying it Balders and spreading good cheer and humour.........
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Old 21 Aug 2015, 10:44 (Ref:3567463)   #19
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post 2 at cadwell...jags and clatterams. post chief was (master yoda) ben irons.had great afternoon clearing oil and bits of jag after 2 tried to mate and failed...still enjoy getting wet/sunburnt/blown away etc
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Old 22 Aug 2015, 00:50 (Ref:3567603)   #20
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Mine was at Lydden in the mid 70's when Bill Chessun owned the circuit. Facilities were basic but marshals were well looked after. Rallycross at its best. Come a long way since then.
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Old 30 Aug 2015, 17:18 (Ref:3569994)   #21
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My first marshalling experience

My first marshalling experience was certainly an interesting one. I was at Oulton Park at Avenue on the 28th March 2015, and the weather had been very mixed, fairly heavy rain and pretty cold in the morning, but clear and moderately warm in the afternoon. My day had been pretty quiet until the 1st or 2nd race after lunch (which was 2cv racing), when there was a very big accident at the first corner, Old Hall, which ended up partly at Avenue. The race was red flagged and a competitor had to be cut out of the car and airlifted to hospital (thankfully, they are ok, just battered and bruised, but complaining of back pain so precautions needed to be taken). So all in all it was a very interesting first day, with exciting racing, and a big crash with cars hitting the armco right in front of me
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Old 30 Aug 2015, 19:36 (Ref:3570053)   #22
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In 1964 I became a member of the Dursley Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. Somebody at the club told me that there was always a shortage of marshals at Castle Combe. I turned up one race day morning and was told that I would be doing start line; however I would only be needed to grid up the cars in the afternoon, so my job for the morning was to paint the racing numbers on the sides and bonnet of the cars as they arrived for scrutineering! How's about that for a unique introduction to marshalling? PS. In those days nobody wore overalls, we dressed in shirt, collar and tie!
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Old 30 Aug 2015, 20:09 (Ref:3570059)   #23
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Ah,you had a nice steady hand in those days then Dave!
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Old 1 Sep 2015, 08:47 (Ref:3570436)   #24
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Ah,you had a nice steady hand in those days then Dave!
Unlike now......
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