Highlights and Lowlights of 2004

[rdjones]

So the 2004 racing season is now over and done with. I was wondering everyone highlights and lowlights of the year have been.

Highlights for me where Le Mans as ever, also my first trip to Knockhill. Another highlight for me was the Roger Albert Clark rally it was great to see all those Mk1 and Mk2 Escort flying around the forest of the UK again.

Lowlights have to the British Hillclimbing Championship at Harewood, nice to go see it but I have never been so borad at motor racing event in all my life. Another lowlight had to be the BTCC at Snetterton I don't know but the weekend just seemed to go on for ever.

[stevebrown]

Originally posted by rdjones
Another lowlight had to be the BTCC at Snetterton I don't know but the weekend just seemed to go on for ever.

Yeah but you weren't marshalling out at Seer.That had to be the worst BTCC meeting at Snet ever. Then we had to endure the Porkers as well zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Steve B

[Alan Green]

Circuits visited: Croft, Donington, Mallory, Cadwell, Oulton, Rockingham, Silverstone, Snetterton, Brands Hatch
(9 in a season I think is a new record for me, so that's the circuit highlight! Circuit lowlight, lack of decent marshals camping area at Rockingham).

Events marshalled: 750MC Clubbies, BRSCC club, BARC club, Uniroyal, F3/GT, HSCC, Morgan OC, EERC Britcar/Britsports, DDMC, 2CV 24hr, FIA GT/EERC, British GP, BTCC, AMOC, Days of Thunder (SCSA).
Highlights: Observing on the Oval at Rockingham for the final two DoT meetings, or the night races for the EERC at Donington & Brands. 2CV 24hr was pretty impressive too. Lowlights: Another p*** poor performance from the British F3/GT package, or the lack of entries in 750MC Hot Hatches this year.

Marshalling highlights: Getting to spend time with a rescue crew to see how they work, the whole Rockingham oval experience, and still in awe of the grand prix cars (the package may be rubbish, facilities poor, and prices too expensive, but beeing stood 10 feet away from a car doing best part of 120mph (and rising) at Farm/Bridge was impressive).

Marshalling lowlights: The usual - cold, wet, unappreciated, out of pocket, not winning on the raffle etc, etc, etc.

Best 'gimmes'/gifts - Thermal mug from the 750MC at the Birkett, T-Shirt from the EERC at Brands, marshals reception and drinks/buffet from LG at Donington super racing weekend.

/to be continued...

[Alan Green]

...continued/

Worse incident - Morgans at Mallory: A very nice Morgan ending up being parked on the tyre wall on Stebbe Straight at some speed with the driver needing some assistance, and the car needing an awful lot more.

Stupidest incident (or near incident) - Days of Thunder finale: One driver stops at turn 2 exit opposite me on the slowing down lap. He jumps out of the car and then starts pushing it as if trying to bump start it, and then jump up to sit on the window frame. Not knowing what he's trying to do, I call for the incident truck, and as I'm doing that the driver gets the car going, jumps up and slips off the car, which trundles down the track at slow speed into the tyres on the inside at turn 2/3. The driver almost fell under the rolling car, so I'm getting frantic on the radio about the incident team. Driver gets up, then pushes the car back from the tyres, as a team mate parks up behind him, he sits on the window and his team mate gives the car a push to get it going. The guy then proceeds to do his wave to the crowd standing on the window frame as the car makes its own way round the oval. I could have slapped him when I found out that that was his party trick

Funniest (not at the time, but over a pint afterwards is a different matter Both involve fire cars - either the tank going into freeflow in one of the Rovers at Mallory, or the dry powder extinguisher getting triggered inside the shiny Jaguar as the door was slammed on it. Red jag with powder coated interior anyone

[Split into two, but still a big post so thanks for reading. All in all not been a bad year to be marshalling, especially to say that summer was a bit of a washout, but we got away with it on some if not most weekends]

Al.

[Les]

best Snetterton BTCC - just because I loved seeing Huffy win in front of his mates.

Worst Thruxton Clios for the loss of Kevin Lloyd but it was excellent for the last Renault 5 race,

[Andrew Gunnell]

High lights for me this year are seeing Adam Fleetwood go sub 24 seconds at Shelsley and the MG 80th Birthday meeting at Silverstone.

Low lights are the grid sizes (sorry to mention it!) at the race meeting I have marshalled at this year(which was only two excluding MG's 80th). Also the EuroBoss meeting at Donington, where Scott Mansell had no compation.

[BertMk2]

Highlights - my friends Mini winning a race outright at a SEMSEC meeting against far more powerful opposition, quality of racing at the Lydden rallycross meetings - action packed stuff all day at each meeting.

Lowlights - 2CV races at Lydden (dull and they ran twice on a day when others didn't get a race due to the weather) - I was really hacked off about that so god knows how the drivers felt!. Dubious driving going unpunished in stockhatch. Doran retiring the RS200

[MikeHoyer]

Higlights, Le Mans, LMES Silverstone, BTCC Donington (all had a great atmosphere).

Lows, BTCC Snetterton, forgot most of the cards for my camera so I could only take about 80 pictures! Apart from that, great season.

[Grahame West]

Highlights
British Superbikes at Croft, glad to see they are coming back next year.
Getting Vikki B-H signature at BTTC rounds at Croft.

Low's paying the bill for my front suspension rebuild!

[Craig]

Highlight - Le Mans

Lowlights - everything else I visited - a pretty dull year I'm afraid

[woodyracing]

Lowlights - British F3 at Silverstone (cold, wet and boring so i went home)

Highlights - everything else (FVee, LMES, British GP, British GT, FJedi)

[mcurtis26]

Highlights

- Silverstone LMES weekend - great to see Robbie Kerr back and showing what a talent he is...and Marcus Marshall winning the F3 race (still kicking myself for leaving early!)

- Brands F3/GT October - nice to see the title settled in a proper and fair way, plus excellent racing in the supports, and a great day all round.

Lowlights

- Oulton BTCC - sorry guys, but I still cant see what all the fuss is about with the BTCC this year

[FLoads]

Highlights: Not seeing any F1 race.
Nic Mann's Manic-Beattie and Chris Williams 24litre Napier-Bentley leaving the start line at Shelsley {separately I hasten to add}.
For the anyone who doesn't know the Manic has a turbocharger on it driven by the starter motor from a helicopter which itself has to be started with compressed air. S1T off a shovel when it moves.
Being 6ft away from David Franklins unsilenced Ferrari when it is warming its tyres.
Lowlights: The continuing assumption by the press that F1 is something more than glorified kiddy cars. A little OTT, but you know what I mean.