BTCC Thruxton

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

I noticed that too Piglet, and was a trifle suprised, since BARC were the first to mention this idea a couple of years back that insurance requirements meant we should all be corralled into cages. MSVR representatives may have mentioned it at a Saturday morning briefing, ONCE, maybe twice, again not recently.

I think it (being caged) is total ******** and a terrible overreaction due to someone misinterpreting the insurance position regards us being in a protected area.

Very few of us out there trackside want to be completely penned in. Week after week many of us perform our duty without chainlink between us and the competitors.

If it is written down in B&W, then what's the status when we step out beyond the armco protected by a bit of flappy cloth that only some seem capable of acting upon? Dare say it would need a court case to set precedent.

So lets stop there, please..

I think it comes from the track licence; an organising club/owner whoever will have insurance and that will require them to operate within the rules set down by their governing body. If the governing body says in the track licence that marshals should be protected by debris fencing and positioned at points A, B and C, an organising club etc. is going to have to demonstrate that it wasn't negligent to allow marshals to stand at point Z which is unprotected if a marshal stood at post Z was squished by a flying car or part of a car.

I suspect of course if depends on the location, someone stood at the outside of your beach at 4a is at less risk than someone stood in an unprotected position on the outside of a corner with a small run off.

With regard to a marshal hit whilst trackside, I'm not aware of any caselaw (which must be a good thing?) but I suspect the position will be similar, an organiser will have to demonstrate that the action in took in allowing/instructing marshals to go trackside at that moment in time was the action of a reasonable race organiser. To me, that's likely to mean that if an organiser knew that earlier in the session competitors behaved badly under a yellow flag, they should be aware that there is a risk of this happening again and perhaps amend their strategy accordingly. That is of course a whole different (and to the anoraks amongst us very interesting ) topic for elsewhere....

[Bodysnatcher]

Originally Posted by Piglet

If the governing body says in the track licence that marshals should be protected by debris fencing and positioned at points A, B and C,
<snip>

(and to the anoraks amongst us very interesting ) topic for elsewhere....

aha - the Paulo Ghislimberti defence...not our fault guv he was standing in the wrong place -

see also a case closer to home.

"The jury also heard that the marshalling positions on the left-hand side of the circuit had not been drawn on the track map and officials did not know they were there."

If you wanted to use these as precedent, then PC's should be given some sort of documentation regards placement of resources or CoCs/Stewards should have their eyes open on these interminable inspection laps.

but as you say Piglet, something better discussed in a less public place.

PS never seen or heard details of the track licence regards marshalling BH in 22 years

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

If you wanted to use these as precedent, then PC's should be given some sort of documentation regards placement of resources or CoCs/Stewards should have their eyes open on these interminable inspection laps.

That's probably a good point, I suspect the short advice is, keep marshals in the protected area and, as a PC, if you really want to CYA ask Race Control to confirm that they are happy with the location of your marshals.

[gwar]

Enjoyable weekend, and did watch event on tv later today....just a quick question for you.....the ford focus cars of tom chilton and tom onslow-cole were both LPG powered.....are there any particular requirements for putting out fires.....apart from the usual powder & foam extinguishers as issuied on each post.....

[The STIG]

Originally Posted by gwar

Enjoyable weekend, and did watch event on tv later today....just a quick question for you.....the ford focus cars of tom chilton and tom onslow-cole were both LPG powered.....are there any particular requirements for putting out fires.....apart from the usual powder & foam extinguishers as issuied on each post.....

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=121200

[vw_nut]

had a good fun weekend on post ten with dave and roger CHIPS

[Norbert]

Had a great weekend on Post 20. Just the usual spins and straight-lining of the chicane until the last Porsche race and 3rd BTCC when it all went slightly silly.

Excellent crew on Post (well done Pete on passing your I/O assessment, very well deserved!). Reacted very well under pressure to clear the porsche shunt ably assisted by Post 22. All in all an awesome weekend.

[Steve Tarrant]

My ears have just about recovered from Radio Norbert!!!!!!!

Had a great time as ever, thanks to all the visitors to Thruxton who said hi. Just to say it isn't always that wet so please come back again and enjoy the sunburn as well!!!!!!!

[m1fcf]

Originally Posted by matt_g

I was on Post 22, very quiet few days, until last porcshe race then rob collard into the barrier in the last race.
I was quite suprised how the clio's behaved themselves

the first clio race, I was amazed that no-one got tagged at 6. The car had gone off drivers right and straight through the traffic as it went round turn 1 of the complex (campbell?) without touching a single competitor!!

UPDATE: This is the link to the ITV website containing Race Highlights from all three races: http://www.itv.com/sport/btcc/racevi...e/default.html

[Roger Lovelock]

Originally Posted by vw_nut

had a good fun weekend on post ten with dave and roger CHIPS

I also had a good weekend thanks to all on Post 10 for your efforts.

[Dave Weston]

Originally Posted by Roger Lovelock

I also had a good weekend thanks to all on Post 10 for your efforts.

All on Post 10???

Am surprised me and Keith were on post together at Combe too! Bring on the chips!

[Wet marshal]

I personally would not want to see a car go over the armco and head towards 12 marshals standing behind a 7 feet wide fence who, at the spur of the moment, all run into each other in an effort to escape.

Good point white flag man, and well done for training 2 Trainees to flag correctly!!

From your friendly P.C.

[Nighthawk]

Remember the porsche that jumped the fence...it can happen..

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by Wet marshal

I personally would not want to see a car go over the armco and head towards 12 marshals standing behind a 7 feet wide fence who, at the spur of the moment, all run into each other in an effort to escape.

Good point white flag man, and well done for training 2 Trainees to flag correctly!!

From your friendly P.C.

You're welcome mate. Thanks for all the good banter. Still laughing about the woman who asked you if the track went all the way round.

[ALANGRUMPY]

Originally Posted by Norbert

3rd BTCC when it all went slightly silly.
.

Oops! Sorry about that Norbert.

[yellowspanner]

Enjoyable first meeting on rescue - luckily we managed to keep both big incidents to ourselves dealing with both the big Ginetta offs.

[Norbert]

Originally Posted by ALANGRUMPY

Oops! Sorry about that Norbert.

You and your big mouth!

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Wet marshal

I personally would not want to see a car go over the armco and head towards 12 marshals standing behind a 7 feet wide fence who, at the spur of the moment, all run into each other in an effort to escape.

So practically, what do you do about this on post? Do you discuss appropriate ways away from the post?

Surely putting marshals outside of the "safe" zone isn't the solution to this problem?

[White flag man]

Then the answer would surely be more "safe" zones.

[welshgal_2006]

I would guess that Marshals using their own common sense would come into this? If they don't feel the position they are placed in is safe, then surely they need to say something?

[Woolley]

I thought distributing marshals around the sector was normal? It is everywhere I marshal, no experience of Thruxton, though.

[White flag man]

You're right, as usual, Woolley, especially at Thruxton, which is quite a long circuit and the posts are quite a distance apart or on either side of the circuit.

[m1fcf]

It has always been my understanding (what little there is with only a couple of years experience) that the catch fencing on a post was more for the Yellow Flag marshal who would normally be stood with his back to traffic to provide a little more protection for him should it all go a little pear-shaped.

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by m1fcf

It has always been my understanding (what little there is with only a couple of years experience) that the catch fencing on a post was more for the Yellow Flag marshal who would normally be stood with his back to traffic to provide a little more protection for him should it all go a little pear-shaped.

That's exactly what it was used for on my post at the weekend. The problem is that the insurance company porbably wouldn't agree. They would probably say it is there for everyone to use.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by White flag man

You're right, as usual, Woolley, especially at Thruxton, which is quite a long circuit and the posts are quite a distance apart or on either side of the circuit.

You're too kind. I'm often wrong as well.

Not having been to Thruxton, I seem to remember from TV that most of the marshals' posts are pod thingies which change the placement. Does that apply to the chicane-complex area, then, albeit with barriers as well?