Locations & travelling

[Rach Dommett]

Hi all,

I am thinking of doing marshalling this year (2012!) after experiencing a couple days of marshalling last year.

I was wondering though if anyone lives my way, and if so, how and where do you travel to for when you marshal?

I live near Exeter, Devon.

I always find it difficult to get to most circuits and don't drive much myself. Last year, my husband drove me to the circuits but it would be good to know if anyone lives near by that I could possibly travel with so I don't trouble by husband all the time!

[Steve Fox]

Doesn't he fancy a go? It is very addictive would take too many days out to get him hooked.

[Rach Dommett]

Thanks Steve and funnily enough, we had just had that conversation before I read your post!

The thing is, my hubby is a racer and so I looked to do marshalling as a way for me to be able to get involved in Motorsport myself. Something for me to do on my own and make friends.

However, my hubby is not sure yet if he wants to race this year, or take on a project such as building a kit car. If he doesn't race, I know he will not like to see me go off to the circuits and him not so he will probably join me!!

However, if he does race, there may be times I need to get to the tracks myself. I guess until he decides, I wanted to see if anyone lived nearby

Who knows, we could always help out with lifts ourselves if we do both go!

[Woolley]

If you're travelling just for marshalling, not to accompany someone who's racing, from Exeter consider hill climbs at Gurston Down and Wiscombe.

[Richard Duvall]

Originally Posted by Rach Dommett

However, if he does race, there may be times I need to get to the tracks myself.

Why not marshal at the events he races at!

[Rach Dommett]

Thanks Woolley for advice. I volunteered once last year at Wiscombe Hill to see what it was like to marshal (as its not far from me) and really enjoyed it. Its the only place close to us and my hubby can drop me off and pick me up from that one. I did like the sound of Gurston Down and I also like the idea of Thruxton as I do have family I can stay with in Salisbury so its just getting there if hubby cant take me. (I do like Thruxton as I went there a lot as a child with my father as I grew up in Swindon)

Thanks for reply Richard! I did consider that, but I don't like to travel for too long for too much (due to health reasons) so to travel and then marshal all day and travel back would really take it out of me I think even if over 2 days. So if hubby decides he wants to race, I may only go to a couple & help out more at closer circuits/hill climbs. I did try Pembrey last year when hubby raced, but that took so long to get there even from Devon! (Mind you, I think it was the same time there was that fire in the tunnel into Wales so traffic was bad anyway!)

[Piglet]

Hi Rach We're around 30 miles from you on the Devon/Dorset border and I work in Exeter. We tend to do events all over the place, Brands, Snet (that's a looooong way from this part of the world!), Silverstone etc.

I'll drop you a PM with some details but most of what we do is multi day events with quite a bit of travelling.

I'd second Woolley's hill climb suggestions, I did my last MSA officials training in Exeter last year and there were only two of us who did Race regularly the majority of the others was from Hill Climb disciplines and from what they were saying they had a really active set up in this part of the world. It might be worth trying to see if there is a local car club who run events - I was talking to a business contact last year who was involved in a really active club in Cornwall they ran a vast number of events from Hill Climbs, to auto tests and rallies and all sorts of stuff - something like that would be a lot less travelling than trying to get to and from circuits.

Happy marshalling - I'll PM you in a while.

[Rach Dommett]

Hi Piglet, if you could PM me with details that would be fantastic! I did try and look for local places but could not find any but I guess I didn't look to much. I will get back to looking! I saw another post just now for Castle Coombe too as that's straight up the M5 so a good possibility too.

Thanks everyone for their help and suggestions so far!!

[Norbert]

Rach,

The most active club in the South West of England is the Woolbridge MC. Here is their website http://www.woolbridge.homecall.co.uk/marshalling.htm

They run most of the events at Wiscombe Park. They also run a hillclimb at Charmouth once a year, this year it is on 22 & 23 September.

[Rach Dommett]

Thanks Norbert! I believe that's how I got to do a days marshalling last year at Wiscombe Park and I will be sure to add this to my list so I can check if they still ave me on records for helping this year. Thanks!!

[Woolley]

Gurston is organised by BARC, under the auspices of Alan Grumpy on here.

Gurston website

[dave vass]

I have just looked at the Gurston website, and what a quality website it is. Congratulations to whoever puts that together.

[Woolley]

Sorry, folks, I was trying to split the thread between the general hillclimb discussion and Rachel's area specific one, but I seem to have lost the rest of the thread in error. Stone cold sober as well...

Apologies to everyone who's posts have gone astray as a result.

[skeee]

There is at least a couple of Castle Combe 'regulars' that travel up from Devon. If you're not at the training day 11 March then PM me, I'll see if I can pass on your details to them.