AUS Marshals being paid??

[275 GTB-4]

I do not want to start the debate again about whether we should be paid, thats not what this fred is about

Discussing Marshaling with a fella fresh from a V8Supercar round he was impressed with the sponsored uniforms of the Pit Lane/Starting Grid marshals. He also said they looked really professional with the communications headsets etc.

Someone had told him that certain Marshals were being paid (under or over the counter was not mentioned I suspect).

I said (naively) that I thought only the top echelon of officialdom had paid positions and went into my normal spiel about "even F1 could not run world-wide without an army of volunteers. I also said that the Marshals in question probably drew there Comms from Radio Services like every other volunteer official (although I have heard of individuals buying their own headsets).

So...to the uniforms...sponsors pay for them?
approved by VESA or what ever they are called these days?
Indy - the same??

Anyone heard of certain "lower-order" officials getting paid in Oz?? (I don't mean offers of accommodation - which is always nice to see)

[Denosaur]

Did he go into any more details as to which officials these where?? There are some out there who have dedicated there time for years and would probably be more entitled to some sort of payment.

Everyone knows of the VESA/TEGA officials in the lane, but then you had the Pit Lane Observers, Pit Lane marshalls and then the Scruts'. Some of these guys had VESA tabards on over the weekend as well.

[JABWOA]

I have heard that some marshals/officials may have thier expenses paid (travel/accom etc) but not a wage as such.

[Denosaur]

Originally Posted by JABWOA

I have heard that some marshals/officials may have thier expenses paid (travel/accom etc) but not a wage as such.

That has been done before. Old friend who use to be a Senior official at Indy, had his accommodation and flight paid for that event. He also told me that the Champcar safety team has the same sort of deal, but they also get an 'living away from home' allowance.

If we talking about the VESA/TEGA officials, some of them are also employee's of VESA or TEGA. But I wouldn't really put them in the same boat as the rest of the officials out there.

[PVDA]

The VESA Officials are all on the VESA payroll (VESA has something like 60 employees these days), they are the ones in the fire retardant overalls during races and fancy series shirts at other times.

I know that those of us who work in the Pit/Grid/Pre Grid area's at Winton have nice hi viz flouro green polo shirts BUT we paid $50 bucks for each one (I've got two) out of our own pocket. IMG hand out an event shirt to their volunteer marshals for events they are involved in more as a thank you than uniform.

I've been to events where my costs were covered (Fuel/travel, bed, etc) and worked at other non circuit racing events were I was "paid" to be there.

A cheap weekend away for me usual costs me a minimum of $200 depending on if I can fill a few beds in the cabin at the caravan park to divide the costs and where/what we eat on Saturday night.