Most embarrasing marshalling moment

[ascarracinguk]

come on fess up what was the most embarrasing moment in your marshalling life.... mine has to be dropping a bottle at donny infront of the grandstand


I know STOOS its gotta be those BIG ORANGE SHORTS

[ascarracinguk]

oh and steves probably involves chocolate eclairs

[EvilPumpkin]

so many moments to choose from. I think this year's so far has to be the "I'll rescue you Paul" run into the Paddock Hill gravel trap only to have him get out of the car and me fall on my @rse in front of all the spectators.

[alec]

Mine is slipping on a tyre and falling flat on my face whilst climbing up the bank at Knockhill. Luckily on a practice day, so no spectators, but the IO, Observer and two flaggies and one course marshal saw it in all its glory.

[Claire]

The worst one so far was at a BRSCC meeting last November, I was on post 22a with Novice when we had to go out to an upside monoposto, I was in charge of the bottle and was running for my worth when I lost my footing and landed face first in the gravel the the bottle about 3 meters in front of me, luckily no spectators and as the driver was upside down he didn't notice either!! I'm sure there will be lots more to come though.

[Logrence]

My entire weekend marshalling the Bemsee meet at Oulton Park...I'm sure sss can fill you in, he 'tells' it better than me

[ALFA ALFA]

While responding to a car that had simply pulled off, I was running to the car with a fire extinguisher in hand and tripped over a rock at the last moment. I slid headlong into the side of the car in my best impression of a Pete Rose head first slide into homeplate. My station Captain and all of the point people all gave me the umpire's safe at home sign. Then the driver looked down and asked if I was going to be OK? It took a long while to live that one down.

[racerkeke]

I had a similar experience, Alfa Alfa. Except I was out in the "back 40" of a local track called Shannonville, in eastern Ontario. This part of the track had just recently been built, and they had just run a bulldozer over the brush to either side of the newly-paved track layout. By July it was a minefield of rocks, clay, raspberry vines and poison ivy. So there I was, just me, my radio, the flags and the firebottle (big 20 pounder). A F2000 went by with flames trailing from its engine cover, but by the time the driver got it stopped he was a good 200 yards away. Still closer to me than any other marshal out there so I told Race Control I had to leave the station (have previous station flag for me) and set off at a full run with this godawful heavy firebottle. Yep, you guessed it, total faceplant about halfway there, right into a patch of raspberries (good thing it wasn't the poison ivy). Knocked the wind right out of me aside from the scratches -- firebottle ended up on top. But I picked myself up and kept running. Got to the car, made sure the driver was okay, put the damn thing out, gave kleenex to driver (crying because this was the car's maiden outing and he'd trailered it all the way from Calgary). And then I realized the radio was gone.

Yes, I eventually found it (amazing how hard a brown radio on brown rocks is to find) but not before Race Control was ready to send out a search party! Should have gotten an AIT pin for it, but instead I've had to hear about it ever since -- gotta be more than 15 years!

keke

[b1ackcr0w]

Getting the Marshals Prize at the Donnington F3/GT Meeting this year was thoroughly humiliating.

Was promised Red Carpet treatment and a go on the F3 Podium - Nobody told the Commentator, so There's a big flurry of press activity while the F3 drivers are around. By the time the bloke got to me the drivers had gone and there was just me and this commentator bloke on a draughty gantry, I expected there to be tumbleweed rolling past at any moment. I'm not stupid enough to do marshalling for glory or plaudits, but I just don't need my nose rubbed in it!

Then they blared it across the PA that I'd won a free set of tires. Only when I got back to post did I find all I actually got was a 35% discount (later that little porkie even got plastered on Crash.net!). I had to spend the rest of the weekend explaining that I'd only won a discount. Weird how I had done nothing wrong, yet still felt stupid as hell. (yes that does mean I fork out 65% of the cost of my "free" tires! I also have to get the wheels off my car and take them to another F3/GT race meeting, Hmm I always have loads of time to spare at race meetings, no problem!).

Just to add insult to injury - the firm who offered the prize doesn't make tires that fit my car, so I asked If the value of the prize could be donated to the Motorsport Safety Fund. So far I've heard nothing, not a sausage. Not that this in any way implies that the prize was a cynical marketing con or that the firm in question doesn't actually give a stuff. No that couldn't possibly be true!

[Woolley]

We've covered some of this before, but it's nice to see a new set. To combine this and another thread that's running at the moment, my most recent embarrassing moment has to be reversing £30K worth of Jaguar course car while not actually in it. I'm not very familiar with automatics, and if I stop my car on a steep incline I put it into gear rather than trusting the handbrake. I automatically did something similar (not quite sure where the shift stick was moved to) then got out. I leaned in and switched of the ignition key, and the car set off backwards on it's own. Fortunately I managed to operate the handbrake - thank goodness someone showed me how to operate it first - and it stopped just short of the farm building! Of course, all the Finish Paddock marshals were watching...

[Snapper Baz]

Evil, I have a picture of that "Arse" taken a bit later on...need to find someone who can scan it to send for all to see!

[EvilPumpkin]

Hmmm you'll need an A3 scanner then....

What is it with you photographers and my arse? Con Connolly appears to have an entire album of pics, now you've started as well?

[Mark Mitchell]

Mine has to be a couple of years ago at a BRSCC meeting at Anglesey. A Formula Honda spun in qualifying at the first corner and stalled the engine. There was only one incident marshal on post and, with Anglesey being such a short lap became comcerned. I waited for what seemed like ages for him to fire it up again...but he didn't!
So, I asked for a session stop - and it was granted! Red Flags came out.....Brummm Brummm (Or whatever F Honda's Do) and off he tootled.

In the race in the afternoon, the same car spun at exactly the same spot. I waited.....and waited (Not catching me out again you )
The remainder of the pack hurtled past him, just managing to avoid the stricken and WD FH!
The driver then started to wave his arms frantically, so I radio's in and asked for a Black/Yellow Flag.....granted!
As the Black/Yellow came round........Brumm Brumm off he went again

[Flagman]

See photo on my details!

Was presented with photo by regional training officer who had been on walkabout taking photo's for user in future training sessions.

I think the caption was to be 'Marshals should remain alert at all times'.

Luckily it was not during a race - actually it was on the green flag lap. The full photo shows that a certain poster on this forum was doing a splendid job of displaying the green flag at the time - well thats what trainee flag marshals are there for...

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally posted by Flagman
The full photo shows that a certain poster on this forum was doing a splendid job of displaying the green flag at the time - well thats what trainee flag marshals are there for...

Who might that have been then? eh? eh?

[ss_collins]

chezza the sunts silverstone strip - at least I presume thats her most embarrising

[ss_collins]

chezza the shunts silverstone strip - at least I presume thats her most embarrising

[Snapper Baz]

At Croix a few years ago myself and another photographer (after, and if need be - during the races)we mucked in with marshaling duties as there is a limited number at the circuit. Having hitched up a formula Honda to the crane we dragged it out of a big gravel trap and then set it back down on the circuit. The driver jumped back in quickly. I had just finished getting all the gravel out from the car and he fires it up-puts it into gear and blasts away...only thing was he was still attached to the crane's arm with the rope! It reared up and nearly rolled back on its self-the driver didn't wait at all for me to unhook him from the crane...he embarrased himself bigtime!!! The crane driver (who was French and didnt speak any English offered us a beer after he had stopped laughing...he had about 10 bottles stacked next to his crane at the end of each day!)...great fun!

[deebrief]

Happened at Silverstone a long time ago whilst on the bank at Woodcote approach during the start of a race. All the cars shot off except the last couple. Me and this other chap jumped off the old sleepers and ran out to push only for both cars to suddenly rush off. Yes, they both had a 30 sec penalty. What a blonker I felt !!!!!!!1

[blueflagger]

My most embarrassing moment was unwitnessed but I had to 'fess up afterwards. This happened in the good old days of Road America when they had really disgusting cinderblock loos.

I was in the habit of tucking my Nomex gloves into the back of my trousers when I wasn't wearing them so I could find them in a hurry if I needed them. And you've already guessed what happened to my beautiful new gloves. When I heard them hit the liquid eight feet below me, I couldn't do anything but laugh at myself.

Back at the station, they made me confess to everyone before someone would loan me a pair of gloves. I'm sporting another new pair of gloves this year; When I go to the loo, everyone offers to hold my gloves for me.

[sumo]

At a btcc meeting about 4 years ago on the instructions of my IO I ran out at woodcote approach to grab a largish piece of bodywork from the grass and not only overrun but in trying to stop fell base over apex in front of a very full grandstand

[neil_davidson2]

I celebrated the final year of the Copse gravel trap with a couple of ground level sky dives. The most spectacular of which involved jumping off the tyre wall and having the last tyre give way, dumping me face down in the trap. Sadly it was club meeting so there was no crowd to admire this acrobatic display

[ascarracinguk]

dam it...wheres the camera man when you need him..... do you have a big S on the front of your probans.....

[Dannygirl]

The first race I made in Spa, I jumped onto the wall but ... I fall in front of everybody ...
I felt so stupid for my first race ...
After, the sun were shinig a lot and I didn't have a cap and I became sick, I couldn't stay on my feet, they had to call the doctor ...
All that for my first race like track marshall ...

Oups

Sorry for my english

[EvilPumpkin]

Hi Dannygirl and welcome to the forum! As for your English my dear, it's excellent!

That was a lot of embarassment for one race - but at least you got it out of the way early - it's strange but silly things like that can be a good way to get to know people!