How do you start marshalling and what are the cool bits?

[McKay]

How do you start marshalling and what are the cool bits?
Like what things can you do (apart from marshalling) that the average spectator cant.
and how old do you have to be to start?

[McKay]

oh and is it like a weekend job? do you guys have a day job aswell? is the pay good?

[ss_collins]

pay...? is this a joke?

[Claire]

McKay, we are all volunteers, I work Monday to Friday and then spend my weekends marshaling. There are various places to gain info try www.marshals.co.uk or www.marshalspost.com both are full of great advice. There are also alot of people who post on here that will be more than willing to answer your questions.

[jase]

McKay, have a look at this thread:

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthrea...threadid=33281

There are many jobs to be done at a race meeting, Pits, Startline, Course, Paddock, Race Control, etc.

[Cynic]

oh and is it like a weekend job? do you guys have a day job aswell? is the pay good?

um..yeh, ok. We really need to get something about this put on the site I think. Of course the first thing to know about marshalling, is that you must take a sanity test. We only accept the spectacular failures.

[Gizmo]

Mckay, I echo the above comments, yes please do look at the suggested sites and ask as many questions as you like....but if you enjoy watching motorsport from the speccie area then believe me you never go back there again once you start marshalling. You get much closer to the action, get to meet some famous people and sometimes dig them and their cars out of the gravel. Forget computer games for their realistic graphics, there aint nothing more graphic than a thundering GT roaring past sometimes just feet away....you can feel the heat from the cars, you can smell them as they pass...you can feel the weight as you push them......all this you get for free, the public can`t buy this....fancy a go?

[McKay]

hell yeh! but im only 13

[Woolley]

That means, unfortunately you can't go on the bank yet. You'll need to be 16 for that. There are still jobs you can do within race control and paddock, and you'll find plenty of people happy to use you. Contact some of the smaller clubs particularly. The atmosphere is usually more relaxed, and the numbers scarcer. When you're at a meeting, have a chat to the marshals near you, and pop up to race control to speak to them as well. Where are you from, and where can you get to?

[jase]

Originally posted by Woolley
That means, unfortunately you can't go on the bank yet. You'll need to be 16 for that. There are still jobs you can do within race control and paddock, and you'll find plenty of people happy to use you. Contact some of the smaller clubs particularly. The atmosphere is usually more relaxed, and the numbers scarcer. When you're at a meeting, have a chat to the marshals near you, and pop up to race control to speak to them as well. Where are you from, and where can you get to?

Some of the bigger meetings at Silverstone and Donington often need a runner from the pitlane to race control.

[chezza]

Its a shame clubs such as the BRDC used to have a scheme for junior marshals but they seem to have disappeared now!

Surely something should exist to encourage youngsters onto the bank...if we don't catch them young then they are going to find other things they are interested in and forget all about becoming marshals, and there the problem of decreasing mnumbers grows!

[McKay]

my local track is brands and thats about as far as i can get to, i cant get there easlily. i would have to take the train and then get a taxi.
so all i would do is take messages from the pit marshalls to race control?

[Dave Brand]

You can join BMMC as a Junior Member. Unfortunately you're not eligible to join the grading scheme until you're 16; you can, however, work in the paddock/assembly area or in communications/administration. There's a 12-year-old who works in the assembly area at Oulton who's been doing ot for three years or so.

[icklimp]

i started in assembly when i was 8 at cadwell and (coughs!) 15 years later i'm still going strong
i would recommend getting a family member or friend involved if you are too young to drive because public transport can be a nightmare at 7am on a sunday, but once you start going no doubt they'll be plenty of pople who will be happy to give you a lift

[ss_collins]

Mkay where are you based cos I'm often at brands.

[Ian Smith]

Originally posted by McKay
my local track is brands and thats about as far as i can get to, i cant get there easlily. i would have to take the train and then get a taxi.
so all i would do is take messages from the pit marshalls to race control?

Hi McKay, Just remember the old adage "Mighty Oaks from little acorns grow" And you would learn a lot from the people around you and would become infected with the buzz most of the rest of us have, I wish you well and hope we see you about soon

[Richard Sneader]

I suggested last year we try to do something about the juniors in my region and was shot down for it.
Rich.

[Smokey 6 litre]

Originally posted by Cynic
you must take a sanity test. We only accept the spectacular failures.

i didn't take that test, thay asked what footy team i supported, i replied Norwich City and they insatntly agreed that i was insane and let me join.

Marshalling is great, although i have only done one race so far, the rather boring 4 hour beetle race at snetteron, it can onbly get better (please)

[chezza]

Don't let ss_collins hear u say that...if were thinking about teh same race, he was driving in that "rather boring" beetle race, and his story is very different!!!

[wiggles]

Originally posted by Smokey 6 litre
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me, I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to.
Hey! Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me,In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

That song freaks me out. It sounds like someone is stalking him, it especially freaks me out if I hear the William 'Tekwar' Shatner version ("MR TAAAAMMMMBOOOORIIINNEEEE MAN!!!!!").