Safety Cars... Requirements for Crew

[The STIG]

This is something of a long term marshalling ambition for me, I'd like to work on the Safety car. However, since I'm now far too old to even consider starting racing, I'm more interested in being in the passenger's seat as an observer. Can someone please tell me what the requirements for that role are, and how one goes about achieving them?

Thanks in advance.

[The Fat Clerk]

The organising clubs arrange it and usually use experienced Senior Officals, in a lot of cases it's 'dead mans shoes'.

[Tim Falce]

It's more a case of who you know than what you know. All instructions come from race control so you're really only an extra set of eyes and ears for the driver.

[The STIG]

**deleted**

[Matthews Dad]

Just been sad enough to check the blue book

definitions for safety car crew are: The Safety Car will be driven by an
experienced circuit driver and will carry an observer
capable of recognising all competing cars and who is
in permanent radio contact with race control.

So if you are the Stig you should qualify for the first part

As for the second are there any observers out there who are capable of recognising all competing cars

[The STIG]

Originally Posted by Matthews Dad

Just been sad enough to check the blue book

definitions for safety car crew are: The Safety Car will be driven by an
experienced circuit driver...

So if you are the Stig you should qualify for the first part

Um... Unfortunately I don't think 2 trackdays (one of which included spinning off my favourite and "home" circuit*) qualify me to be an experienced circuit driver. I thought you had to have a race licence as well, which totally disqualifies me.

*which is not where you might think it is

... and will carry an observer
capable of recognising all competing cars and who is
in permanent radio contact with race control... are there any observers out there who are capable of recognising all competing cars

Watch it... that's a can of worms you're holding.

[Matthews Dad]

And the lid is already off


I'll get my coat and leave quietly should I

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by The STIG

Um... Unfortunately I don't think 2 trackdays (one of which included spinning off my favourite and "home" circuit*) qualify me to be an experienced circuit driver. I thought you had to have a race licence as well, which totally disqualifies me.

To drive you do need at least Nat A as far as I know but that shouldn't disqualify you from being an observer.

[Joyce George]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

To drive you do need at least Nat A as far as I know but that shouldn't disqualify you from being an observer.

As far as I know the driver must hold or have held a licence equivalent to the class of cars racing ie at B for Clubmans or Nat B meeting, Nat A for NAt A meetings etc. As a safety car observer, I can tell you its b****y hard to identify cars via rear view mirrors!!! + being in the pit lane you find it difficult to follow a race's progress. As said, you are the extra eyes of the Coc. Its a good job on wet days tho'!!

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Matthews Dad

As for the second are there any observers out there who are capable of recognising all competing cars

Yes. . . but not all on the same lap!

[Brian George]

as safety car driver for the CSCC I have found through enquiries by other clubs that they prefer the driver to hold a national A license & as Joyce & I a permenant team most of the time it is quite boring & very bad for the waist line as for being too old to race I started when I was 65 retired this year due to lack of funds & was in the right place at the right time to get the job but it comes from the organising club not the circuit or the marshals club

[Eddy V]

Not sure why you want to do it, Stig.
It is usually very boring. I've done the driving as well as the observing bit in the old days and I was usually glad the blimmin' day was over.
With some "bad" luck, you will not move a foot all day long.

Now, doing something like Silverstone Sid (following the pack for a lap after the start), that is something else and some fun as well.

[gravel_monkey]

Originally Posted by The STIG

Um... Unfortunately I don't think 2 trackdays (one of which included spinning off my favourite and "home" circuit*) qualify me to be an experienced circuit driver.

dont worry pal, i have a race license and been off loads at my home circuit, probably due to over confidence and lack of skill though. would still love to get out in the safety car though

[The STIG]

Originally Posted by Eddy V

Now, doing something like Silverstone Sid (following the pack for a lap after the start), that is something else and some fun as well.

Granted : But also requires putting out fires - and that's not too healthy an activity for someone with Asthma...

[PVDA]

I'm trying to work out why the driver needs to be a licenced (for racing) person considering the SC usually only drives around at 60-80km/h most of the time except for the last couple of corners when it bugs out??

One would think two experienced marshals who understand how things work trackside would be better IMHO.

[gravel_monkey]

belive the driver needs a current licsence or at least proof of experience.knowin me could be wrong

[Woolley]

I've done it once (observer), at Rockingham for ASCAR (curiously given the OP, spending some time leading around the real Stig, aka Ben Collins, before he was the Stig). Being on the oval you also get 4 pace laps before the start so you're never going to get nothing. As a one-off it was genuinely exciting and I loved it. Long term I imagine it can get pretty dull on the whole.

I got the gig on the basis of knowing someone who knew someone who knew the regular, and none of those were available on the day. I suspect it's a job that finds you rather than the other way around and it's not going to be an easy ambition to fulfil.

[JimW]

Originally Posted by Matthews Dad

. . .

As for the second are there any observers out there who are capable of recognising all competing cars

No problem. They are all in the program with their numbers, aren't they?

I did the observer job a few times many years ago but the safety car was much less used then and it was a bit boring.

Regards

Jim

[The Fat Clerk]

I've done it a few times - mainly Britcar 24 hours, like Jim I didn't find it particularly exciting. What I do like doing is driving the car at the front of a rolling start race. At the Classic @ Silverstone a few years ago I was driving a Aston Martin Vanquish, I was braking for Stowe at around 155 mph and had my mirrors full of a big orange Mclaren M8............awesome

[johngee]

Originally Posted by The Fat Clerk

I've done it a few times - mainly Britcar 24 hours, like Jim I didn't find it particularly exciting. What I do like doing is driving the car at the front of a rolling start race. At the Classic @ Silverstone a few years ago I was driving a Aston Martin Vanquish, I was braking for Stowe at around 155 mph and had my mirrors full of a big orange Mclaren M8............awesome

I'm sure that was the meeting when you told me you never went over 50!

[The Fat Clerk]

Yeah, but that was with my eyes open John

[m1fcf]

Originally Posted by PVDA

I'm trying to work out why the driver needs to be a licenced (for racing) person considering the SC usually only drives around at 60-80km/h most of the time except for the last couple of corners when it bugs out??

One would think two experienced marshals who understand how things work trackside would be better IMHO.

Having seen the way in which the F1 Safety Car appears to be travelling pretty much on the ragged edge, whilst all behind is calm, serene and overheating - then I can see the need for the driver to have at least some race craft.

Moving into position rapidly might also come from a bit of racecraft - and for support of this statement I give you the WTCC incident when an inexperienced driver put the vehicle in the wrong position on a blind corner and really did collect the leader on the first SC lap!

[JimW]

Originally Posted by PVDA

I'm trying to work out why the driver needs to be a licenced (for racing) person considering the SC usually only drives around at 60-80km/h most of the time except for the last couple of corners when it bugs out??

One would think two experienced marshals who understand how things work trackside would be better IMHO.

Totally agree.

Jim

[oz_watcher]

Originally Posted by PVDA

I'm trying to work out why the driver needs to be a licenced (for racing) person considering the SC usually only drives around at 60-80km/h most of the time except for the last couple of corners when it bugs out??

One would think two experienced marshals who understand how things work trackside would be better IMHO.

Being able to handle and respond to faster cars around you should be second nature if you have (or have held) a racing licence. You (the driver) will also know what to look at as visual cues of what is happening ahead. IMHO that is all quite different to being experienced trackside as a marshall. Granted those instinctive skills shouldn't be required 99% of the time, but in the chance that they do, everyone will be glad the driver has them.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Eddy V

Not sure why you want to do it, Stig.
It is usually very boring. I've done the driving as well as the observing bit in the old days and I was usually glad the blimmin' day was over.
With some "bad" luck, you will not move a foot all day long.

Agreed there, I had a go this year and we didn't turn a wheel in six hours although I did manage to get two hours sleep, I would have got a lot more if it hadn't been for a very talkative observer for quite a while.