A question for you drivers

[Stuart Hill]

?

[Stuart Hill]

This is only to find out people's thoughts. This is not supposed to pay for fire-extinguishers, brooms etc. That's the organizing clubs job. This is just an idea to reward marshals that attend enough days to qualify for new overalls, coats or boots etc.

Thanks for any comments

[Stuart Hill]

Sorry, that was not very clear. The £10 would be a yearly addition to your chosen championship dues.

[bradenc]

Personally I wouldn't want to pay it. Not that I don't appreciate what they do, but I don't pay it now, so I don't need to in the future.

Now if you were to tell me that £10 of my subs has always gone toward marshalls threads, I'd say, cool carry on.

[B/Mark]

Some people don't deserve the selfless efforts of the marshals.
Pehaps when Bradenc has been dragged from a burning wreck he might feel the marshals need our FULL support.

[Andy Roberts]

I'd gladly pay it as if you don't have marhsall who stand there in all sorts of weather, and put up with a lot of slack from hyped up drivers, we wouldn't be racing!

I for one thing you guys and gals do a sterling job!

Oh yeah, I used to be an outdoor kart circuit marshall so I know kinda what its like

[Stuart Hill]

Thx for your comments guys.
I wasn't looking to make this a "let's praise marshals" thread. I am looking at setting-up a Marshals club for the 3 Midland Hillclimbs as a way to provide marshals that support the 3 Hills some form of reward in the shape of maybe free overalls,waterproofs or boots etc dependent on the number of days that they attend.
It is very much in the planning process right now, was just trying to sound-out as many people as possible as to the viability of such a scheme.
The current suggestions are:
£10 per year/per driver to go directly to the marshals or..
£100 would sponsor the marshals for a given weekend, sponsors get mentiond in programmes etc but, for that price, no more unfortunately.
I envisage the scheme as non-profit making, ALL monies to go to providing marshals with the bare essentials. All equipment (extinguishers, brooms etc) to still be provided by organising clubs.
The reason that I've posted here is because I would like the monies to come from driver's donations. All of us marshals know that non of you ever want to avail yourselves of our "incident-skills" and yet I do believe that most of you do trust us should the worst happens.

So I ask all you racers, have you ever bought a marshal a drink?
If the answer is yes then imagine this.......
instead of getting a round in, donate the money at the start of the season and help ensure that all the marshals that attend your chosen championship are fully kitted-out and ready to assist you, come rain or shine!!

Like I said, just an idea so far, so please feel free with your comments, be they positive or negative.

Thx

[bradenc]

I do not dispute that marshalls need our support, and if it were a case that £10 was REQUIRED I would give it. What I am and was saying is that marshalls are there now and I am not paying £10.

As I said, if you were to tell me that my subs included £10 marshalling donation/fee, no problem. If it was the case that there was a fee of £100 per year to support marshalls I would think it good value. But I won't vote in favour of introducing a fee for something which is already being paid for from elsewhere.

B/Mark
Sponsorship would seem a good route, and I am sure no sponsor would complian if there was enough money left after costs to actually pay the marshalls.

Now I am new to motorsport, but I realise the job marshalls perform and that ther would be no sport without them. But I do not know how they are run. Surely they volunteer because they enjoy the sport. In terms of PPE, I assume clubs make that available to the marshalls? Or must they buy their own?

If it is the case that they must buy their own. Then a collection at each meeting would surely cover the cost over the year. Perhaps even more. I am sure most drivers, and some spectators would contribute.

B/Mark if you were suggesting that I don't deserve the sevices of a fire marshall I suggets you take the time to find out a little more about me before you say such things. It is a little harsh to make such a statement about someone you do not know.

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by bradenc
Now I am new to motorsport, but I realise the job marshalls perform and that ther would be no sport without them. But I do not know how they are run. Surely they volunteer because they enjoy the sport. In terms of PPE, I assume clubs make that available to the marshalls? Or must they buy their own?

Marshals buy all their own equipment & pay all their own expenses.

A few clubs make a contribution of some kind to marshals' expenses, be it a few pounds 'petrol money', a packed lunch or a drink, but in many cases it's all we can do to get a 'thank you' out of them.

You say you are new to motor sport. If you are in the process of upgrading from a novice race licence you can obtain a signature by doing a days' marshalling. I would recommend that you do it - you will learn a lot by seeing things from the viewpoint of those who pick up the pieces when you get it wrong!

[DSM]

As the father and sonsor of s son who drives, I can say that we have implicit faith in Marshalls, and always enjoy talking to them and getting their points of view on all sorts of things, particularly car design from the perspective of getting drivers out quickly etc. My son's not always so in agreement particularly when they have a view about his driving!! (all in the heat of the moment you understand and not a common occurrence, I would add.)
I've always thought that it was a travesty that Marshalls were not fully funded when other roles, of arguably less importance, often are.
Having said thatI also truly believe that enough cash goes into the sport already and if the Clubs and MSA etc. sorted out their priorities, there would be enough cash to go round.
What's the betting that, if the MSA or whoever were to sanction a £10 per year contribution to Marshalls, by the time they had their 'admin' and the clubs had a bite, it would be £25 or even more?

[bradenc]

Yeah, I'll definatly be doing that day for a signature and to learn.

If i wasn't racing then I'd probably sign up for being a marshall. Probably will do when i can't afford to race anymore.

What is the cost of marshaling to a marshal each year? What contirbutions can they average from a club? lets assume 12 races are done.

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by bradenc

What is the cost of marshaling to a marshal each year? What contirbutions can they average from a club? lets assume 12 races are done.

Okay then, let's start from the beginning.....

I'll answer as a Hillclimb Marshal in the Midlands attending the 3 venues nearest to me. (I'll let those who attend more circuits cover that side. Over to you Dave!!)

Training Days..... Free Lunch + No Money/ Expenses.
The training day rotates each year between the 3 venues so the travelling is covered below.

Race Weekends.......

Loton Park.......... Free Packed Lunch/ £3 per day expenses
55 miles each way

Shelsley Walsh.......£5 per day/free barrel of beer for
officials at end of day
33 miles each way

Prescott.............£5 per day/subsidised pies and pasties
at lunch time
46 miles each way

That all adds up to over 2000 miles travelling unless I want to camp or use B & B etc. You then have to add the cost of basic marshalling equipment, which no club yet provides for free. Overalls @ £40 +, Boots @ £30+, and waterproofs. Average cost for marshalling gear = £100 or so.

Now in NO way am I saying that anyone SHOULD pay for this!! I was just wondering what driver's would think if they were asked to contribute, not by putting money in a bucket at meetings, but by a donation at the start of the season. This way one could ascertain just how much money was available for a season and devise a points scheme whereby marshals, if they wanted to, could maybe earn rewards in the shape of overalls etc by attending a given percentage of neetings in a given championship.

The one thing I could not put a price on though.........

The Buzz we get at any well run meeting with good racing, whether the cars pass you singularly or in groups !!

I might be wrong on some of the expenses for this season, I stand to be corrected and apologies to any club if I have misquoted the monies.

[EvilPumpkin]

Bradenc and any other drivers out there - there is an article called "Drivers' guide to Marshals" which you might find interesting.

http://www.mrmci.com/scribbles/drivers.asp

[bradenc]

Nice document pumpkin, it is a travesty that you have to buy first aid, cutters & gloves.

I will be making a donation at each race I do, seems only fair really. I would however prefer to see some gate money go towards the marshals.

Are there collections at the meetings? Do most drivers put their hand in their pocket?

[EvilPumpkin]

Braden, this is the way it's always been - I think all Stu is looking for is a once off donation every year to enable the club to buy communal kit and defray the costs a bit. It's nice that you feel that way, but we're very much aware that most drivers do this on a part-time basis and are largely self-funding, so we don't want to squeeze more cash out of you!

Some racing classes will have a collection for the marshals a couple of times a year. How the money is spent varies - at the FF at Brands, the money was given out in the marshals' draw. At Kirkistown a couple of years ago, the Marshals Club took the money and got really nice fleeces done with them which were given to all marshals.

And of course, there's the mythical "driver buying a round" scenario as mentioned above!

[bradenc]

Surely the club has to organise the donation then, which I do not beleive they do (750Mc). I would recommend that when when you join the club you have an option.

I wish to support marshals with £xxxx this year.

I do not wish to support marshals.

That would probaly result in an average of more the £10 per driver pa.

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by bradenc
Yeah, I'll definatly be doing that day for a signature and to learn.

Every driver should do it!

What is the cost of marshaling to a marshal each year? What contirbutions can they average from a club? lets assume 12 races are done.

That's a difficult question - it's a case of 'how long is a piece of string'. The great thing about statistics is that they can 'prove' anything!

Kaybee & I did around 50 days' marshalling last year - I started to add up the cost, but stopped when it got to £1,000.......

Our local circuit is Oulton Park; if we go there in Kaybee's car it costs about £7 for diesel. On the other hand, a two-day meeting at Anglesey with a night in a hotel costs around £100.

As for what we receive from the clubs, that, again, varies. It does seem to be that the bigger the meeting the less marshals are appreciated. Apart from a programme & a raffle, big meetings like TOCA, F3/GT etc., give nothing to the marshals. Jaguar Car Club gives £10/day, 750MC gives a soft drink & a Penguin biscuit or similar, at BRSCCNW & BARC NW clubbies we get a drink after the meeting, in addition to which both of these clubs give regular marshals free tickets to their annual dinner, MGCC gave a hat & a small self-adhesive plaque, Racesafe supplies overalls......the list goes on......

The bottom line is that, within reasonable limits, marshalling can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be; I marshal because I enjoy it & because need involvement - spectating is boring! I don't expect any recompense from the clubs. Anything I do receive is a bonus; however, when the volunteering forms arrive, the clubs which show a genuine appreciation of their marshals are the ones whose meetings get ticked first!

......and for marshals who don't think they are appreciated, do a Bemsee (yes, it's bikes!) meeting. No club organises meetings better or does more for its marshals.

[EvilPumpkin]

Just a note on that - sometimes it may depend on the clubs. I've approached all of the teams for the BTCC for donations for the Marshals Draw and also to put recruitment leaflets on their stands and a lot of them have been happy to help.

Special mention goes to Andrew Jackson the BTCC photographer on this, who's giving us loads of lovely stuff.

I think a balance has to be struck between asking people and expecting them to simply do something.