Computerised marshalling?

[Bodysnatcher]

what is it?

But Bernie Ecclescake seems to be into it. Hope it's not running Gatesware.
Anybody else notice the wee article at the bottom of page 9 in Autospurt?
"Ricard is safety centre"
blah de blah.. circuit appointed centre for motorsport excellence. Owned by B.E.. fawn, fawn, ingratiate.....it will be used.....drivel.....on-track training for marshals and ....more stuff...It already has....a computerised marshalling system

So, do we get to do our all expenses paid training in the South of France now, instead of at a sleet swept UK circuit in January or February?

[b1ackcr0w]

Originally Posted by Bodysnatcher

what is it?

But Bernie Ecclescake seems to be into it. Hope it's not running Gatesware.
Anybody else notice the wee article at the bottom of page 9 in Autospurt?
"Ricard is safety centre"
blah de blah.. circuit appointed centre for motorsport excellence. Owned by B.E.. fawn, fawn, ingratiate.....it will be used.....drivel.....on-track training for marshals and ....more stuff...It already has....a computerised marshalling system

So, do we get to do our all expenses paid training in the South of France now, instead of at a sleet swept UK circuit in January or February?

I wonder if this will be a method of replacing flaggies?

[EvilPumpkin]

Well it'll be interesting to see what happens when there are more crashes in the tower than on the circuit

[CombeMarshal]

I read that too and thought 'What the hell!!'
At a guess I'd say it was to do with flags/lights, maybe with a display at each Marshals post??
But IMHO I can't see it being safe to totally replace Flag Marshals with Computers, It's only the cars that are meant to crash!!!
Lee

[garybirch]

Replace flaggies! ARSE! Just upgraded to flag!
:-)
Can't see it happening though really.

[Cynic]

Well it's hardly a secret that Bernie views marshals as a necesary evil is it? I guess it's most likely using lights in place of flags, although perhaps it could be something really innovative like radio controlled recovery vehicles, or sniper rifles to save Stephen having to run around.

[Eddy V]

It seems they have done what they tried to do at Spa some years ago.
The track is littered with blue, yellow and red lights and cameras. The guy operating the cameras follows cars and decides with a push on a button to work the blue or yellow light.
How good the visability is for the drivers?

At Spa they wanted to use that system for trackdays and smaller events.
If the whole system works I do not know.

[The STIG]

I noticed that there were some yellow flashing lights at silverstone, is this anything like the system in place at Paul Ricard?

[Stoowert]

A friend of mine visited the said track last year and it does indeed operate a computerised lights system. Only for testing! The Gimaceing Gnome bought the track with express purpose of turning it over for F1 testing. I think he forgot Bacelona was there already! Still, it does look nice and tidy, no orange blobs dropping chunks of pork pies all over the place!

[Hepatic]

from what i gathered it uses the transmitters in the cars to track where everyone is, and when leaders are coming up to backmarkers it can trigger blue lights to be shown to the slower car. I'm assuming the same can be said for incidents and the like, but i'd never want to rely upon technology for something as fundamental to safety as someone waving a flag. could be a nice addition, but never a replacement

[flagwaver]

You never know perhaps it will become a Playstation game Total Marshal or the likes.

[Woolley]

The instruction at Surfers was that no blue flags were to be used for V8s. Everything is run off transponders which shows where the car is on track and when one is getting close to being lapped then it pops up a signal. I was reliably informed that the car to be lapped is sent an e-mail to say 'Move over'. I'm guessing the driver also receives the usual offers of Supercheap university degrees, viagra and various pornographic websites. It would be a new entry in the book of excuses, anyway: "I was so surprised to find that Britney wanted me at that moment that I missed my braking point..."

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by EvilPumpkin

Well it'll be interesting to see what happens when there are more crashes in the tower than on the circuit

So they have to send a safety car on the circuit. In the meantime they can reboot the computer system.

[MacGWC]

Apparently, this is no more than some sort of positioning system that records the position of any car on the track, including safety vehicles, and sounds an alarm if a competing car slows, stops or goes off the track. I believe light signals can then be actuated, on circuit and in the car (F1 only, I presume). This is not unlike the pilot scheme used while there was still (Bernie's) digital TV system recording every driver's hearbeat and which ceased once it became clear not enough pople would pay-per-view.

Like timing transponders, this may percolate down to club racing in time but don't hold your breath. In the neantime, don't retire yet, lads and lasses, your services are still needed!

[Stephen Green]

The thing to remember is that if this were to become the 'norm' the circuits would have to make a huge investment in the technology to run the systems. Now tell me, all the time they have an unpaid workforce that does the job efficiently, why would they want to dig deep in their pockets and use funds that could be better used elsewhere?

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Stephen Green

The thing to remember is that if this were to become the 'norm' the circuits would have to make a huge investment in the technology to run the systems. Now tell me, all the time they have an unpaid workforce that does the job efficiently, why would they want to dig deep in their pockets and use funds that could be better used elsewhere?

Besides that they still need marshalls to remove cars or debris.

[jcbsrule]

remote controlled jcbs next

[Chris Hobson]

Not only would the circuits have to make a hell of an investment, so would every competitor - transponders, in car flag displays etc. etc.

As George says - "Don't hold your breath"- real live marshals of all shapes and sizes will still be needed in real racing and other disciplines for many years to come.

Chris Hobson
National Chairman BMMC

[Woolley]

It makes you wonder if it's in the pipeline for GPs, though. That way it will be even easier to go to places where they've never even heard of motor racing but are willing to throw mega bucks at the organisers and wheel out all manner of dignitaries to kow-tow without having to spend a whole two hours teaching someone how to wave a flag.

Sorry, I seem to have come over all cynical again.

[Stephen Green]

Actually Chris, BARC are doing a great deal in some of the less developed motorsport regions to train marshals.

[Eddy V]

Originally Posted by Stephen Green

Actually Chris, BARC are doing a great deal in some of the less developed motorsport regions to train marshals.

Where's that then Stephen? Belgium?

[Stephen Green]

Shhhhh, that was a secret!

[Magnet]

[B]

Originally Posted by Cynic

Well it's hardly a secret that Bernie views marshals as a necesary evil is it? I guess it's most likely using lights in place of flags, although perhaps it could be something really innovative like radio controlled recovery vehicles, or sniper rifles to save Stephen having to run around.

Let's be honest, when your only 3' 2" tall everything is a necesary evil....it could tread on you!

[The STIG]

Originally Posted by Eddy V

Where's that then Stephen? Belgium?

for a bet. Wales.

Reason being they are the only national racing club with a welsh presence (Pembrey) who hold events at welsh circuits (Pembrey, Llandow and Anglesey) and have enough of an idea of what a Marshall is and what he or she needs to do.

or am I completely wrong?

P.s: Belgium -->http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhiker.../belgium.shtml

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Stephen Green

Actually Chris, BARC are doing a great deal in some of the less developed motorsport regions to train marshals.

Not quite the same as going to places where they can actually do it already, though. The poor guys in China took some stick over Narain, but can we be sure any of them had ever seen a racing car before, never mind a completely smashed one?

What worries me, and now I'm being more serious, is that there will be a death somewhere because of inexperienced marshals and we'll all get tarred with the same brush.