"What have YOU done today to make you feel proud?" Heather Small (2000)
"What have YOU done today to make you feel proud?" Heather Small (2000) |
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4th March 2002 |
Whilst trawling through the internet for motorsport articles, I came across the following item posted on website www.pitpass.com. With acknowledgement to the originators I recreate it in full, as it sums up all that marshalling is about. But what make THIS article interesting is that it has not been written by a marshal, but by a motorsport spectator who, in her own words, "is sat on her bum!"
The Best Things In Racing Are Free 29 May 2002 Where would motor racing be without marshals? Well no where as there'd be none. From club racing to Grand Prix it's the men and women of the marshalling ranks that ensure there's a race. Imagine all the marshals wake up one Sunday morning, then turn over and go back to sleep; result, no racing. So there must be a huge pay back to tempt these people from under the duvets in the small hours of a Sunday morning. And that pay back comes in a currency so often forgotten in today's motor racing world, the satisfaction of supporting the sport alone . It has nothing to do with cold, hard cash as marshals get nothing, nowt, zilch, diddly squat. Marshalling is a hobby done for the love of motorsport. These men and women put aside their time and their own money to train in the many aspects of marshalling whether they are a flag marshal, incident marshal, race administration, pit marshal, the list of roles is lengthy. It may shock many to know there are over 1000 marshals at the British Grand Prix, each receiving a small sum of lunch money. Many marshals don't just dedicate their services to British events but will travel around the world to marshal at international races, some of whom will pay up to £1000 or more to go on such a working holiday. It is thanks to the generosity of these people, their supporters and sponsors that a wheel ever turns on a track. Imagine the cost to motorsport if all the marshals of the world were fully waged, it would be the sort of figure that make team bosses sweat. And this is no vocation for those who think it involves loitering in front of David Coulthard's garage once a year. A marshal who is a spectator is as much use as a chocolate mug. Marshalling involves a deep commitment to on-going training, the patience of a saint, the stamina of an ox, an endless readiness and a deep rooted passion many of us think we have but don't come close to. The role of marshals and the reality of the danger they can be in has been in focus in recent years after the deaths of Australian marshal Graham Beveridge and Italian marshal Paolo Ghislimberti. Another case many may have heard of is that of Goodwood marshals Andy Carpenter and Steve Tarrant. At the 2000 Goodwood Festival, John Dawson-Damer's Lotus 63 crashed, knocking down Andy and Steve who were marshalling at Flying Finish 1. John was killed instantly, Andy died during an operation a few hours later. Steve was resuscitated at the scene by the rescue crew, his right leg having been severed from his body below the knee, his left leg shattered and a multitude of internal injuries. After grueling and intensive treatment, nine months later Steve was flag marshalling from a wheelchair in South Africa! Since then Steve has continued to marshal at events throughout Britain, whether he had to carry out the more sedate marshalling duties whilst he came to grips with his prosthetic leg or back to more active marshalling recently as he becomes more adept. This return to the hobby he and his wife hold so dear hasn't just returned a sense of joy and fulfillment to their own lives but it can be seen and felt throughout the marshalling world. The marshalling family has suffered losses and traumas and as Steve's case has highlighted when one of their own is affected they all rally round. Marshals have a special bond, some more so than others as on more than one occasion I've heard circuit commentators announce with glee the engagement of Marshal A at Turn 2 to Marshal B at Turn 7! From volunteering, marshals gain a sense of satisfaction, enjoyment and pride in vitally helping the sport they love. Along the way they are privy to a side of motor racing few experience and are part of a very special team. So next time you are feeling a little jaded about motor racing, as if the spirit has been sucked out it, glance across to the marshals post and sigh a sigh of relief. The best things in racing do seem to be for free! To read previous articles by Rebecca... click
here
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