Marshalling duties

[AndyF]

Perhaps - To push the debate on we should take Passys Point on.

Should we run with out marshals? Cars have got to the point where they are just too fast for some, most, me! This speed in novice or less capable hands leads to crashes.

Maybe better driving would come from not having marshals at all. I know, not all accidents are the drivers fault, what if another driver throws in an ultra fast motor and uses you to slow down! But then perhaps we would need an umpire to impose sanctions.

OK. Marshals it is.

[lochness42]

Ok my opinion and experience here (sorry a bit longer post):
in first place marshall has to be sure that his action won't interfere other cars - thus checking if there are cars coming before he runs for a car, than again same check before he's going to put it back on the track. Oh and of course again same check when he's on the way back to marshalling position.

To order of marshalled cars - this one is personal
I marshall them in order they crashed if they are close to each other and I've seen order of crashed cars. If not I'm just marshalling cars based on distance from me.
It can be very frustrating if there is case of someone crashing into you and sending you both to track marking or you doing mistake first and guy behind you end does the same mistake and ends up in you so you both need to be marshalled and if the other guy gets marshalled first. That happened to me several times.

Anyway I strongly disapprove 2 things - shouting from rostrum on marshalls (it's 99% your mistake you shouldn't do and marshall is only human - I don't even shout if they don't notice me - but that's me). If someone heard me shouting from rostrum at The Players let me know I had to be marshalled there several times
Other thing is full throttle before car is put back on the ground - that can be really annoying and I punish that by not putting car back on the ground until he stop revving his car. Marshalls can get injured by that.

[wacattack]

DC, a bit like leaving your marshalling point before the race has finished and someone crashing where you should have been marshalling which resulted in them finishing 17th in the round at a national rather than 8th?

[telboy]

Personally, if you can get to the car quick enough(and safely enough) before any other cars come round then do it. But it sound like you were fairly close to 2nd DC. So the marshal should have waited for you to go past...and any other cars, before rescuing the 2nd place car. After all, he crashed in the first place not the other cars.

[Steve.T]

Originally Posted by David Church

I had an incident during my final at Taplow last Sunday that made me want to ask this question and see what sort of debate would follow.
As a marshall what is expected of you.
The situation that happened to me.
I had made my way up to 3rd after starting 6th in the A final, second place crashed, I saw it out of the corner of my eye, I decided to go round the outside of the crashed car which would have put me in 2nd, as I went wide the marshall ran out to marshall the crashed car, whilst doing this managed to kick my car into the wall, as he was marshalling the crashed car a few more ran into the marshall, he put the 2nd place car on his wheels, then put the cars that had run into him on their wheels, then saw my car up against the wall. I was then marshalled, I lost some 6 seconds and 4 places, well race over, no chance after this.
So what takes priority when marshalling, the crashed car or the cars coming?
If the marshall would have left the crashed car I would have been in 2nd, if he would have marshalled without getting the way I may have been secong, for sure I would have remained in third.
Should the marshall be 100% sure he does not affect any other cars race, or marshall the car that had earned the better position as fast as possible.
Let the debat begin.
I have seen a wide and varied level of marshalls at many different races. I think this is an interesting topic.
I was a bit disappointed with what happened to me in my final, but after that's racing,or is it???

Going back to the original message I just wonder how you have felt if you were the car in say eighth place who gained five places due the marshals mistake.
Would you have waited? Would you have given up your position at the end of the race to the poor bloke who got their car kicked?
Of course not and neither would or should anyone else. The fact of the matter is what goes around comes around or if you prefer "shit happens".
Anything can happen in a race is that not part of the fun?

[Ritchie T]

Originally Posted by pugboy

What gets my goat is:

1. Marshalls who think they are too good to be turning over cars in 'lesser' races and leisurely saunter over.

Great debate though!

My first race was a month or so back and i expected to be in a bad heat which is fair enough i have no F rating or whatever you call it

My laps were nice consistant 26's and a few 25's, rolled it on the last lap of my final qualifyer (heat1) 40 second lap! Took some nob from the top heat 15 seconds to walk about 6 feet to my car. There were no cars around me btw. Had the look of 'its heat 1 no one in it cares' look on his face, cool guy!

[mdb_75]

I always try to marshall when it's safe - once other cars have all passed, but it's difficult on small tracks.

[dodgydiy]

i will always marshall any car as quick as i can, waiting for any passing car or other car i may obstruct to pass first. you can not get in the way of other drivers, the crashed car has in effect penalised himself anyway by making the mistake. if the crashed car decides to spin his wheels i will stand back from that car until he stops it, no matter how much he shouts, have seen marshalls with burn marks on their hands, crap in their eye etc from this. have also experienced over exuberant marshals, one trod on my cat xls, breaking the chassis, top plate, receiver and speed controller and destroying the body while marshalling another car, i wasnt amused, he was very amused.

[David Church]

Wayne, yes I messed up and wasn't there to marshal, I did feel bad and apologise straight away!!! But you shouldn't have crashed haha. Now I am not saying this makes it right for me to not be there!!! I was wrong, I messed up and I am sorry.

Another gripe I have is, when people are standing by the track watching, a car crashes close to them, so they flip it back on the track, this is wrong, now I know we all wana help, and I am no exception, but this should not be done, or the person should stand there for the whole meeting to make it even for all drivers!!!

I personally think the best way is to make a video, explaining the duties of a marshal, and also show clips of how to do it right and wrong, I may even be in it, and according to Wayne, it would be how not to marhal

There is no single answer, just alot of good opinions, for these opinions I thank you!!!

[Chequered Flag Racing]

Originally Posted by David Church

So what takes priority when marshalling, the crashed car or the cars coming?

Marshall's own safety

Assess what's coming and only then make a move onto the track

If I was marshalling then your car would have been sorted before the others as I had caused you to crash before the others.

[wacattack]

Originally Posted by David Church

Wayne, yes I messed up and wasn't there to marshal, I did feel bad and apologise straight away!!! But you shouldn't have crashed haha. Now I am not saying this makes it right for me to not be there!!! I was wrong, I messed up and I am sorry.

Another gripe I have is, when people are standing by the track watching, a car crashes close to them, so they flip it back on the track, this is wrong, now I know we all wana help, and I am no exception, but this should not be done, or the person should stand there for the whole meeting to make it even for all drivers!!!

I personally think the best way is to make a video, explaining the duties of a marshal, and also show clips of how to do it right and wrong, I may even be in it, and according to Wayne, it would be how not to marhal

There is no single answer, just alot of good opinions, for these opinions I thank you!!!

Haha I'm only winding you up DC. At the end of the day I shouldn't have crashed, pure and simple

[David Church]

Originally Posted by wacattack

Haha I'm only winding you up DC. At the end of the day I shouldn't have crashed, pure and simple

You hurt my feeling!!!! I only have the 1 and it's now hurt

[niggs98]

have always been of the opinion of getting to the car as quickly as possible without ruining anyone elses run or as we were taught when juniors marshall as you wish to be marshalled. having said this in belgium a couple of weeks ago my heroics to help a fellow racer cost me a fractured foot when jumping over a car to avoid it. this could of potentially ruined the final for 10 people so i shall be slightly more carefull next time. it is the person whos crashed fault not the marshal who cant get there and killing yaself to do it really isnt worth it no matter how much the racer will holler at you off the rostrum. as racers sometimes we need to be more patient which when you are leading your final on the first lap and end up 10th because of 1 crash is rather hard to do but that is just a part of racing. having said all this the idea is as said previously to marshal as you wish to be marshalled just be carfull when doing it