To start the New Year, I thought it was best to try and answer that all-important question of ‘What is a motorsport marshal?’
I’ve been asked a few times by friends and work colleagues what it is that I do when I disappear to some unknown circuit on the weekend. They may have heard of Formula One, through Drive to Survive or social media, but mentioning the FunCup Championship, British Truck Racing Championship or even the ST150 Championship is entirely alien to them.
Their look turns to horror when I also tell them that you can also spend the weekend in a forest, waiting for a set of headlights to appear in the wilderness, blast past you at some incomprehensible speed and disappear back into the darkness.
Oh, and we do this for fun and without pay.
So without further ado, let’s answer that question.
WHAT IS A MOTORSPORT MARSHAL?
The short answer I always give is the following: ‘Have you seen on TV when a car crashes, those people in orange who run out and pick everything up and get the track back to a safe condition? Yeah, that’s marshalling, we look after track safety.’
However, that isn’t clear, as it is a relatively minor part of what we do as a collective and who we are.
Motorsport UK describes marshalling as: “The beating heart of UK motorsport. Proudly standing out in their orange overalls or marshals’ tabards, they are vital to the safe and effective running of events all over the country.
“The role involves a wide range of essential duties to help events to run safely and effectively, from clearing debris and managing spectators to operating a start, finish line or assembly area. Being a marshal affords you one of the best seats in the house and the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes at all the most exciting championships and events.”
And the British Motorsports Marshals Club (BMMC)describes it as: “Marshalling is for anybody who is interested in and wants to be involved in Motorsport. You don’t need any special skills or qualifications to start, just common sense and a reasonably developed sense of self-preservation.”
However, for me, neither of these truly captures the essence of What Is a Motorsport Marshal?
So, let’s ask the question again…
WHAT IS A MOTORSPORT MARSHAL?
Motorsport marshalling is a great way to get involved in motorsports and become an integral part of it, no matter what your background. You don’t need thousands of pounds and the backing of multiple sponsors to don a pair of orange (or black or white) overalls and get stuck in. I will go into more detail in a later blog about ‘What Makes a Marshal.’
A Role for Everyone
No matter your interest level, understanding, or even physical ability, there are roles for everyone. I know people who have hearing impairments, are in wheelchairs, or who want to use it as a stepping stone to get into some other part of the sport. All are accepted and welcomed into a community that shares the common love of racing, rallying, hillclimbs, bikes and much more.
If you want to feel as though you are directly talking to the drivers without talking to them, a set of flags has your name on it.
If you want to keep the pit lane a safe working environment and interact closely with the teams, you will be greeted with open arms.
Want to keep spectators and drivers safe in the middle of a forest? You would be warmly welcomed and appreciated.
I could go on, and on, as the number of roles is vast and varied. Even in my 17 years in the sport, I have done an extensive range of roles and still have not made a dent.
Marshalling is A Community
There are no other hobbies around the world that have such a strong community. At an event in Sebring in 2019, six of us were integrated into the local team so quickly that you would have looked at us as if we were old friends who had known each other for years, not hours.
There are marshals from Belgium, France, Australia, and other places who have visited the UK for club meetings, and vice versa, because of the connections that we have all made through marshalling.
It really is like one big family, and if you think of a question that you need to ask on your journey through the sport, there will be a thousand people who will be able to answer it and support you to get it. For example, if you want to marshal at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Central Otago, New Zealand, someone will know exactly who you need to talk to, their email, the best hotel to stay at and even which flights are best suited to get there.
An enthusiasm that can’t be matched
Marshals are enthusiastic about what they do; for most, it is a way of life; for others, it feels like a religion; and for some, it is something they couldn’t live without.
When speaking to a friend once, he said to me: “Wow, you must really love it. You got into your flow state.” If you’re wondering what he meant, he effectively said I talked nonstop for five minutes about why it is the best hobby in the world and why motorsports is the greatest sport ever.
Yes, some marshals may say that they are unhappy because of the long hours, or rain that has come in sideways or that their post has been ‘quiet’. Deep down, they are loving every minute of what they are doing. No one within any sports, not just motorsports, is as enthusiastic or as passionate as a volunteer. If you’re willing to give up, or even pay for the pleasure of what you do, you must love it.
To summarise
To attempt pull all these thoughts together into something coherent, I am going to try to summarise what I have just said.
A motorsport marshal is an enthusiastic volunteer who makes the motorsports world turn. Whether providing safety to an event, either on the track or off it, regardless of their role. They are a committed, community-driven bunch who accept everyone and help them on their journey, wherever they are going, whether that is to the top of the sport or just to the pit lane.
