All forms of Motorcycle Sport
require many key personnel for events to take place and there is a
number of ways you can become
involved in Motorcycle Sport without competing. These
include Observers – Race Marshals (both Off-Road and Road Racing) and Clerk
of the Course – Technical Officials – Timekeepers and
Event Secretaries.
Off Road Track
Marshals
Becoming an
Off Road Track Marshal is a great
method of being involved in events. From
the age of 16 you can
become a Marshal at race events around the country.
To become a Marshal
is very easy with no qualifications required as a briefing will take place at the beginning of each event.
Although
a Marshal is normally a voluntary
position many clubs offer small rewards such as free food,
boxes of chocolates/wine and sometimes even a small
monetary payment.
Motocross Marshals
are able to attend organised Marshals
Seminars to gain additional experience
and join the register of
trained Marshals for all types of
events from grass roots to Grand Prix.
Why
not try it, it’s a great way to get even
more pleasure out of the event
and you will be
putting something into the sport
for the cost of a few hours of your
time.
Road Race Marshal
A Marshal at any Motorsport event
is an integral part of the Race Organisation. There is a saying in motorsport which goes something like, “No Marshals, No Racing” and whilst
that is true it can also be said
about Medics and other key Officials. The bottom line though is that
without Marshals or without enough
Marshals, a Road Race meeting –
whether that be on a short circuit or on the roads cannot start.
“Do
marshals just clear up after incidents?” has been a
question often asked. That is certainly part of the job but
Marshals are there to help prevent
incidents in the first place.
Observing for machine problems before or during track sessions can prevent
an incident from occurring. Machines
are flagged-off at most meetings after a marshal has spotted a problem, of
which the rider was unaware. Oil
leaks are pretty typical; marshals usually spot the smoke before anyone
else does.
Removing debris from the
track, and cleaning spillages before they cause a problem are other examples of
preventative marshalling.
Most ACU Road Race
Clubs have Marshal Training Days which
gives extensive training to all Marshals to enable them
to carry out their duties. This
training includes all the relevant
flag signals, how to use a radio and
how to treat casualties at the
scene of an incident.
There is some basic but essential
first aid training which will enable a Marshal
to give immediate first aid to a casualty
until the arrival of a doctor, which
is normally within
a minute or two on
the instructions of the
Clerk of the Course.
When
arriving at an event, Marshals need to ensure they are there at least an hour prior to the start of first practice, so
they can Sign On and be allocated
their place to Marshal for
the day.
Marshals are not paid but are recompensed in
other ways, for example,
some Clubs give Marshals
‘Breakfast and/or Lunch’ tokens to grab a bite to eat.
We are sometimes asked by a
Marshal on their first meeting, will I be thrown in at the deep end and left
on my own? Definitely
not! At your first meeting the
Chief Marshal will make sure that the
Marshal in charge of your Team on your
section is aware of your inexperience. He or she will keep an eye on you and make sure that you
are teamed up with at least
a couple of experienced
people. The Incident Officer (IO) who
is in charge of the team of marshals on your section
is aware of your inexperience. He
or she will keep an eye on you and make sure that you are teamed up with at least a couple of experienced people. Generally
there is a hugely
friendly atmosphere at meetings,
especially on the campsites (and the
circuit bars).
If you would like to become a Marshal
and you want to know or ask anything further, please contact ACU Head Office on admin@acu.org.uk or ring 01788 566400.