BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 1

SPRING 2020

Chairman’s Thoughts

As we enter a new motor racing season, I’m reminded of one of SE Region’s objectives; one we have struggled to

achieve over the past few years, but I’m pleased to say it’s one which we are making some significant progress

within the past 12 months. I’m referring, of course, to broadening our interests beyond simply Brands Hatch, and to

other road racing circuits and other racing disciplines, of which when you look at the BMMC Volunteering site, there

are several.

I’m pleased to announce that, at long last, we’ve recruited a Snetterton Representative. Tony Lacey has agreed to

represent our colleagues at the Norfolk venue via regular articles in this journal, a presentation at the region’s AGM,

and monthly reports to SE Committee. Together with Paul Bardwell’s leadership of Taster Days at Snetterton, I trust

that our members at Snetterton will feel that they are inclusive members of BMMC (SE). I leave Tony to introduce

himself, elsewhere in this issue.

Once a new date for the recently postponed marshals’ training day at Lydden Hill is announced, I will endeavour to

attend to discuss with relevant parties how BMMC (SE) can raise the profile in a similar way to which we are doing at

Snetterton.

Anyone seen a chimpanzee flagging at Brands Hatch, late last year? He’s not only been flagging, but eating lots of

roasted peanuts…..and simply depositing a mound of peanut shells where he has stood and flagged….and I mean a

mound! At Post 22, I shovelled one such mound into the rubbish bin….fully 6 feet away from the flagging point.

Other observers of wildlife have also reported similar evidence at Post 7. Mindful that this could be a motor-bike

loving mammal, it might be that we can’t identify this specific mammal, but just in case he is “one of us”, could I ask

that if you (especially Post Chiefs) see this “thing” simply scattering his discarded shells on to the ground around him,

please point him in the direction of the nearest rubbish bin. Personally, if I had a gun….. Thank you.

Autosport International is done and dusted for another year. BMMC enjoyed its usual share of good publicity,

whether that be announcing new Ambassadors for the club, new (and very necessary branding) for the BMRC wing

of our club, or signing up potential new and unsuspecting marshals. I didn’t make it to the show, but I’m sure many

members did.

Between Snetterton and Brands Hatch, we have almost 20 Taster Days lined up this year and I know we can rely on

your making these raw, potential recruits very welcome. SE Region, as I have said before, is expanding its

membership far faster than any other region in the UK and as well as the background work to which my colleagues in

SE Committee commit themselves, that is very much down to YOU, our current members, spreading the news and

encouraging others to join BMMC SE. Let’s see if we can continue this growth and aim, in 2020, to increase that from

just over 500 to 550. That means if only 1 in 10 of our current members recruits just 1 new member, we’ll achieve

that!

Have an enjoyable and very safe 2020 racing season.

Neil Stretton

Chairman: BMMC (SE Region) - se.chair@marshals.co.uk

MARSHALS’

POST SPRING 2020

The newsletter of the

South East Region of

the British Motorsport

Marshals Club

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 2

And Another Thing… (An Editorial)

Well, here we go again…

I’ve enjoyed a little break from things motorsport related recently and sometimes that is just what’s required to re-

ignite the passion. A new season fast approaches and diaries are being filled as we speak. Whether you venture near

or very far, I wish you enjoyment and safety in equal measures. I’ll be starting my year in Florida again at the ‘Super

Sebring’ IMSA/WEC double header, so looking forward to that !!

Statistics can be manipulated to mean almost anything, but recently I was watching the 2015 film ‘Hitting the Apex’,

which followed the world of Moto GP racing. One of the senior medical staff produced a statistic which I found quite

an eye opener. He spoke about the 2013 championship year, across the three Moto GP classes and revealed that

there had been a total of 690 rider accidents that season. Play with the numbers any way you wish, but that is a lot

of falling off…. I wonder what the F1 Grand Prix meeting stats are by comparison…. (I’ll let you find out !)

Now that you are starting to re-pack your kit bags, consider your overalls.. Looking a bit tired? If

you haven’t replaced them for a while (3 years) you could be eligible for a whopping 2020

subsidy of £86.50 against a new shiny pair of sponsored overalls supplied by Lille Racewear.

For more information, click on the image opposite to visit the BMMC Regalia page.

Last month’s BMMC (SE) ‘One Question Quiz’ was won by Paul Pini. The answer to the question was: ALFA ROMEO.

In a slight change from previous arrangements, I’m aiming to get a minimum of 25 entries before a prize is released.

That’s only about 5% of our electronic circulation, so let’s aim high !! For your chance to win this month’s ‘One

Question Quiz’ please turn to page 11

Some new articles are included in this issue to encourage more contributions from members, so have a read, have a

think, I’m positive there are many stories and experiences out there ready to share and entertain. I must also thank

our fellow marshal Georgina O’Hara Smith for another thought provoking and eloquent item. Please take a moment

to view it on page 9..I won’t spoil the surprise!

Enjoy your sport and I hope to see you at a track very soon.

Bob McEwan – Newsletter Editor – se.news@marshals.co.uk

Know Your Cars ?

Just for fun.. Can you identify the silhouetted beauty below… ?

No peeking, but the answer can be found on page 8

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 3

OUR MAN FROM SNETT - Tony Lacey

That old adage that marshals come from a diverse range of backgrounds is definitely true.

You can be on post with colleagues whose usual daytime work can range from lorry drivers,

to office managers, electrical engineers, printers to operations directors. Its part of the

reason that makes marshalling such an interesting pastime – as if the racing wasn’t enough to

keep you entertained!

When I tell people what I’ve done it could easily take as long as a 24hr 2CV race!

Born in Leicester, I started my working life as a professional musician playing keyboards in summer seasons, hotels,

cruises, musical director at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds for 4 pantomimes. I moved onto television

production having worked in front of the camera on a live late night TV programme. Starting as a researcher, I

became a producer in factual television working around the world from the USA to Vienna. I’ve made programmes

about the history of the British submarine which included filming at sea in a nuclear submarine, to filming with the

ASPCA on the streets of New York – guns and all!

Several years later I took redundancy and went freelance and continued to travel, working for a year in India with

the country’s largest television production company.

In my spare time (!) I represented my fellow musicians and sat on the Executive Committee of the Musicians Union

and was chair of my local village hall charity trustees.

Alongside all of this and since I was very young, I’ve had an interest in motorsport on two or four wheels. In fact in

my teens, our house was opposite the Leicester Speedway stadium so I often got a ringside seat, albeit from my

parents bedroom.

I used to regularly go to Mallory Park and Donnington to see the likes of Graham Hill and the British Saloon Car

Championship (the forerunner of the BTCC) and I think that’s where the seeds of my later love were sown.

After my television career slowed down, I settled down in the wilds of Norfolk (I moved to run a recording studio)

and made a home with my family. I decided that travelling around the World had to come to an end. I started a food

business and street food enterprise, as well as doing some driving (not in the motorsport world, more light

commercial vehicles!)

My eldest daughter had been working for MG and, one year, as an anniversary present to my wife and me, she got

us two tickets to see a Touring Car meeting at my local circuit, Snetterton. My interest in the sport was re-ignited

and I researched how I could get involved.

It wasn’t long before I’d signed up with BMMC and was at a taster day. The rest,

they say, is history and I now spend my marshalling days between Snetterton

and Brands, with the occasional Silverstone and Goodwood thrown in for variety

- well, you know what they say!

After a successful year last year increasing the number of taster days, three of

us, Paul Bardwell (taster days), Ricky Hawkins (recruitment) and myself (rep) have teamed up to help with taking on

the overall promotion of Snetterton to the outside world and our fellow marshals.

As some of you may know, Snetterton, or “Snett” as its more commonly known in local Marshal parlance, started off

life in 1943 as an RAF airfield, known as Snetterton Heath. It was later used by the US Air Force until 1948.

Its first use for any type of racing was in 1953 by a local mototcycle club.

In the 60’s and early 70’s Team Lotus, whose HQ is still only a few miles away, used it to test its racing cars.

Over the years, the layout and length of the circuit was changed and in 2011, owners MSV, completed the final

round of improvements, which included the new 1 mile infield section.

It now comprises three different circuits, the 300, 200 and the 100 with the 200 and the 100 being able to be used

simultaneously.

Improvements continue to be made to the circuit and the facilities. In fact, I think

it’s the only circuit that has marshal posts that all have roofs! Almost all have their

own portaloo or toilets close by (handy for old codgers like me!) The marshals

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camp site is free to use and there’s any number of hotels and B&Bs nearby. If you don’t already know, the breakfast

at Snetterton’s restaurant, Tyrells, is the stuff of legend amongst marshals.

If you’ve ever considered coming here, perhaps this season is the perfect time to pay us a visit – you’ll be made very

welcome! And, when you’re on post, remember, whatever our diverse backgrounds, we all have the same love for

motorsport - and marshalling of course!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I’m now the BMMC rep at Snetterton, so if you’re a regular, or new to the circuit and have any questions or issues,

then please drop me a mail at: bmmcsnettrep@gmail.com

I would love to hear from you, you might be considering coming to Snetterton and need some local info either about

the area or circuit procedures, or if you are one of the regulars, what improvements would you like to see?

If you prefer to chat, drop me a line with your contact details and we can catch up at a future meeting.

MALTA CLASSIC - October 2019 – Rosemary Beck

Malta is known for many things – receiving a George Cross in recognition of the bravery shown during WWII, the

beautiful honey-coloured architecture of its towns steeped in history and of course its close relationship with Britain.

But what might come as a surprise to many people is their passion for cars and motorsport, evident in numerous

local hillclimbs, but culminating in a 4-day event each October – the Malta Classic.

Originating in 2007 as the Classic Car Grand Prix, a circuit was set up on the ring road of Valletta, relocating in 2011

to its current home of Mdina, the beautiful walled city. Attracting around 55 pre-1976 cars from all over Europe,

the Malta Classic has indeed become a prestigious event.

Day 1 (Thursday) was the Mtahleb Hill Climb on the west of

the island. The assembly area was by the edge of the cliff and

the hill wound its way up a spectacular route to the finish line.

The proceedings were interrupted on a regular basis by local

residents and farmers that needed to use the road for access.

Today was our first introduction to the many stunning cars

that were taking part over the whole event which included a

Bizzarini, a Delahaye, a Jaguar XK120 and a Porsche 356. The other makes represented were Honda, Toyota, MG,

Alpha Romeo, Triumph, Lotus, Ford and Austin.

Day 2 (Friday) was the Concours d’Elegance in Mdina – a chance for selected collectors to display their classic cars in

the main square. It was so interesting to talk to owners who had sometimes spent years restoring an old, unloved

car into something quite special, revealing its former glory. A fancy-dress competition with the theme of ‘Period

Dress’ added to the fun of the day.

Day 3 (Saturday) was the first part of the Malta Classic Grand Prix as cars

were put to the test on a circuit that started in Mdina then wound its way

through vineyards and terraced hills in a loop before heading back into the

walled city. The afternoon was when the drivers set their times for the

starting order of Sunday’s grid.

Day 4 (Sunday) was race day! Groups of 8-10 cars competed for the

coveted prizes made by Mdina Glass, to be handed out that evening in a

wonderful awards ceremony, attended by the organizers, the drivers and

their teams, as well as the marshals.

The overriding memory of this event for me was the amazing hospitality extended to us – without an extensive

foundation of Maltese marshals to call upon, the Malta Motorsport Federation invite British marshals to join their

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own team with the vision that we all work together and learn from each other. As a

result, both sides have built up an incredible relationship that ensures the smooth

and safe running of the annual Malta Classic.

“Stuff”

During all our years spectating or marshalling at race meetings across the globe I am positive that between us we

have managed to acquire some interesting, unusual and unique memorabilia, autographs or other ‘stuff’. The stories

behind their acquisition are probably as meaningful and entertaining as the items themselves.

To start you off I will briefly recollect some short stories of my own favourite bits of stuff.

In 1978 I attended my first F1 Grand Prix at Brands

Hatch. During that weekend I acquired a jacket. It

was a reproduction of Clay Regazzoni’s overalls…

And it is made from paper !! 42 years later it still

looks as good as new. I even have the carrier bag it

came in, although it hasn’t stood the test of time

quite so well. There can’t be many still around….

I visited the Doune Hillclimb in the summer of 1991 and whilst wandering

around the start line I bumped into Derek Ongaro. If you don’t know his

motorsport history, amongst other things he was the official starter for F1

Grands Prix in the 80’s. A chat developed and he later signed my programme.

In 1977, I took a walk through the service area of the

Scottish Rally in Perth. As a result I filled my 20p

programme with autographs from Ari Vatanen, Stig

Blomqvist, Hannu Mikkola, Russell Brookes, Per Eklund

and Tony Pond amongst others! No spectator barriers in

those days !!

If you have a similar story, drop me a line and I will share it in a

future issue

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Snetterton Marshal Taster Days by Paul Bardwell

2019 saw the successful introduction of taster days at Snetterton. I know most circuits have been doing these for

some years now, but Norfolk took a little while to catch up. As a marshal of some years and having never attended a

TD this was as much as a learning year to me as the trainees, which meant adjusting the way TD were presented to

try and make them as informative as possible, so I thought the more we could get in the better.

I held the days on an “as and when” required basis, while still trying to make it workable for me and to try and

include a varied assortment of events. In total we did something like 12 or 13 TD over the course of the season.

Sometimes only 1 or 2 people attended, whilst at others we had 7-10 attendees. We appeared to have a good

success rate on people returning after the TD and with a bit of luck the BMMC would have seen an increase in

membership from our region.

To be honest hosting the TD was a good learning period for me. Let’s face it, out of us more experienced marshals

how many of us have been around the med centre (when not requiring medical attention!) or been up to race

control during a meeting to see what goes on? If you’ve never attended a TD why not have a word with the person

who conducts the TD’s at your circuit and see if you can tag along on one!

We had a good mixture of male and female attendees and also some cadets which was very nice to see. We even

managed to catch up with BTCC driver Tom Ingram on one of his coaching weekends and he spent a few minutes

chatting with out attendees.

Lydia Walmsley even took time out during her race day to meet our TD people at the MSVR mini challenge finals

weekend. She went on to win race one of the day, so maybe we brought her some luck.

2020 will see a more structured TD season with 8 dates being planned, one of which was at our training day on Jan

26th and others at 7 race meetings.

I’d like to thank everyone at Snetterton who assisted with the TD’s whether it be the guys and girls in race control or

the med centre, for allowing us to see what goes on behind the scenes, or the marshals in assembly, pitlane and on

the bank for looking after all the trainees during 2019. I hope to see many of the trainees from 2019 return to

marshalling duties in 2020.

MARSHAL ABROAD 2020

Considering marshalling abroad this year? Click on the image below to visit the Motorsport UK resource centre web

page to apply for your marshalling overseas document.

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 7

MEETING NOTES - 22nd January 2020

NEIL STRETTON (ABMRC Marshals’ Rep. / Brands Hatch) & MIKE GROVES (Brands Hatch Circuit Manager)

PROGRESS ON ITEMS DISCUSSED IN AUGUST 2019

1. POST 2 ACCESS GATE: Work has not yet resumed on this project, but all materials are in, and it is hoped to

have this gate installed adjacent to Post 2 before the start of the 2020 racing season. The situation is complicated by

the fact that multiple fibre-optic cables run along this fence line and these will need to be cut and re-spliced in order

to install an access gate. UPDATE – Access gate now fully functional. This installation includes: Steps and a handrail

up to the gate in the debris fence and a second gate through the spectator fence, immediately behind.

2. POST 2 BROKEN WINDOW: As above.

3. POST 6 DOOR TO BE REMOVED: The door is attached by one hinge only, and needs completely removing.

4. POST 12 Armco wooden Uprights: NS not entirely sure exactly which posts, or how many need replacing.

MG to investigate and action, where necessary.

5. POSTS 12,15,19,20 & 21: New marshals’ huts have been installed.

6. POST 13: A new hut has been installed, as has a gate behind it with steps leading to it. Final preparation of

footing around the hut soon to be completed.

7. POST 18: Uneven surface in the immediate surroundings of the hut has been attended to.

8. POST 24: A gate immediately at the top of the stairs has not yet been installed. MG to investigate the

feasibility.

9. POST FLAGS: An audit of all flags is to take place before the start of the 2020 season, and flags to be

replaced, where necessary. NS informed MG that the subject of suitable dowels, flag sizes and materials at all UK

circuits is in the hands of Motorsport UK’s Race Committee.

NEW ISSUES

1. POST 7: The ground immediately around the post hut is very uneven, with large stones making it

uncomfortable to stand on for any lengthy period. This will be attended to, as was the case with Post 18.

2. POST 23: Whilst the gravel trap has been extended, and the hut moved a little, these changes, specifically in

the interest of improved safety for competitors, should have little or no impact on marshals’ working environment.

Lights at 22 and 23 will continue to be operated as before.

3. POST 24: The protective wadding above the door of the marshals’ hut has come off, and needs replacing to

prevent marshals bashing their heads on entering the hut.

4. ALL POSTS: On the subject of rubbish bins, many of the wire mesh bins on the Indy Circuit have lids which

are broken. Added to the ability of wild life to access the plastic bags and tear them, NS suggested that they could

well be replaced by bins, similar to that at Post 7 and those outside Hailwoods Bar and Restaurant. MG to

investigate.

5. Marshals’ Campsite: It had been reported that whilst the showers had hot water, the wash basins did not.

MG assured me that the wash basins do, in fact, have hot and cold running water, and that the reported lack of hot

water was, hopefully, a one-off.

6. Parking in the outer “Lower Triangle”: The gate at the lower end of the Lower Triangle can be, and is, opened

for marshals egress. It is not an official exit, and a low kerb has to be negotiated to drive on to Scratcher’s Lane, but

this is low enough a kerb to present no difficulties for any but the very lowest of vehicles. (Unfortunately, at the

Autumn BTCC round, a car, despite a notice on the gate, had parked in such a position as to block this exit). We

discussed the possibility of steel matting on the grass, but agreed that this would be a prohibitively expensive

exercise, and also quite ineffective.

Next Meeting: Summer 2020. Date t.b.c.

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FIRST

On the next occasion that you are allocated to Post 2 at

Brands Hatch, take a short moment to note the area of red

seated, uncovered grandstand directly behind the Post.

Some of you may be aware this area is called ‘The Desire

Wilson Grandstand’, but then again some of you may not.

What is the story behind the name ? Let me explain….

They say a week is a long time in politics. Well in that case

40 years in motorsport must be the equivalent of a lifetime.

On 07 April this year it will have been an astonishing 40 years since South African racer Desire Wilson created history

when she won round 2 of the 1980 British Formula One Championship at Brands Hatch.

Driving a four-year-old Wolf chassis,

Desire became the first and to date

only, woman to win a formula one race

of any sort. Although the grid was

depleted to 10 cars and with the

championship allowing Formula two

cars to make up the numbers, Desire

defeated Norman Dickson in his Lotus

78, with Eliseo Salazar, driving his one-

year old Williams FW07, coming home third. She also set the race fastest lap.

Her career also included participation in non-championship Formula one races at Brands Hatch and South Africa,

with a non-qualification at the Brands Hatch 1980 British GP. A best finish of 7th at the 24hrs of Le Mans and a

highest finish of 10th in the PPG Indy Car World Series.

I wonder just how much longer we will have to wait until Desire is joined on that list

of one…?

Know Your Cars ?

Well done to you if you correctly identified the silhouette as a De Tomaso P72.

Based on the underpinnings of the Gumpert Apollo Intensa Emozione, the car

is intended to be a homage to the De Tomaso P70 prototype racing car. The

P72 is rumoured to be powered by a 5.0 litre supercharged Ford Coyote V8

engine, featuring a roots type supercharger, manufactured by American tuning

company Roush.

72 units of the P72 are planned to be produced.

De Tomaso states that the chassis, like its Apollo cousin, is FIA LMP

motorsport rated. Given that De Tomaso has a history in motorsport, I

wonder if we are likely to see the P72 join the hypercar field at Le Mans in

2021?

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THE DRIVERS PRAYER

Dear Lord.

Bless my car.

Let me have a perfect start.

Let not my rivals ruin my race,

Nor mechanical fault impede my pace.

Protect me from those fatal punctures,

In opening laps or crucial junctures.

Grant me all the things I need,

My loyal team, my Banzai speed.

May each apex be hit just right,

On the edge, keep it tight.

Give me the skills to start from pole

And the strength I need in body and soul.

In heart and mind keep firm my faith.

Bust most of all,

Please,

Let all drivers come home safe.

Georgina O’Hara Smith

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 10

In the Beginning…

There must have been a certain ‘something’ that first attracted us to this sport. In

my day, long before the invention of home computers, the internet or any such thing

‘digital’ (the mid 70’s). I relied on my weekly issue of ‘Motoring News’ to keep me

informed regarding the wide world of motorsport. I eventually discovered that my

local newsagent competed in sprint events at the Ingliston track, near Edinburgh

airport and I succeeded in getting an invitation to tag along and help him (and his

wife who also competed) out. I checked tyre pressures, removed spare seats and

taped up the lights. His bright yellow Vauxhall

Magnum estate was quite easy to follow around

the narrow, technical, short (only 1.03 miles) and

now I think about it, pretty dangerous circuit.

That was brought home quite vividly when on

one occasion he failed to appear, having spun

sideways into the large oak tree on the exit of the

‘Esses’. The resulting damage meant the rear seat wouldn’t fit back in and my

ride home was not quite so comfortable!

The track was formed by the access roads around the Royal Highland Showground. First opened in 1965, the circuit

was dominated by a 5000 seat grandstand near to the start line and around ‘Arena’ bend. Due to its location, the

track meandered between permanent buildings and some very large trees, protected by equally large tractor tyres.

The quickest part of the track was the back straight, which ran

parallel to the main A8 Edinburgh to Glasgow road. It

culminated in a hairpin bend (I’ll make no reference to the ‘run-

off’ which could have been no more than a few feet!) which,

when I started marshalling, had a substantial building near it’s

apex. This caused some issues for the flag marshals who could

not see through the building, so a ‘repeater’ flag marshal was

placed on this ‘island’…Guess who often got that job..? When

flagging just after the start line we used the huge oak tree by

the post as our ‘protection’. If we got really bored, we could always pop into the Agricultural Museum next door for

some entertainment.

The entry onto the back straight was through ‘Southstand’ bend, which on it’s exit had a toilet block protruding near

to the track. Care was taken to ensure it was not ‘engaged’ when the track was in use, but during my very first

meeting at Ingliston in April 1975, Doug Niven (Jim Clark’s cousin) driving the fearsome Border Reivers Ford Escort

Supersaloon, suffered a stuck throttle whilst negotiating this fast section of track and ended up in the spectator

enclosure behind the toilets ! A photo does exist of the moment he leaves the track, but after all these years I am

still hunting it down..

In a similar vein I witnesses the dramatic demise of Tony Charnell’s Le Mans

Chevron after it lost a wheel coming into Arena bend. The car took off and

eventually came to a halt after it attempted to enter the milk marketing

board building!! A friend if mine

captured the moment in all its’

violence. When I looked back at my

own photos (from 35mm slides) I

noted I had taken a snap of the car in

the paddock earlier that day.

The area of the track between the fast ‘Esses’ and ‘Caravan’ (Yes, because there was a caravan park behind the

corner..) later became a no spectator zone after Iain McLaren, driving his F1 McLaren M26, cleared the barriers and

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 11

ended up in the spectator area (where I had been watching from the session before !!) The photo below is from the

same area of track, although I cannot remember ever being issued with

a pipe by the SMRC….. How times have changed…

I marshalled many events until the circuit finally closed in 1995, when

Knockhill then became Scotland’s only permanent race circuit. The

huge crowds when the Radio 1 Roadshow visited, winning a Pentax

camera by being the closest guess to Tom Walkinshaw’s demo lap time,

watching Jackie Stewart demonstrating his F1 Tyrrell 003 and dozens of

club races in between. The infrastructure just did not allow for the

increase in run off areas or other safety improvements and I recall in

the early 1990’s some visiting Formula Vauxhall Lotus drivers refusing

to race due to their concerns. The sight and sound of F1 cars trying to negotiate the tight confines during the formula

libre races still gives me goose bumps. The lap record, set by David Duffield, of 43.5 seconds relates to an average

speed of around 85mph…Astonishing.

In the years since, I have been lucky enough to visit circuits in many countries and work at some of the world’s

biggest events, but you never forget your first……

If you have any stories about your early days in the sport to share, drop me a line.

BMMC (SE) ‘One Question Quiz’

The images below were taken on the first lap of a British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch

Question - Which Year ?

** For this competition a minimum of 25 entries need to be received by the closing date for a prize to be awarded.

The prize will be announced when we pass that figure.

Send your answer, along with your BMMC membership number and postal address, by email and using ‘BMMC SE Spring 20

Quiz’ as the subject line to: se.news@marshals.co.uk Or by post to: BMMC (SE) Newsletter, 10 Rowan Way, Canewdon,

Rochford, Essex, SS4 3PD. All entries close at midnight on Wed 01 April 2020. One entry only per member. One prize as

described is available. Winner will be drawn at random by BMMC (SE) chair or nominated deputy from all correct entries

received by closing date. Editors decision is final!

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 12

Indycar – New Look for 2020

I realise this type of racing is not everyone’s cup of tea, but the US

version of the ‘halo’ will be introduced this year. Developed in

partnership with the Red Bull F1 team’s advanced technologies arm,

the ballistic screen is designed to deflect debris away from the

cockpit. The screen includes an anti-reflective coating on the interior

and an anti- fogging device through an integral heating element. A

cockpit cooling option is also available, designed by Dallara.

F1 at Snett

YouTube has a wonderful archive of motorsport action.

Click on the image to watch some 1992 onboard laps of Aguri Suzuki testing his

Footwork FA 13 around Snetterton. There are some brilliant camera angles to

enjoy !

BMMC (SE) Committee Updates

Click on the shield opposite to take you to the BMMC (SE) committee website page.

Membership – Liam Johnston se.members@marshals.co.uk

Hi and welcome to the 2020 motorsport season. While a significant number of our members are circuit racing

focussed, I am fully aware that the season for some hardy individuals never really ends as there are many events

that carry on through the winter months which simply could not happen without the orange army turning out in all

weathers to keep the events running smoothly and safely.

The 2020 membership renewals are starting to filter through and membership cards and packs are being prepared

and will be sent out during February. Please remember that the membership cards and packs are printed, sorted

packed and dispatched by a single volunteer so this takes time and is done as quickly as possible. Direct Debits were

taken in early January, if you have not had a direct debit taken for your membership, please either renew via the

website using a credit or debit card or set up a direct debit to keep your membership current.

The South East region ended 2019 on a high point with just over 500 members, I really hope we see this number

repeated and continue to grow throughout the coming year.

If you have any questions about your BMMC membership please email me on se.members@marshals.co.uk I will do

my best to respond within 24 hours. Alternatively you are always welcome to collar me at Brands Hatch during a

race weekend. I look forward to meeting many of you on the bank over this year and hope I can live up to the high

standards that my predecessor Lynn Sencicle set.

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 13

Speaking of Lynn, last year she posted this really useful self help guide on how to check and amend the details that

BMMC has on record for you. So useful it is worth repeating.

Did you know?

You can check and amend your contact details yourself? You can select which regional newsletters you want to

receive?

Go to https://www.marshals.co.uk/ - Login then select Volunteering and log in again.

Or, go directly to https://www.marshals.co.uk/volunteering/ and log in. In the top right you will see your name. Next

to this is an orange ‘head and shoulders silhouette’. Click on this and it will take you to your ‘settings’ page.

Scroll down and you will see four sections:

Membership Status – displays your status, membership type, number and MSA number.

Account Settings – displays your contact details. You can make any amendments here.

Password settings – you can change this if you want to.

Newsletter settings – you can see what you currently receive and select what you’d like to receive.

We also welcome the following new members to BMMC (SE): James Ireland, Kevin Woods, Martyn Hayes,

David Lindsley, Richard Green and Adrian Hock.

Grading – Andy Bumstead se.grading@marshals.co.uk Grading officer New Year tidings 2020!!

MSUK registration cards

By now you should all have your 2020 registration cards. Please make sure these are available at sign on for the

season and at training days and are signed on the rear. Please also make sure your PRC is legible with your contact

details and also a photo on the inside cover. Be prepared as Baden Powell said and also have a PRC continuation

sheet in your PRC wallet so you are ready for any issues you may encounter. Information on grading and PRC

continuation sheets can be found on the Motorsport UK website under the marshals tab.

https://www.motorsportuk.org/

If you have moved house in 2019/ 2020 or have change of name, you will be required to update both the BMMC and

Motorsport UK by completing a Marshal Registration Form (MRF) and sending to me either by email or by snail mail.

Motorsport UK are, and will continue with their exercise of randomly checking PRC completion. Please do not get

caught out if you are chosen and you have not attended any race days or and training days in 2019. YOU HAVE BEEN

WARNED!!!!!

SO WHATS NEW in 2020?

First of all our new NGO Rob Murgurian has taken over the reins from Steve Malec and we welcome Rob to the SE.

Please can all members contact their regional grading officers in the first instance for any grading matters. Rob, like

the SE committee are volunteers and most regional officers should be able to give you the advice you need.

Have you considered upgrading or trying a new role at a circuit. There are many roles from pit lane to fire truck or

Rescue. They all need your support so please think about upgrading or trying something different!!

PRC use

The PRC is there to collate your attendance of days you have volunteered at a circuit near you for upgrading or

maintaining grade only. Please make sure your PRC is correctly completed as incorrect completion causes frustration

for referral of upgrade and me a headache!! PRC continuation sheets are to be used once you have met the

requirements for upgrade or maintenance of grade. Please only use the section in the PRC for the grade you are

seeking or maintaining.

Please remember 3 simple steps

1. Attend race days and collect signature for one duty only completed and complete the required amount of days as

highlighted in the PRC in the top left corner or as per the maintenance of grade.

2. Complete your training day(s) required

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 14

3. Complete an “On post” assessment(s) as required and record in the correct place in the PRC. For KASE information

please go to the MotorsportUK website (marshals tab).

Applying for upgrade assessments

When you want to upgrade you must request to the organising club that you need an on “post assessment” so they

can plan who to put you with and that there are sufficient examining post chiefs. Please do not be disappointed if

they cannot accommodate your request at short notice.

When checking you have met the requirements for upgrade you need to check the following:

· You must complete your event attendance and training module upgrade criteria before you are assessed.

· You must have attended a training day and completed the necessary modules for upgrade within the last two years

· You must have gained your event attendance signatures within the last three years.

· If you have marshalled abroad, these event attendance signatures cannot be used towards your upgrade with

Motorsport UK.

· If you have attended an FIA sanctioned event abroad, your event signature can be used towards your grade

maintenance requirements only

Further details can be found under marshals resources FAQ:

https://www.motorsportuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/001-Marshal-Upgrade-FAQ.pdf

Applying to volunteer

When applying to any club to marshal, and they request your duty or grade, please only select the grade that you are

as shown on your MSUK registration card. Just because you waved some flags at one meeting does not make you a

flag marshal, unless you have had training and reached minimum grade of track marshal. All trainees will be classed

as ungraded.

All post and examining post chiefs, it is your responsibility to check grades at post sign on.

And Finally!!

Well done to the following for achieving their grades:

Aneta Antoniak - Specialist, Jon Pritchard - Track, Andrew Young - Track, Adrian Waters - Experienced Race

Michael Clark - Incident officer, Martyn Appleyard - Track

Keep in your PRC wallet

Upgrade process • Collect the required number of signatures for the grade you are completing in your Personal record card (PRC).

Only one duty per day to be recorded. All marshals must be registered with the MSUK in order to upgrade.

• Complete training day or days as defined in the PRC. Experienced grade training days must be 1 year apart. All

upgrades must be at least 1 year apart.

• Complete the “On post” assessment following KASE with Examining Post Chief (XPC). Details can be found at

www.motorsportuk.org/Resource-Centre/Marshals

• Complete a marshal registration form (MRF) and mark at the top “UPGRADE”.

https://www.motorsportuk.org/assets/2020marshalregistrationform.pdf

• Send upgrade documents including photo in PRC (PRC & MRF) to your regional grading officer (RGO) (BMMC only.

Other clubs may have different person nominated).

If you require more information please contact the southeast regional grading officer:

Andy Bumstead - se.grading@marshals.co.uk or andybumstead72@gmail.com

Mob. 07802 652556 / 3 Savoy Road, Dartford Kent DA1 5AN.

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 15

Recruitment – Rosemary Beck se.recruiting@marshals.co.uk

The new year in recruitment is already under way with Snetterton having held its Annual Training Day on 26th

January. 8 new trainees braved the blustery weather along with around 12 that had attended a Taster Day during

last year’s season, including 3 cadets.

There are 7 Taster Days planned at Snetterton for the coming season so we look forward to growing the numbers of

marshals there.

The Training Day at Brands Hatch for all new and trainee marshals will take place on 1st March, and already there

are over 30 planning to attend. There has been a steady stream of new enquiries over the winter break so they have

all been invited to Training Day, since our first Taster Day of the new season will not be until 3rd May.

If any of you have friends or relatives that would like to give marshalling a go, please contact me or ask them to

email me on the above email address. They would be most welcome to either attend Training Day or come along to

a Taster Day, and experience time on the bank or in the pitlane.

I received the following letter from a taster day attendee at Brands Hatch: “Hi Rosemary,

thanks for inviting me for the taster day, I really enjoyed it, even if I did get sunburnt, which my

family think is hilarious. Only I can get sunburnt in this country in November!!

The other marshals on post 25 were really helpful and friendly, and helped the 8 1/2 hours go by

quickly, they let me have a go with the flags and have taught me how to roll them properly. I have

now applied for the training day in March and BMMC and Motorsport UK.

I have attached of a photo of me, showing how much I enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing you again”

Rally – Graham Vince southeast@brmc.org.uk

The organisers of the Corbeau Seats Rally Tendering & Clacton -

25 & 26 April 2020 - are still looking for marshals. To register, or

for more information, click on the photo opposite.

It is proposed that the BRMC will introduce ‘taster days’ for rally marshals this year. Nothing has been confirmed as

yet, but more information will be circulated when it becomes available.

The next South East rally training day at Maidstone has been confirmed for Saturday

25 October 2020. Visit the BRMC web site training page by clicking on the photo

opposite, click on the relevant Enrolment Form and complete to register your place.

If a marshal requires details of any rally event please log onto the BRMC web page - https://www.brmc.org.uk/

or use the “its my motorsport” web page: http://www.itsmymotorsport.co.uk/

Volunteering – Bryan Degerlund se.volco@marshals.co.uk

The 2020 Marshalling System is now open for volunteering use. Earlier I had stated the preliminary version had not

been finalised, so some entries might have been amended with date or content change, so if you had already

entered an application it may be beneficial to check back.

IMPORTANT ADVICE:

Please do not apply using more than one system.

Times (sign-on, race times ) on the VS are mainly “ generic “, based on previous data. Any change for a specific

meeting will be advised when known.

You must advise organising Chief Marshal directly if you can no longer attend a meeting as well as cancelling on the

BMMC system.

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 16

Ensure your email address is valid. For MSV circuits (Brands Hatch and Snetterton ) digital ticketing is normally used

with tickets sent directly by email from MSV. Non receipt should be addressed to the organising club, directly (not

through Facebook!) with time allowed to correct. NOT as late as on the previous two days.

Special requests should be made by email to the CM, e.g. upgrade assessment, marshalling on post with colleague,

as it might be too busy at sign-on to help.

Known changes:

Blancpain has become GT World Challenge Europe, still run by SRO - Festival of Porsche is now a one day event.

Ferrari Challenge has now been added 5th/6th July. This will be on the Indy circuit on Saturday and GP circuit on

Sunday.

More detail about individual events can normally be found on the organising club’s website under “events”.

Training – Tony Smith se.training@marshals.co.uk

The BRSCC will be running the 2020 annual training day at Brands Hatch. Just a reminder that it is imperative that

you attend one training day every two years. It’s not a big ask but if you do not attend then you run the risk of having

your registered grade downgraded – This has already happened to a number of marshals, so please ensure it’s not

you next! In 2020 we will again be training new marshals who you will hopefully see on the Bank. I’m sure you will

make them very welcome and share your marshalling knowledge with them.

Regalia – Chris Humphreys se.regalia@marshals.co.uk

2020 BMMC subsidy for overalls is now £86.50!

Instructions on how to order BMMC-sponsored overalls and also how to order Hi-Viz Clothing are to be found at:

www.marshals.co.uk. After logging-on, click on “Need to Know”, and then on “Regalia”.

Also....BMMC-branded Teamwear can be ordered by phone at 08454 656665 and quoting “BMMC Teamwear”.

These items are not subsidised, but offer excellent v.f.m. Now included is a “Junior Range”.

NEW!! BMMC Team Umbrellas @ £10.00 + £4.00 p&p. To purchase, contact Chris Humphreys.

Media – Matt Dolan se.media@marshals.co.uk

BMMC (South East Region) Facebook group was set-up in February 2019. - To date 336 members - Open to BMMC

members and non-members - All posts are closely vetted by BMMC (SE) Committee members to ensure all they are

suitable and relevant to the group.

SNETTERTON CIRCUIT MATTERS – Tony Lacey bmmcsnettrep@gmail.com THE “TEAM” AND PLANS FOR THE YEAR - We now have a team in place which we hope will not only give BMMC a

greater, more cohesive presence, but will act as a point of contact for all marshals.

The team consists of myself as BMMC Snetterton Rep, Paul Bardwell taking care of taster days and Ricky Hawkins

who looks after recruitment and our social media streams.

New for this year will be a dedicated Snetterton Marshals website with lots of info and links back to BMMC.

There have been improvements on the Bentley Straight with more overlaps so marshals don’t need to clamber over

the Armco and the old access gate has been replaced making recovery easier. Also, • A new return road to shorten the slow down lap which should help clubs manage their timetable.

• New fibre to improve internet connectivity and 1st phase of new tech to improve the track lights.

• More electrical hook up points in the marshals camp site.

• All marshals posts have had safety checks undertaken with remedial work completed where required.

• During the season there will be two new fire trucks and a brand new recovery truck.

So far there are 3 people booked in for this years taster days which will be held on - 28/3 31/5 4/7 29/8 20/9 3/10

17/10.

E/mail contact addresses for SE committee members are shown above. Please remember all are volunteers and responses may not be

instant, but we will endeavour to respond as soon as possible. If using a telephone contact, please have consideration for the timing of your

call.

BMMC (SE) Spring 2020 - Page 17

WHAT’S ON TRACK ?

CHECK THE WEBSITES FOR OUR LOCAL CIRCUITS / EVENTS / INFO

www.brandshatch.co.uk www.snetterton.co.uk

www.lyddenhill.co.uk

www.gomotorsport.net www.itsmymotorsport.co.uk

www.brmc.org.uk www.motorsportuk.org

*Click on image to visit the website