Marshalling. A Personal Point of View.

[stoo23]

Well,..let me Add to the Title by suggesting it May NOT be Just a 'Personal' point of View,...
May I also suggest, that the Others that also Possibly agree with My View point, have come from a Far Older Era and Racing Experience,...

It's Not Good, when you are standing awaiting the start of another Bracket, when a Mass Exodus appears to be happening around you,...'Early Starts in the Morning' ??

As a Keen Youngster, I and Quite a Few of the Other Old Farts racing Last night, can Recall Many a Long, Long, Long Day racing Slot cars, with Fields of Over 100 drivers, all in the SAME Class !!
One could Obviously suggest that Marshalling was Never a Problem back then,..and it Wasn't, but Mainly because People Stayed and There were always Many Hands to do the Job, right into the Wee Hours!

Now I like many others Would Never expect Young Kids to Have to Hang around excessively Past their Normal times, but with Adults,...Hmmm,..

I mean we had a Pretty good turn out last night,..enough one would imagine to Provide Both Great racing, (which it WAS just Quietly) and therefore Plenty of Marshals.

Now I KNOW that if we are all Following the 'Strictness' of the Suggestion as defined in whatever rules we are following,..Marshalling Duties can be Argued having been fulfilled,..BUT,..it IS I thought about the Whole EVENT being a success, Not Just 'Bits' of the event being Good, or ADEQUATELY MARSHALLED.

Maybe I'm different, But I like many Other Racers and in Fact some People who Don't even Race in the Class, seem to do MORE marshalling than many others Who ARE Racing,..Now that's OK,..it's My decision, I enjoy Marshalling, but it's bad when people are still around,..apparently, but Not available or Interested in Marshalling,..Especially when the Numbers Need them,..to Make it a Good Race for those still around at the Main.

The Whole Idea of "Cars being on the Counter", was to Stop people from Working on their cars and Not Marshalling, ...by Not Havin g your car to 'Fudge' with, it is thought that the Entrants Will be Available to Marshall.

People racing in the Lower to Middle Heats, get the advantage of having some of the Better more experienced Drivers allocated to marshall and in My Day, if you had Made it to the Semi's, ...well you Stayed and Raced or Marshalled to the End. It's ONLY Fair !! Is it NOT ??


Marshalling can be and Is Tough!!,..It Can be Hard Work and people get excited,..BUT, I always have taken the Viewpoint, that it IS an "INTEGRAL' Part of attending a Race and do so Understanding that I May have to be Marshalling Every Race.

I Try to Do it to the Best of My ability,..I try to Keep a Focus on the Corner I am watching and Not stand there 'Watching the Race'
If you are actually Interested in the Proceedings, you tend to Notice the Colour of Peoples cars and get to Know what Lane they are on anyway.

I actually Enjoy Marshalling and Find it a Satisfying activity, especially if you manage to 'Cope' in a Difficult race,..

PLUS It Makes the Racing Better for Everyone !!
It's Swings and Roundabouts Isn't it!!??

The Other thing I think Worth suggesting, is that of Capable people actually Taking the Difficult Corners, Instead of Standing Back and having someone Far less Adequate dealing with a Tricky section of the Track.
It is Better for All of us, if Good Marshalls, 'Step up to the Plate' and Look after the Bad corners.

In all the Years I was Racing, I understood, that By Entering the Race, I was Also Committing to Marshall as and When the Race director Required!
The Rules were Put in Place Just to Make sure Racers did the MINIMUM REQUIRED,..there is NO Maximum mentioned in the Rules.

[RARAG7]

here here, totally agree.
i won't name names but you will find that it will always be the same people that "disappear" at the right time, and normally are the worst for abusing marshalls aswell.
i remember the first time i went to an organised race was the BROCK in Thomastown in either 80 or 81. i rode me pushie and stayed and marshalled the deadman/90 for most of the day as no one else wanted too!
i enjoy marshalling and as you say it's part of racing, without marshalls it's bloody hard to race fairly. some may think i go overboard with some of the stuff i do when running races, but all i'm trying to do is to make the racing fair for eveyone, and marshalling is part of the RACING!

RARA
(Garry Fry)

[SlotBaker]

Yep, there is definitely a need to spell it out to everyone on the night that if you race, you have to marshal the next heat, and if you make the semis, you're expected to stick around for the main, either as a driver or marshal.

It's dissappointing that so many lose interest in the event when they are knocked out. What's wrong with sticking around and watching the fast and furious competition? It's good to watch.

[WSMCR-Plucka]

As someone looking to return some form of circuit racing to the south western Sydney area my thought were always that if there is 4 heats, heat 4 marshalls heat 1, heat 1 then marshalls heat 2, heat 2 marshalls heat 3 and then heat 3 for heat 4.

Top 16 race and semi a races and semi b marshalls and then swap and the for the final the top 8 race and the other 8 marshall.

Maybe a rewards system and penalty system for those that love to help and others that love to make up an excuse or 3.

I have heard tracks that offer money but it does not need to be money, it can be track hire or credit for parts.

I dont know but the issue seems to pop up more and more through each state.

Plucka

[hutch--]

I think an increase in attendance will help solve the problem. Like everyone else I HATE marshalling but if you want to race and have your car marshalled then you put back at least what you take out.

Marshalling is an art that not many bother with, I learnt it years ago in endurance racing where you sometimes marshalled for 3 HOURS a bracket in 24 hour races. Its just basic managment of the task, get the car off the track FAST keeping an eye on what is coming and put it back down again in the slot.

Sloppy marshalling where they move the car across the surface of the track deslots and often damages other cars that were still being driven. If you dislike having your car damaged by the marshals don't do it yourself.

Regards,

hutch at movsd dot com

[SlotBaker]

It sure is an art, but simple logic and basic understanding of what's going on can help make marshalling easier.

Simple logic says to me that if a de-slotted car causes another car/or cars to de-slot, then the innocent car/s should be put back on first, and the car that caused the incident goes back on last. Simple.

Sometimes it is confusing to know which car was the culprit in a multi car pile up, but for the most part when only 2 cars are involved, it's pretty obvious who should go back on last.

I don't mind marshalling. If I'm not driving, or working on my car, then I'll usually be marshalling. I marshal for the guys practicing because I appreciate it when someone marshals for me when I'm practicing.

It would be nice for more consideration from those drivers who finish early. They will be in the final at some stage, and want someone to marshal for them.

[RePete]

On the point about marshalling the offending car last one thing I have noticed is this

Often you will pick up the offending car with your right hand and as you do another car hits it you then pick up the victim car with your left hand and you are faced with a choice (if you even think about it rather than react)

Do I fumble about with my left hand while my right hand is full or empty my right hand so it is free to help reslot the car in my left

I think this scenario is often the reason the offending car is reslotted first and while frustration is probably often the fastest way to get back on the track and racing again

When marshalling I never intend to knock another car off but at times it happens and we all know some marshals are quicker than others so what I do is make more effort not to crash on their corner even braking earlyer costs me less time than waiting for them to fumble the car back into the slot

[SlotBaker]

Yeah, I say to drivers "if you don't like the way I marshal, don't come off on my corner" and I drive the same, that if I think there is a marshal that takes too long, I try not to come off on their corner.

Sounds like a nice plan, but seems all too often that some other bugger comes off there and takes me out, and that's when I get put back on last. Bugger.

Still it's the same for everyone, and one race you get hammered, next race, someone else gets hammered.

Just as long as we don't take it personally, and go seeking revenge, it will all work out.

[stoo23]

Yes, I Thoroughly Agree about NEVER Taking ANY of The Comments thrown about From Overly Excited Racers at Any Marshalls.

If we accept that the Process of driving a Slot Car is Grounds for Temporary Insanity, then we can all be cool and friendly afterwards,..a Few Friendly Words/apologies etc can also go a Long way to ammending any Grievances.

But I was Not really suggesting a Great Problem in the 'Methodology' of the Marshalling, more a Lack of 'Hands',..lol

Consideration Should be considered for People Who Can Marshall cars a Certain way, as some People ARE Lightning Quick on some corners and awful on others and I am always Happy to Have a Decent Marshall actually Want to Marshall a 'Particular' corner, as that would suggest that they Are Interested in Marshalling.

Without wishing to Ruffle ANY Feathers here by this statement, may I suggest, that Nearly ALL Ex and Current 'Wing' car drivers, are Often some of the Quicker marshalls.
Now Don't 'Squawk' at me,..I say this Mainly Because of The Levels of Adrenalin that are Driven By the Sheer 'Speed' of the Damn things.
Stuff Happens REAL FAST,..so a Marshalling Culture Of almost as Pete put it' Reaction' occurs, Many of us have talked about it almost being 'Automatic' at times,..The 'Wings' Do Help in the 'Snatching' Process, But That is What you Have to Do !

You HAVE To Get The Car Off the Surface of the Track as Quickly as Possible, because it is Fractions of seconds for the Whole Field to go By,..Not Whole seconds,..Plus I reckon it Can get Pretty Agro in Wing Races !!,..

But I Do Hope you 'Get' what I mean.

A Lot of the Marshalling Problems, come from ,..either an Incorrect or perhaps 'Lazy' approach to Marshalling .

I agree Not everyone is Ambidextrous, physically Or Mentally, but Over the Years, I HAVE Found I can Now Usually Deal with Both Cars with Both Hands,..in Fact There is Nothing Better than getting a Bunch of cars back on 'Instantly' and in the Correct Order !!,..

The Idea should NOT Be to Try and Pick up a Whole Bunch of Cars !!
Deal with What you Can , If you are Dealing with the First Two Offenders and Others Come off, or if there are Too many cars to Try and Deal with in the Time Frame that is reasonable, Others will Run to Help,...Ahem,..lol,...but Then is Possibly a Good call for a Track Call, if General melee is occuring.

BUT, as Good Racers Know, More Races are Lost When 'Slamming into' Other peoples accidents!
As a Driver, learning to Really 'Look Ahead' and Not Hit People, Goes a Long Way to a successful Race.

With Practice, it Is amazing Just How you can Slam a car Back Straight into the Slot, in Fact if you Miss, a Second Try is IMHO better than Leaving the Ass of the car on The Track and trying to 'Wiggle' the Front Back in.

It Happens, Can't be Helped some times, But should Not be the Practice.

I have always maintained, that if you Stand there, Just 'Watching the Designated section of the Track the Position Demands, allows you to 'React' Far Quicker, than when you are 'Chatting' / Joking about and / or Watching the Process of the race. Once again, we All do it AND in Some Races with certain Drivers, You CAN, BUT, if you Notice someone IS having 'Difficulty', as when they Keep coming Off on One corner, then as The Designated marshal, You Should then 'Get Ready' for the Next Lap when they Might fall Off again !!

Look None of us are Always Perfect.

The More We Race and People Get Interested , there Will be 'More Hands' and if you are inexperienced and a bit 'Car Shy,..then Stand at a Corner you think from Traffic and 'Reach' etc you feel more Comfortable with,..and 'Get Better' !!!

As Cody has Proven in Three Race Wins,..Practice Does Make Perfect" !!

[chadly]

Yeah, hands for marshalling is a problem in all forms of racing...in all scales...at all levels. Racers in any heat should marshal the next heat. It is the responsebility of the race director to ensure this is enforced (if there is no race director, someone should be appointed).
The way i see it, social/weekly races are the practice beds for upcoming marshals (just like their racing). This is the practice ground for marshals who are not good (and good practice for drivers keeping their cool). When it comes to state/national level races, then marshals should be hand picked (as the best) for each corner, by the race director, amongst the available marshals.

It is the RACE DIRECTOR who should organise/ensure proper marshalling.
However, Fryman is right about people "disappearing" at the right times. I think a few penaltys handed out would wake people up. It might make you seem like a prick, but the amount of respect you would recieve would far outweigh the black.

[SlotBaker]

Don't think I really agree with penalties. That tends to get the half interested or less serious guys to say "stuff it" and you don't see them again.

You may say that we don't really need those types, but we do. At some stage, those guys could become more serious, get better, and become the finalists.

If everyone is given specific instructions (by the Race Director) on how the event is going to be run, and when they are likely to be marshalling, we are more likely to get them to do the job.

As it is now, they can just say "I din't know I had to marshal". So if we take that excuse away, there can be no reason not to marshal.

Instead of penalties, how about bonus laps for marshalling up to the final. (where's that tongue in cheek icon??)

[lindsayb]

I agree with pete, generally, the first car that comes off you have automaticaally reached for, any subsquent cars will then be next. To change the process to which car was at fault will probably take time and be ultimately slower. The only other thing is to look for cars on the next lane when putting back on.

with wing cars the whole thing happens much faster, to me the most important thing is to clear that track as quick as possible, then wait for cars on the next lane (inside) to go past before putting back on.

[SlotBaker]

Yep, definitely agree that main priority is to get the track clear first, then make sure you don't take anyone else out putting the car/s back on.

But it is very frustrating if you are the first inocent car affected by someone else's de-slot, then one of the first picked up, and last of 4 to get put back on. It can cost 2, 3 or more laps.

[CAB77]

My view on marshalling is that its part of racing luck. You either get some good luck or bad but its just that luck. Hitting a Skippy at bathurst is just plain bad luck so is getting hit by a deslotted car or a slow marshalls hand. Frustrating I agree but at the end of the day there is always luck involved in any form of racing.

[SlotBaker]

Yep, swings and roundabouts.

Just don't yell at me when I'm marshalling.