….support your regional committees and National Council. Regional committees have completed their AGMs and the National AGM takes place this Sunday 3 December. Have you considered joining a committee? Have you asked to see what is involved? As a membership organisation we make decisions on your behalf – but do you want to play a bigger part in this process? Is there something you have a talent for and could support the club? Why not put out some feelers and see if you could spare a few hours a week in a new role?
….renew your membership of the BMMC. Renewals will open shortly – once the handover to our new National Membership Secretary is completed and a notice will be forthcoming on how you can complete this process. If you have already set up a Direct Debit we will be confirming the date this will be taken in January too. It’s a little later than normal but you have to the end of March to renew.
….check if you need to attend training. If you just need a refresher to maintain your grade maybe you could do some online training and a couple of hours face to face to keep up to date. Or maybe you are looking to upgrade and need those signatures to complete the process? Check out the Motorsport UK pathway (https://motorsportuk.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20161944/2023-06-08-Marshals-Pathway-Interactice-2.pdf) or ask your regional grading and or training coordinators for support. And don’t forget to update your Motorsport UK registration too.
….get your Christmas gift wish list in early – maybe there is something you fancy from our new online shop? (https://www.marshals.co.uk/regalia/). Or is there any other kit which needs replacing before you put it away in storage?
…get yourself lost in YouTube replays of motorsport action / get another beer (insert drink of choice here!) from the fridge / eat your own body weight in food. Or on the other hand plan a Winter event to attend – there’s still plenty on. The Roger Albert Clark rally last weekend was epic! And there’s more to come……with rallies / autotests / trials / Plum Pudding at Mallory anyone?
Whatever way you decide to spend the festive period – remember it’s different for everyone and however you spend Christmas remember it’s yours and don’t believe Social Media to tell you otherwise. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year in 2024.
After a thrilling and at times exhilarating foray into the world of motor racing, our team of marshals who competed in the Fun Cup at Oulton Park in October have summarised their experience to share with us all.
Here we summarise their thoughts.
Joe Smith
First of all I would have to say a massive thank you to GT Radial, and everyone that helped us on Friday and Saturday for making our Fun Cup experience so great, this experience will be one that I remember for a long time!
Looking back over the weekend I think that all of us drivers did very well to learn both the car and circuit, both wet and dry, in the little time we had on Friday and Saturday, even with the few spins and offs that we all had. The pit crew did a wonderful job of getting us in and out of the pit lane, safely and swiftly, every pit stop. This really goes to show that us marshals worked well in a team together much like when we are out trackside.
Secondly, I think the Marshals car got a cheer every time it completed a lap it was amazing too see the support for the team by all the marshals trackside and everyone that came along too talk in the garage. There really was a lot of pressure the team to finish both races.
Qualifying flew by with all drivers getting the minimum three flying laps completed as the chequered flag dropped. It was then time for the first race which was an amazing experience especially as I was to start the race.
Flying into Old Hall, turn 1, for the first time with another 22 cars all around was as exciting as it was frightening. Luckily, everyone gave enough room and we started to settle into the race. After a short safety car my stint was over, I handed the car over to Tyler and Tom who brought the car home in an amazing 19th place.
Still buzzing after our top 20 finish in the first race I was again to start the second ordeal. After a clean first lap I started to push forward in an attempt to make my way up the order unfortunately, this was not too be as I ended up being collected in another competitors spin causing us damage. The marshals at Island and Shell joined in on the team effort and helped push us off the grass and onto the tow truck. Thanks to the help from the marshals and a tow back to the pit lane the car was swiftly fixed and we were back on our way although 20 laps behind.
Another stroke of bad luck struck as the drive shaft was to break during the next pit stop dropping us back another 3 laps however the whole team did another great job and brought the car back in another great 19th place albeit with a few more battle scars!
Overall, the experience was one that I will look back upon for many years it was surreal being on the opposite side of the bank and something that I never imagined I would get to try, I am forever grateful for the opportunity to represent the Marshals club and I feel like the whole team did the club proud. We took everything that was thrown at us and finished both races.
Tyler
I have to thank everyone on the team for being excellent fellow marshals to work with, and also a huge thanks to everyone else involved be it the local Oulton Park marshals, organisers and mechanics (and the cake was amazing too!!)
To top the whole weekend off, I think I have an even greater appreciation for the work marshals do around the track now that we’ve witnessed and needed their hard work. From the car being flipped, recovered, pushed and everything else in between, their work got us back on track in the second race and in practice, without their work to recover the car we would have gone home early. Not to mention their support, watching them wave us on during the race and speaking to us throughout the day, I feel that I can’t show my gratitude and respect as much as I want to! From being in the driver’s seat too, I can take a few lessons in being a better marshal in making sure my flag signals are clear, the blue flag used properly and knowing when to come out to recover a car. I certainly will need to make more trips to marshal at Oulton Park, I think it’s well worth the journey for such a great track with wonderful people!
Additionally, a huge thanks to the GT Radial Team, especially Ellis, in having the bravery in taking on four total newbie drivers into the car. We got the car to the chequered flag each time, but I think we certainly left our mark on the car (and I am gutted not to finish the weekend with my stints being clean, I will not forget Cascades!).
Seeing the mechanics changing the radiator & drive shafts during the race was amazing, I’ve never been in a pit lane before so seeing the hard work and skill to change these components so quickly is quite inspiring. The entire Fun Cup teams, mechanics, organisers were amazing, and their efforts do reflect in the quality of the series as a whole. Our racing excuses can amount to not having a lot of track time plus difficult changing conditions, but as new drivers it’s given us a wide range of what to expect on track and in future, I hope to look after the next car with a bit more respect!
It’s hard to sum the whole weekend up in such few words really, it’s just amazing to see the work everyone does. Perhaps this isn’t the end of my racing career just yet, I think I’ve got a bit more to prove on track. But until then, I am more at home being trackside in orange helping the show carry on – and with that little bit more appreciation for the work and efforts to get those race cars on track for us to marshal!
Tom
What an incredible experience provided to us by The FunCup and GTRadial. I enjoyed every minute of it. This opportunity has given me a really valuable insight into life on the other side of the fence. Being a Pitlane marshal at Brands Hatch, I see the teams and drivers very frequently, but until now I had never really understood the stresses, strains and pressures of what it’s like to be in the driver’s seat.
It’s now easier than ever to see why drivers may do things that as a marshal I would say “Well I wouldn’t have done that”, such as checking the light gantry every lap to see if you’ve got a warning/penalty or even failing to slow down enough under yellow flags. Every second you are trying to make the most time up on the track and I now understand how easy it is to miss something that I otherwise would have thought was obvious.
Another huge thanks to everyone who was involved to get us this opportunity. A massive well done to Joe and Tyler as well for putting in some excellent stints (making up for my couple of spins here and there!) Also, a big thanks to Craig, Josh and Dan who were key in making sure our pitstops ran smoothly and kept us in the races! Thank you to Nadine and the BMMC for helping a lot with the costs and organisation of this opportunity. Finally, a huge thank you to Ellis who was our team boss for the weekend, without whom we would’ve never been able to do this.
Craig
The marshals to race journey has been a fantastic experience. Starting out with two hours of karting and the dreaded mock interviews, followed by a few days of sore bones reminding me I’m not so young anymore. To then finding out I had been selected as reserve driver, being put through my race licence, getting a delivery of race boots and gloves and to top it off I get to drive the GTRadial #97 in the Friday test session. What an opportunity!
However, as I’m sure you’ve heard, my chance to drive the car in testing didn’t quite go to plan, on the damp slippy track with a bit too much confidence I managed to spin it going into Druids… yep I’m the one who put the car on its roof!
It was nice that so many people from the paddock came to check I was ok and reassured me it was just part of racing before the inevitable and deserved jokes and laughter. Thankfully there wasn’t too much damage and the car was back out shortly after.
It was probably a good thing then that on race day I was part of the pit crew helping the team alongside Josh and Dan. I haven’t marshalled the pit lane before so this was a totally new experience for me and what a chaotic but exciting place it is. To be there though as part of a team experiencing the highs and lows of racing as we did in race two was brilliant, watching the mechanics repair our car in such a short time and seeing team Olympian’s less than 10 second driver changes was very impressive.
Finally thank you to you the marshals! It was great to have our own fan club cheering us on lap after lap, getting us out the mud and putting us back onto our wheels. It was great to see the work we do from the drivers’ side although hopefully next time I don’t see the medical car.
Josh
It really was a surreal experience turning up to a race circuit not to marshal but to compete as part of a race team, let alone from the luxury of a hotel! Ellis and Brian from GT Radial immediately made us all feel really welcome and like part of the team. As I wasn’t driving but working in the pits, I spent some time getting to know the garage mechanic and learning all I could about the car and what I’d be doing that weekend. There was a lot of interest around the back of our garage from Oulton’s regular marshals and the other competitors which really brought home the reality of how special this opportunity was. We had great support from everyone who visited us and the other teams made us really feel like part of the Fun Cup community in no time.
We had more than our fair share of incidents across the weekend, with the most infamous being the rolling of the car into the Druids gravel on Friday. This didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits however, as many teams came to check on us and share a laugh about the whole thing. Mechanics from other garages got stuck in helping us repair any damage and cleaning the gravel out of the bodywork. At the end of the weekend Ellis entrusted us all with a Fun Cup patch for our overalls, which will be sewn on upside down we’ve all agreed as a reminder!
On race day I had progressed enough with the team to entrust me with radio duties as well as monitoring pit-stops and pit-windows (with a lot of help from Ellis). The 10 year old motoracing fan in me was incredibly giddy when I had the chance to call “Box, Box, for driver change!” over the radio and hear a “Box confirm!” in reply. Then standing on the outside of the box in a live pitlane with Fun Cup cars flying down the fast lane waiting to see our #97 and waving him into the box. Diving in, unplugging the driver intercom, and helping one driver out, then quickly refuelling as fuel went in, and finally, frantically doing up the belts and connecting the intercom for the next driver before they shot out of the box was an adrenaline sport in its own right.
Overall it really was a fantastic experience and I cannot thank Ellis and Brian from GT Radial as well as the entire Fun Cup paddock enough. I really hope that Tom, Joe and Tyler get the opportunity to use their race licences again soon and who knows, maybe I can get on the radio to them again!
Dan
After arriving late to the circuit on Friday afternoon I found the marshal drivers settling into the practice and getting used to the car. I got given my role of helping strap drivers in/out at pit stops feeling very much like a new comer as the team was already getting its hand in. Over the next half hour a number of spins was admitted to, then how many directions a spin occurred in at once. Mention was also made of how difficult it was to see flag posts and the light boards. One driver did admit to failing to turn off the car before exiting it so maybe drivers have a point.
This also started to explain the slightly nervous look of the GT Radial guys who were no doubt thinking of the repair bill.
Qualifying passed reasonably uneventfully with the all the drivers acquitting themselves well and qualifying in mid pack, before the random hat draw confirmed this.
An hour later the first race saw a few places lost to the more experienced racers but the car was bought home in one piece and not last. The second longer race after lunch was more eventful, while the live stream was focused on a first lap incident clear up up our driver got caught up in some one else’s spin.
With the car off and driver out the TV footage didn’t show any damage. When the car was bought back to the garage what seemed like an age later the truth of the destroyed radiator was revealed. At this stage the professional mechanics showed their skill and got the car back out less than half an hour after the incident.
A few driver changes later a broken drive shaft let us see the mechanics at work again before our drivers raced to the end. A broken radio gave one of them a chance to lead the pack (admittedly behind the safety car) and an incident in the closing stages caused some body work damage and a severe shake which made the last stints difficult. After three hours though they crossed the line in almost one piece and not last.
Seeing things from the other side of the pits certainly shows how easy it is to miss things: with your head down worrying about seat belts it’s easy to miss that the engine is still running. The temptation to hold a door open during refuelling is also high. Coming away from the weekend I’ve got more sympathy for the regular racers (as well as being impressed at the slickness of their pit stops) when they mess up.
On the other hand as a new parent, I do think that race harness/seat builder could learn something from the manufacturers of baby seats: it’s much easier to sort out the harness for an uncooperative baby than a race driver!
Final thoughts
On behalf of BMMC can we thank GT Radial, Ellis Hadley, Martin Gibson and the Fun Cup family! Who knows if this chance will come around again?…..if it does be sure to watch this space.
The BMMC is a completely volunteer organisation – run by volunteers for volunteers. Without the volunteers who sit on Committees and Boards for the club we would not function and be able to provide the services that we offer to our members. It is therefore vitally important that our critical roles are covered to ensure the organisation runs effectively.
Currently we have a number of vacancies
National Membership Secretary (sets up new members and manages renewals)
National Volunteering Coordinator (assist regions to set up the events calendar)
NE Committee (various vacancies).
It is really important we find replacements to ensure no-one needs to take on additional work and continue the good work of predecessors in these roles. If anyone would like to contribute to these or any other aspects of running the club which would benefit from your expertise and enthusiasm please contact the National Secretary.
AGMs are currently in progress and I encourage you to attend where possible and support your committees. They need you to make sure they are focussed on the areas that matter most. Without your input we may not know your needs and requirements.
Subsidy claims – a request pre-Christmas from our bookkeeper. Would all members intending to make a BMMC Subsidy Allowance Claim please note that the only acceptable document is that on the BMMC website (marked 2023.v2). Also, all claims should be submitted no later than 15 December.
And COVID is still out there – people are still affected by this virus and the effects. Please send your apologies for an event if you are unwell (even if it’s not COVID!) and protect your colleagues from any other nasty infections doing the rounds too! ‘Tis almost the season of sharing but not everything.
The Fun Cup team were tremendous at the weekend – testing on Friday was interesting (!) but despite a few scrapes they brought the car home. They weren’t last and they put in some good lap times and overtakes in the Sprint race too. I was definitely proud to be trackside to support this. Massive thanks to GT Radial UK. Separate feature coming up from all involved. Joe, Tom, Tyler, Craig, Josh and Dan all played their part with ample support from the Team and other competitors.
The 66th Annual General Meeting of the British Motorsports Marshals Club will take place this year on Sunday 3rd December 2023 commencing at 14.30 at Motorsport UK, Bicester Heritage Museum OX27 8FY, and, also as a virtual event.
Anyone wishing to attend should email nat.secretary@marshals.co.uk, no later than Friday 24th November 2023, advising in person or virtual in your response.
Reports from Directors (i.e., Regional Chairs and Special Interest Group Chairs) and Executive Officers will be contained in an Annual Report published on the BMMC website after the AGM and will be available to all members.
Agenda
1/ Attendance and Apologies 2/ Minutes of Previous AGM – To agree the minutes of the 65th AGM of the BMMC Ltd dated December 4th, 2022; available to view on the BMMC website
8/ Reappointment of Azets as Auditors 9/ Ordinary resolutions
Any general resolution put forward for consideration at the annual general meeting must be proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members and lodged with the National Secretary by 3rd November 2023
10/ Special Resolutions
Any resolution proposing a change to the articles and/or the club rules must be proposed and seconded by fully paid-up members and lodged with the National Secretary by 3rd November 2023
11/ Annual awards
BMMC Marshal of the Year Barrie Williams Trophy BMMC New Marshal of the Year John Nicol Trophy BMMC Cadet Marshal of the Year David Leslie Trophy
In accordance with Club Rule J.2. Election of Officers, Steve Woolfe – National Treasurer – will stand down at the 2024 AGM as a result of completing a 3 year term of office.
Should any member wish to stand for election to the role of National Treasurer please submit the following information by email to nat.secretary@marshals.co.uk by 20th October 2023
(a) Confirmation that they are eligible under Article 29, including that they are a Full or Life Member, their Grade (being above that of Registered Marshal), and list any other BMMC roles currently held.
(b) Confirmation of their understanding that on election to the role, they will take on responsibilities as a company director under the Companies Act, and their willingness and legal eligibility to do so.
(c) A statement of no more than 500 words which will be circulated to the membership, setting out their experience and plans should they be successful in the election.
(d) Details of a proposer and seconder for their nomination.
(e) Candidates must provide evidence of their experience in financial matters, through a recognised qualification or substantial experience.
We started the month with an EGM on 5 September to agree the changes to the rules and governance of the club. Huge thanks to John Edwards (Nat Sec) and all the Governance review team for taking the time to piece together these importance documents. This means that we are now in full compliance with Companies House as a Limited company and have ensured that we have future-proofed the club. Details can be found here.
The results of the survey that we conducted will be shared in separate cover – needless to say this has been shared with Motorsport UK and committees alike. There are many areas where we can take action and we can also highlight positive steps that clubs are taking to support marshals. I personally will give a “shout out” to the Sports 1000 championship who competed at Anglesey and laid on a BBQ for the marshals on the Saturday night. What a great event with drivers and marshals sharing stories over a beer and burger!
Motorsport UK renewals are now open so please ensure you renew at your existing grade if you don’t intend to upgrade before the year is out. If an upgrade is imminent that should be processed with 2024 in mind.
BMMC renewal timelines will be communicated in due course. With regret Dave Reed is standing down from the role of National Membership Secretary and we thank him for his huge commitment to this role and many others previous to this on South Midlands committee. We will be recruiting for a replacement so do let us know if you are interested in this role.
We ended the month with our first Board meeting under the new governance structure with ongoing commitment from the Regional Chairs (Directors). They themselves are in the process of planning regional AGMs and notices are being sent out with details to members accordingly. Please make every effort to attend as this is your chance to get involved and support your region or interest. The National AGM is planned for Sunday 3 December and further details will follow shortly.
The Fun Cup drivers have all passed their ARDS tests and are being suited and booted ready for the race in October. Hopefully you will be cheering them on in person or via the livestream – watch our socials for updates. And a huge thanks to GT Radial team once again for making this possible! Good luck guys.
Throughout August there has been a noticeable drop off in marshalling numbers – due to holiday season. However, from the recent surveys conducted by ourselves and Motorsport UK it is clear that we are being more choosy about the events we attend. Travelling costs are having an impact and people are definitely picking events further away from home on a more selective criteria.
This has and will continue to be raised at Motorsport UK – differences in the way the volunteers are treated is apparent by venue, organising club and event. And various inconsistencies throughout the country make it difficult to pinpoint a definitive answer to encompass everyone’s requirements! We should however be able to work on the basics and I am hoping these will form the groundwork to the future strategies being discussed within each sporting discipline over the coming months.
Please do continue to raise concerns through the Chief marshal initially and then to your Regional Committees – they are there to support you no matter what the issue is!
We have an EGM on 5 September to agree the changes to the rules and governance of the club. We would be grateful if you could attend – please contact National Secretary. The regions are planning their AGMs in the forthcoming months so keep an eye out for the invites. These are your opportunities to be involved in the running of the club.
The Fun Cup competition has reached its decision point – 14 hopefuls went forward to a 2-hour kart endurance session at Daytona Tamworth. Teams battling for honours were named after the different tyres manufactured by the sponsors GT Radial UK. Team tactics were required for the pit stops……. and a safety kart intervention period!
The group were also recorded answering a series of questions posed by the GT Radial team. Thanks to Martin Gibson and Ellis Hadley – with input from Paul Rose (JPR racing) – for choosing the final group – it was not an easy decision!
Drivers – Tyler James, Tom Pledger, Joe Smith and reserve driver Craig Ballantyne will now head to Mallory Park to complete their ARDS test. And Dan Lloyd and Joshua Lee were selected to support the pit crew come the big day in October. Looking forward to further updates and a few press releases too!
Sadly, VSCC driver Roger Twelvetrees died on Saturday 26 August whilst competing in his Edwardian-era Wolseley 16/20 at Mallory Park. The thoughts of everyone at BMMC are with his family and friends, the Vintage Sports-Car Club and members of the motorsport community. Anyone affected by this incident who needs support please be reminded of our 24-hour a day counselling service. RIP Roger.
Please remember we are one big family and support each other through the best and worst of times.
Anglesey at the beginning of July saw CSCC hold their 24 hour event – some apprehension from the club but they needn’t have worried. The marshals who came from near and far (!) did sterling work to make the event a success. A few tired people by the time we finished on Sunday lunchtime but many hope it’s back on the calendar next year…….pretty please!
The British Grand Prix saw two Brits on the podium – a few organisational issues to iron out for next year for those attending and the recruitment tent (as per separate mail message) but discussions have been started with Motorsport UK so watch this space for updates.
There has also been discussion around Recruitment, Retention and Recognition – our survey plus a Motorsport UK club survey highlighted similar initial conclusions around the reasons for attending (or choosing) events. There will be further working groups and feedback to Sporting committees and Clubs accordingly. And if you want to get more hands on then why not apply to one of the Committees within Motorsport UK? Applications open until 7 August direct to Motorsport UK as per the latest Revolution publication (https://www.motorsportuk.org/revolution-magazine/)
Northwich hosted the third Krazy Races event of the year – and it was certainly Krazy. Mixed weather conditions and dodgy brakes led to some interesting finishes on what is the longest track they use. Great fun and a bit different. Next stop is Wolverhampton at the end of August and then Lancaster in September. Still time to sign up – if you are interested please drop me a line.
Motorsport UK have released a video referencing the installation of the Light Panels. This was sent to all registered marshal – further communication is required but any comments on the video and actual issues experienced should be sent to Motorsport UK directly as requested in the video.
SE Region – a few marshal point changes requested by Motorsport UK. Marshals should raise concerns via the safety@ email to Motorsport UK or via their regional circuit reps.
NW Region – BMMC NW marshals raised an amazing £239.38 from the sale of Oulton Park 70th Anniversary cloth badges, kindly donated to us by circuit management at the recent Gold Cup event. We are very grateful for their gift and donations have been sent to Race Against Dementia – our chosen charity. Thanks for your generosity.
NE Region – the Social Media channels for the region are in the process of being refreshed so that there are more ways to communicate with the region. Updates soon!
Mids Region – Mel Baggeley has taken on the role of Safeguarding Officer for the ES Team and Donington Park specifically. The safeguarding policy will be updated on our website shortly to reflect this addition.
The Fun Cup competition has now closed with a phenomenal 80 plus applications. Those successfully through to the next round will be contacted in due course. Thank you so much for your interest and stories – a few decision making evenings now required!
Sadly MGCC announced at Cadwell Park at the weekend that it was their last independently organised meeting after 60 years of motorsport. The meeting at Snetterton in September will run in collaboration with Equipe Classic Racing and Motor Sport Vision Racing. Championships will race on and further announcements will be made. We thank them for their ongoing support and wish them well.
We are halfway through another busy year and much has happened with much to do!
Race Committee was held in Bicester in mid June. This is a specific discipline committee discussing all matters related to Race events and I have this seat as BMMC Chair.
Discussions centred around the re-write of the National Championship Regulations (NCRs) currently known as the “Blue Book” or “Year Book”. This rewrite is to enable the navigation through the sections to be easier especially online. Much of the rewrite should simplify the wording and some re-writes to reflect reality!
This is a huge job and all committees are involved in their specific area. We also discussed any potential new / changes to regulations – including a review of the amended Track Limit rules. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to move on to “Future of Race” – part of the strategy going forward. Some ideas already put forward but time to gather more suggestions and discuss further.
Motorsport UK Council and AGM was held on Tuesday. The Council’s responsibilities include the governance of UK motor sport, the improvement of safety, the regulation of motor sport by enforcing FIA regulations and drawing up National Rules of Competition, judicial matters and dispute resolution, and the development of motor sport together with the approval of British Championships. We had some interesting presentations from the FIA on safety (harnesses / netting and helmets), karting and trials as well as discussion about non-Motorsport UK activities.
BMMC Council welcomed Cath Holmstrom as National Training Officer. We discussed sustainability, our IT databases, the North East region, our Charity partner for 2024, lights and flags signals plus Race with Respect. We publish a summary on the website for members to read (https://www.marshals.co.uk/marshalling/national-council-minutes/)
Volunteer Officials Committee takes place later this month, but I have already had a number of meetings regarding the NCRs review with the Motorsport UK legal team over the last month too – our specific section is on officials.
A few reminders……
Fun Cup competition – an absolutely amazing opportunity. Applications deadline 31 July
Marshals survey – we would like answers by mid July so we can review, action and feedback to clubs and Motorsport UK. We are aware that they have launched a club survey at this time too
Your BMMC number is our unique reference for you identifying your region (AB1234) and Motorsport UK is a 6 digit number – please remember to share your Motorsport UK number with the membership and grading representatives to update your record.
BRDC Charity – we are in partnership with this charity which offers support to drivers, mechanics, officials and marshals in motorsport no matter where you are in the country. If you need help please do approach them for support (http://www.brdc.co.uk/BRDC-Motor-Sport-Charity) and remember we have regional committees and our EAP to support you too.
Looking forward to supporting CSCC at Anglesey this weekend for a 24 hour race weekend with a difference – similar to Le Mans Classic which is also happening this weekend, where BMMC Ambassador Jack Fabby will be competing!
Cath Holmstrom has been appointed as the new BMMC National Training Officer (NTO) and will assume her post as an Executive Officer of the National Council with immediate effect.
Responsible for providing members with appropriate training in line with Motorsport UK and BMMC requirements, in a timely manner, the NTO is the single point of contact for all training related matters for the club .
Cath brings a wealth of experience to the role as a professional educator and her day job is centred around training and education, having led professional training courses for the last 15 plus years. Whilst not directly related to motorsport, what is at the heart of this is Cath’s commitment to high quality education and training and leading others to deliver this too.
Cath’s marshalling journey started after watching motorsports and realising that she was more and more watching the marshals not the cars! After circling the recruitment tent at Goodwood Festival of Speed and being assured that there were indeed a few other female marshals, Cath joined Goodwood Marshals Club and almost immediately afterwards also joined BMMC.
Goodwood sprints and speed trials provided the perfect start for Cath who quickly realised the addictive nature of marshalling and with the encouragement of many of the lovely friends made during early days of marshalling, started volunteering at Brands Hatch and Silverstone race meetings in the same year.
After being handed the yellow flag on her first race meeting, she knew she was hooked and spent the next two years getting as much and as varied experience at different events as possible, taking the advice to learn for herself what she did and did not like.
Since that first year, Cath has maintained this commitment to as much variety as possible in terms of circuits, nature of event and roles. Whilst her usual role is that of flag marshal at race meetings, she is increasingly enjoying dipping her toes into being a Post Chief (including at the recent Miami Grand Prix) and has been a Post Chief at speed events for some time.
Cath’s commitment to high quality and accessible training and ongoing learning is one a key transferable element between her day job and her marshalling. On post, she is rarely happier than when asked to introduce taster day or cadet marshals to flagging or other aspects of marshalling and is looking forward to bringing these varied experiences, interests and commitments to the NTO role.
Speaking after her appointment Cath said: “I’m both delighted and honoured to be invited to take on the role of NTO and look forward to working with all the Regional training officers to ensure we are delivering a programme of high quality and relevant training for our members.”
BMMC Chair Nadine Lewis added: “Cath brings a strong professional background in training and education to the NTO role and I’m sure all members look forward to working with and benefitting from her experience in this field.”
This season seems to be racing ahead quite literally and I can’t believe we are into June already!
The beginning of May saw our clubs’ 25th Anniversary Sprint at Curborough. The weather wasn’t too kind on the Saturday but the rain was not as heavy as elsewhere! We also celebrated the King’s coronation with a veritable feast of sandwiches, trifle and cake.
It’s a great little venue and if you’ve never been along, please think about giving it a try – we have another club event in August. Thanks to Steve and Julie Hill for all their efforts over the years to run this successful event – we even managed to surprise Julie by presenting The Shadow Trophy regional award at the end of the day too.
Reis are sponsoring the Sprints at Curborough this year and we are grateful to all of the ongoing support from our sponsors. Some of them have their own milestones to celebrate too. Ginetta Fest at Silverstone (2 – 4 June) will see the 65th anniversary of this marque and MG are celebrating the week after (10 – 11 June) with Triumph for their centenaries.
Lille have been in touch to advise a few delays to proban overall orders. The new owners send their apologies and are working hard to get back on track but have had a few setbacks meaning orders are delayed – but being processed in order of receipt. Please be patient – and remember you can still marshal without overalls – just make sure you have an orange tabard / coat available until they arrive.
The first of the Krazy Races was held in Stockport last weekend – a fun event with no engines we are supporting around the country. Over 15,000 attended this free event and they even had a fabulous fly-past from the Lancaster Bomber. If anyone hasn’t volunteered for these events and wants to help out please do get in touch.
We have also had a few volunteers supporting the Blair Project – developing the next generation of innovators, technicians and engineers to fuel the green industrial revolution. Retrofitting petrol go-karts into electric go-karts and racing them against each other. Thanks to those who have supported these events.
Lights vs flags update – I have had further conversations with Motorsport UK where they have reassured me that there is no drive or desire to move to a “lights only” scenario at any licenced events and that last years “trial” is ongoing until all venue implementations are completed. The expectation is that lights are to be triggered in the first instance and flags as support during this trial and where required flags only used to display certain signals (white and red/yellow). This doesn’t seem to be completely clear in the instructions given so ongoing work necessary to ensure this is understood. Please continue to provide your feedback to the Chief marshal on the day and also to dan.carter@motorsportuk.org – constructively and respectfully!
Lastly following a period of community consultation, on 1 June, some detailed changes will be applied to Motorsport UK’s Regulations regarding track limits. Please follow the link below to read a letter from Hugh Chambers, Motorsport UK Chief Executive Officer, with a full explanation on the amendment, accompanied by visual examples and the amended regulations.
