BMMC STATEMENT
After the horrendous incident in the British Supersport race at Oulton Park last month, Saturday was another very sad day for motorsport in this country. It makes you realise that, even with all the safety measures we have in place, our sport can still be very dangerous.
On the Jim Clark rally co-driver Dai Roberts died at the scene after emergency services were called at around 10:50 whilst his driver, James Williams, 27, was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries. The remainder of the closed-road event, held near Duns, was cancelled along with the Reivers Rally, scheduled for Sunday.
Julian Grimwade was competing at the Vintage Sports Car Club’s race event at Donington Park when he was fatally injured. Known for his spirited participation and prowess behind the wheel of pre-war machines, Grimwade was driving his Oakland Romano Special in the Mephistopheles & Lanchester Trophy event but tragedy struck during the first lap, leading to an immediate red flag. The second and third races went ahead about an hour behind schedule but then a simple announcement was made that the meeting was being abandoned.
To the families, friends, team members and others who knew Dai or Julian, we send our deepest sympathies and condolences. We also hope James recovers fully and speedily from his injuries. To those involved in dealing with the incidents we offer our complete support.
Whenever there is an incident, be it minor or major, simple or serious it is the marshals and officials who are called on to deal with the consequences. All of us react in different ways – some can shrug off the incident, others find it more difficult to deal with. Whether you are closely involved or just see or hear about it, if you feel you have been affected, we would implore you to talk to someone – a fellow marshal, a friend, your GP, Motorsport UK, anyone who will lend a sympathetic ear to help you realise your feelings.
BMMC, the organising clubs and Motorsport UK offer counselling services to all registered officials. We encourage anyone who thinks they may benefit to contact us so we can ensure the correct support is in place.
We also encourage all marshals and officials to attend a “First Marshal on Scene” training module, where you can acquire and practice the required skills needed in the event of a serious injury event. Understanding what needs to be done and being confident in your actions helps enormously if you are involved in this type of incident. The need for this module was discussed in a trainers Zoom call only last week – BMMC is ensuring our trainers are fully conversant with the requirements for this module to be given to all who want it.
Motorsport is a fantastic sport, we will continue to ensure that, wherever possible, all precautions and actions needed are taken to ensure your safety and enjoyment. Please remember that your safety and that of your fellow marshals and officials is our primary focus alongside the necessity to ensure everyone from the competitors to the spectators can enjoy their motorsport in the safest possible environment.
Chris Hobson
National Chairman
Tel: +44 (0) 7789 206 809
Website: www.marshals.co.uk