Marshalling in the seventies
All race meeting of the time printed this stark message somewhere. “ WARNING! – MOTOR RACING IS DANGEROUS’. During my research for this website it became obvious that this was true because many issues of the motor sporting press reported the deaths of drivers, marshals and spectators. Car safety had improved considerably from earlier times; helmets were compulsory as was an external electrical cutout. Other safety measures were commonplace; fire extinguishers, roll cages and duel braking-circuits made the cars safer, and fireproof overalls protected the diver. Very little notice was taken of the weather with races taking place in monsoon conditions and snow flurries – it being left up to the drivers to decide if they wanted to race. Marshals played a vital role in track safety, British marshals in particular having a good reputation and sort after for international events. Specialist marshals such as the fire and flag marshal were experience and were trained for their job. On the other hand, the humble track marshal had patchy training at best. It was easy to become a track marshal, you applied to the meeting you wanted to attend.
Safety at Croft
There are fourteen marshal posts around the circuit with marshals, officials and first aid personnel, each post being in radio contact with race control. Every 200yards (218m) was a fire post with powder and water extinguishers. Dress was optional; most marshals wore overall, sometimes fireproofs, and rally jackets. St Johns Ambulance brigade were also present at some posts and they wore the smart black uniform with white webbing and a cap. Johns Ambulance Brigade personnel also manned the three ambulances at every meeting. There was a well-equipped, permanent medical centre, which was fully manned by Nurses and a Circuit Doctor. Local firms provided breakdown vehicles, and the race sponsors provided the Course Car. Here, wet and cold marshals supervise an early season Formula Ford Race at post 8, at the inappropriately named Sunny Corner.
John Aston’s Reminiscences as a Track marshal
John first experience of marshalling was as a sixth-former when he was thrown into the deep end at a F1 meeting. Because he was still at school at the time, money was scarce so he took up Marshalling to get into race meetings on the cheap, a plan that did not work as well as expected because he rarely met the drivers and only saw the cars briefly as the passed within inches of him.
Track marshal training was not high on the agenda, his first real training came at the Harewood hillclimb where he was told the first thing you do after a crash was switch off the ignition, if there’s a fire under the bonnet – don’t lift it, and if possible squirt you fire extinguisher through a small gap. He was then given an extinguisher no bigger than a spray can which didn’t work anyway. Other basic requirements such as first aid were not taught and emergency backup was limited. His trips to Croft with a group of marshals, which included Mick Starkey, were memorable because they stopped off at Scorton to look at the Lotuses, TVRs and clans at Northern Sports Cars. On arrival there was a quick briefing, marshals were handed a 25 pence luncheon voucher and sent off to their marshals’ post for the rest of the day. His most vivid memories of a Croft were the Group 5,6 and 7 Sports Car, and Formula 3 meeting of July 1970. He was sent to Spa Corner, at the end of Railway Strait, and stood within inches of the likes Helmut Kelleners, in his 8200cc, of CanAm March 707 streaking by at over 160mph. He also saw for the first time a Porsche 917, driven by Jurgen Neuhaüs. Other notable in the race were Brian Robinson - Chevron B8, Chris Craft - MacLaren M12 DFV, Nicki Lauda – Porsche 908, Roger Nathan and Guy Edwards – Astra, Jenny Dell – Nathan BRM and a host of British and continental drivers. John described the Formula 3 race at the same meetings as a nightmare because of the sheer number of cars. This too had a truly international line up with a host of established and up and coming drivers: Bev Bond, James Hunt, Wilson Fittipaldi, Carlos Pace, Andy Sutcliffe - Lotus 59; Conny Andersson, Gerry Birrell, David Purley, Cyd Williams, and Tony Trim­mer - Brabham BT28; Tom Walkinshaw, and Ian Ashley - March 703; Jean-Pierre Jassaud - Chevron and Nicki Lauda – McNamara.
Certain postings were to be avoided if possible; the paddock at all circuits – too boring, and the Chicane at Croft – it had to be rebuilt too often during a meeting. Gerry Marshall provided some excitement for John and his colleagues at their Barcroft posting when he used the marshals’ post as a target for his exit of the Esses, John says he headed directly towards them a full speed, relying on the car drifting out enough to clear the wooden block which was their only protection. John held Gerry in high esteem, not only for his extraordinary driving ability but also for his friendly and outgoing attitude to everyone, including marshals.
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>