NOMINATIONS OPEN

FOR 2015 AWARDS

YOUR MEMBERSHIP entitles YOU to vote, and gives YOU

the opportunity to publicly recognise the CONTRIBUTION

TO MOTOR RACING of one of your BMMC colleagues.

Nominations are sought in the following categories:

MARSHAL OF THE YEAR

TRAINEE or CADET MARSHAL OF THE YEAR

NORRIE BERGIN TROPHY

JOHN DAVALLOU TROPHY (Brands Hatch ‘regular’

only)

The first two awards relate to the 2015 season only....any

grade; any specialty. The second two awards relate to the

longer-term contribution to marshalling.

A brief rationale for your nomination is required.

Maximum one nomination per member per award.

Send nominations to se.chair@marshals.co.uk

NOMINATIONS CLOSE on MONDAY 9th NOVEMBER

BMMC(SE) Committee will judge nominations at the No-

vember Committee Meeting

Awards/Trophies will be presented early in 2016

July / August 2015

The BMMC is on Twitter. Follow @BMMC_UK

for updates from National BMMC

Win Some Great Prizes In Charity Raffle

Following on from the suc-

cess of last year’s charity

marshals’ calendar, Na-

tional PRO Paul Sutcliffe ,

is holding a charity raffle

to support supporting

MELANOMA UK.

There are some fantastic

prizes up for grabs includ-

ing A Lotus F1 Team fac-

tory tour; Jackie Stewart

signed photo and a cap

signed by Jenson Button.

See page 6 for more

Chairman’s Thoughts

In the last issue of Marshals’ Post you

will have read Tony Weatherly’s report

on Snetterton to the Association of Brit-

ish Motor Racing Clubs

(ABMRC).Elsewhere, in this issue, you

will see my report to ABMRC which

relates to recent discussions I have

had with Mike Groves, Circuit Manager at Brands Hatch.

I guess my report is longer than Tony’s, since there was

quite a bit of catching-up to do......and once you’ve read

it (published with the full agreement of Mike Groves), you

will see that much remains to be achieved, both from the

point of view of actions discussed and agreed, but inevi-

tably from that of issues about which we didn’t get

around to talking.

The great thing is that both Tony and I have found both

MSV Circuit Managers to be very positive in their re-

sponse to our suggestions and requests....and long may

that continue (Mike was a very supportive ally in BMMC’s

quest to convert Brands’ radios from ‘closed channel’ to

‘open-channel’).

You will also note that we have set up dates for a Post-

by-Post walkabout during which we can talk about spe-

cific issues at specific Marshals’ Posts. We have also

committed to meeting twice more in the next 6 months or

so; once, just hours prior to the SE Region’s next AGM,

and once again, prior to the Brands Hatch Marshals’

Training Weekend (for which a date is yet to be con-

firmed, so we settled for meeting on 3rd February).

Openness and transparency will be the cornerstones of

our discussions and with communicating the outcome of

these discussions with you...and also with non-member

marshals, too.

I look forward to meeting with Mike, again, and I’m sure

you won’t be slow to nudge me, if you think any expected

changes/improvements to the environment in which we

marshal at Brands, aren’t happening within the timescale

you’ve been led to expect.

As I’m sure I’ve said previously, your SE Committee is

very much aware of how ‘Brands Hatch-orientated’ it is. I

guess that’s almost inevitable, partly because we have

no Lydden or Snetterton ‘regulars’ on the Committee;

partly because of the geography of the region. Having

said that, if you are a ‘regular’ (of any grade, including

Trainee) at any of the 3 principle race circuits in SE Re-

gion you might like to think about being nominated to

become a SE Committee Member at our AGM in Novem-

ber. Committee meetings tend to be held once a month,

in Chislehurst, and attendance by individual Committee

Members need only be 7-8 times a year, to make it

worthwhile and to allow all members at all our circuits to

be successfully represented.

...and finally, and on a similar note, I welcome Barry Mor-

ris to SE Committee as Lydden Hill’s BMMC Representa-

tive (not to be confused with the ABMRC’s Representa-

tive, Chris Bird). Barry is a ‘virtual’ Committee Member,

and his presence will be largely, or entirely, in the shape

of correspondence.

Barry, of course is well-known to most of us at race cir-

cuits. However, as Secretary of.....here goes.... ‘South-

East Association of Motor Clubs’(ASEMC), Barry is also

closely associated with Rallies and Sprints in SE Eng-

land; activities of which the SE Committee is pretty na-

ive. So don’t be surprised if you read a little more about

Sprints and Rallies, mostly in relation to requests for

marshals, no doubt, in forthcoming issues and on the SE

website.

Neil Stretton

BMMC (SE) Chairman

SE.Chair@marshals.co.uk

2

We have more new members to the region: Charlie Cox,

Ben Martin, Katie Shipp, Geoff Gear, Kevin Ray, Steve

Marston, Bridget Rivers-Moore, William Thompson, Ai-

dan Ross, Christopher Humphreys and Simon Gregory.

Please make them all feel welcome.

It’s been a busy season so far with a veritable plethora

of events, some on the same weekends, which has left

some events stretched a little thin in terms marshals. It’s

all hands on deck sometimes and your willingness to do

what needs to be done is always appreciated.

Membership News

If you find yourself free and haven’t volunteered, do drop

the relevant chief marshal or co-ordinator a line to con-

firm your attendance and organise entry to the circuits –

they will welcome your support.

The weather is typically changeable this summer, so

don’t forget suncream and water. I’ve already spotted a

couple of people this year sporting the lobster glow –

don’t let this be you. Also don’t forget that we offer dis-

counted wet weather gear as well. Check out the club

home page for details on how to order and claim your

reimbursement.

Lynn Sencicle

SE Membership Officer

se.members@marshals.co.uk

3

In this edition I would like to update you with a few basic

rules of upgrading, which, if followed, will stop any issues

with upgrading in the future. This is a continuation from

the May newsletter. First let’s cover some basic require-

ments:

1. Signatures must only be for one duty completed on

one day. There must be no dual duty recorded i.e.:

flag/track etc.

2. All signatures can only be obtained at MSA licensed

events. For those who like 2 wheels, please record

your meetings according to the governing body or

club rules for the motorcycle events.

3. Any person acting as, or is, a PC or XPC can sign

your PRC.

4. Continuation sheets must be used when the PRC sec-

tion for the grade being obtained or maintained is full.

Please do not use any other section of the PRC.

5. All ‘on post’ attendance signatures must be collected

first, followed by a Training Day signature and finally

by 'on-post' assessments.

6. ‘On post’ assessments can only be completed at a

sanctioned MSA event and cannot be completed at a

foreign circuit.

7. All completed PRCs for upgrade must be sent to the

Regional Grading Officer of the club of your choice.

Included must be an MSA registration form.

8. Read regional newsletters as they do contain the in-

formation you may need to upgrade.

By following some of the above pointers, and those in the

May newsletter, it will stop any issues with upgrading

which have been experienced over the number of years I

have been Regional Grading Officer.

If you are a Trainee Marshal you must volunteer and con-

firm when attending post in the morning you are a Train-

ee. Until you have upgraded, you are only registered as a

trainee, so please do not volunteer for a different grade/

duty. If there is no option for trainee when volunteering,

please contact the relevant chief marshal/co-ordinator to

confirm your grade.

All regional members are advised to please check which

region you belong to. I am aware that a lot of our friends

from the SW region do many meetings at Brands Hatch

but I am unable to complete any upgrades for a different

region. If you wish me to check which region you belong

to I can confirm your region and can also advise you on

how to change region should you wish to do so.

SOUTHEAST REGION UPGRADES

The following marshals have upgraded:

Sean Cooper, Anthony Almond, Ben Martin, John Pacitti,

Paul Garcia-Sierra Experienced Race

Gordon Barnes, Hannah Cooper, Chris Cooper Track

Marshal

Matt Dolan Incident Officer

Shaun Herilhy, Daisy Lait Specialist Race marshal

Well done to you all and keep up the good work.

And lastly, when contacting me or any other committee

members, please remember we are volunteers. Please

send an email in the first instance for your questions and

only phone if urgent. At this time of year your committee

may be taking vacation with families, so if you have had

no reply after 4 days then we may be on holiday. Give it

8-10 days and if no response do contact us by phone.

Contact details: 3 Savoy Road, Dartford, Kent DA1 5AN

Tel: 07802 652 556

Andy Bumstead

SE Grading Officer

se.grading@marshals.co.uk

Grading News

BMMC (SOUTH-EAST REGION) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday, 4th November 2015, 19:30 for 20:00 start.

Hailwoods Bar & Restaurant, Brands Hatch.

More details in October.

1) Acknowledgement of Work Done

New marshals huts on GP Circuit, incl. solid shelves

Long-handled shovels (very useful for lengthy oil spills)

New brooms and rakes on GP Circuit

Broken windows replaced at Posts 10 and 25.

New Portaloos at Post 7

Replacement of cloth flags with nylon flags

Post 16 Portaloo flushing mechanism sorted

2) Marshals’ Camping & Parking

Signage showing where to find the Chemical Waste Dis-

posal site is to be improved.

Re-grading work will be undertaken to remove the ruts at

the entrance to the marshals’ Lower Triangle car park.

This work to be completed in time for that car park’s next

estimated use at the BTCC meeting in October.

3) GP Circuit

The leak in the roof of the new hut at Post 14 to be recti-

fied (rainwater is likely entering the hut via a hook on the

roof used to assist with lowering the hut into place; the

shelf on to which water drips risks being damaged by

continual exposure to rainwater).

Green bins for the storage of marshals’ gear can be eas-

ily dried out and then placed inside the new marshals’

huts without taking up too much space.

Regarding the green bins on other posts, these will be

looked at when MG & NS do their circuit walk in the next

few weeks.

A couple of coat hooks will be attached to the rear wall

inside the new huts, as has been done at Snetterton.

4) Indy Circuit

Post 2: kick boarding or similar will be installed between

the decking and the Armco.

Post 4: Steel uprights along a stretch of Armco at Post 4

are to be installed in the near future. These are much

more durable than wooden posts. They are sunk to a

level of 4ft below ground. Additionally, the tyre walls will

be stripped down and rebuilt.

Post 5: Large stones in the gravel, adjacent to the flag-

ging point, will be removed.

Post 9: Broken window next to the door to be replaced.

Post 25: MSV to look into the feasibility of improving the

handrail leading up to the debris fencing. Several factors

have to be considered and liaison with ALL circuit licens-

ing bodies is required.

New hard bristle brooms and new rakes to be provided

on the Indy Circuit; especially required where there are

gravel traps.

Black hut doors: 5 of these are being replaced. That at

Post 2 will swing open the opposite way to its original

operation. (Dave “Haystack” Pollitt has offered to make

these improvements, and is working closely with MSV

Maintenance on this)

5) Safety Car Boards

MG to discuss with his counterpart, Jamie Hopper, at

Snetterton how best to mount SC Boards so that they do

not need to be hand-held by marshals when required.

This will be a job to be completed prior to the 2016 rac-

ing season.

6) Flags

MG to undertake an audit of flags at a date tbc, with the

intention of replacing flags where required.

Bent “Oil” flag at Post 22 has been replaced.

Further investigations to take place regarding the short-

ening of flag handles.

7) Portaloos

MSV to liaise with the toilet hire company with a view to

replacing all current Portaloos with new ones like those

behind Post 7 for 2016.

Brands Hatch Circuit

Representative Report

4

SUMMARY OF OUTCOMES OF MEETING BETWEEN:

Mike Groves, Circuit Manager, Brands Hatch and Neil Stretton, Marshals’ Representative, Brands Hatch

30th June 2015

5

MSV to ensure that toilets are thoroughly cleaned and

serviced prior to each GP circuit meeting. Service rec-

ords/check sheets to be installed within the toilets detail-

ing when checks have taken place.

Pump-action bottles containing hand-sanitising solutions

to be placed at all wash basins in Portaloos and supplies

to be replenished as required.

MG to look into options to increase toilet facilities in the

GP Paddock.

8) Next Meetings

NS/MG to walk the circuit and undertake a marshals’

posts audit on 10th August.

Next 1:1 meeting – 4th November (immediately prior to

BMMC(SE) AGM)

Further Meeting: 3rd February (provisionally; dependent

on date of Marshals’ Training Weekend)

Neil Stretton

(ABMRC Brands Hatch Circuit Representative)

ABMRC (Association of British Motor Racing Clubs)

Circuit Representative:

This role gives marshals (BMMC members and non-

members, alike) a channel through which to have contact,

via the Circuit Rep, with circuit management. The ABMRC

Circuit Rep can discuss issues directly concerning the circuit

environment in which marshals work, and liaises, directly,

with circuit management in order to address issues raised to

the mutual satisfaction of circuit management and marshals.

In S.E. Region, the ABMRC Circuit Representatives are:

Lydden Hill: Chris Bird

Snetterton: Tony Weatherley

Brands Hatch: Neil Stretton

BMMC Circuit Representative:

This role is one which gives the BMMC Circuit Rep the op-

portunity to communicate to BMMC members items of poten-

tial interest to members, e.g. appeals for marshals at forth-

coming meetings, social events, stories or anecdotes of in-

terest, or anything they might think is of interest or use to

members.

In S.E. Region, the BMMC Circuit Representatives are:

Lydden Hill: Barry Morris

Snetterton: (vacant)

Brands Hatch: BMMC(SE) Committee members,

collectively

Who Are The Circuit Reps?

HAVE A GO ON A RACING CAR SIMULATOR

This isn’t a PlayStation

It isn’t an Arcade Game

This is as close as you can get to THE REAL THING

without risking everything

An evening at RACE-HUB below the Stewart Brabham

Centre is organised by your Committee.

There are just 12 places up for grabs!!

It’s FREE to current members!

If you wish to be one of the lucky 12, text your name and

your BMMC membership number to 07875 797188:

Nothing else!

Closing date for texting is Monday, 17th August.

Committee Members or co-opted members are not eligi-

ble to enter.

Winning names and those of 5 reserves will be drawn out

of a hat at the BMMC(SE) Committee Meeting on 19th

August.

Winning entrants and reserves will be notified by Mon-

day, 31st August.

Race Hub Social Event

SOCIAL EVENT

BMMC South-East Region

Brands Hatch

8pm Wednesday, 23rd September

6

Continued from front page

Following on from the success of the Marshal Charity Calen-

dar, this year I am doing a Marshal Charity Raffle. All pro-

ceeds will go to Melanoma UK. Tickets are £1 each and you

can buy as many as you wish. I have 12 prizes so far and

the list is still growing. Prizes so far are :

A session in the IZone Performance Simulator at

Silverstone developed by Andy Priaulx.

A track day drive donated by Performance-247.

A Lotus F1 Team factory tour.

An original Ferrari painting mounted and framed,

donated by Steve Jones Artist.

FIA official’s shirt signed by Charlie Whiting and Herbie

Blash.

Martin Brundle signed print.

BTCC Photo signed by all the 2015 Drivers.

V8 Supercars Bathurst poster signed by all the

drivers, donated by Race Director Tim Shenken (CAMS).

Jackie Stewart signed photo.

Porsche Le Mans teddy bear.

A chronograph Accurist watch.

A museum and stadium tour of Manchester United for 2

adults and 2 children.

A McLaren cap signed by Jenson Button.

Radical Sportscar’s cap signed by Sir Chris Hoy.

A signed Marshal Charity Calendar.

I will be selling tickets throughout the next few months and

the draw will be completed at the end of October. If anyone

wishes to donate a gift or prize, please get in touch through

either:

Facebook: Paul Sutcliffe

Twitter: @suttie50

E-Mail: sutcliffe943@btinternet.com

Paul Sutcliffe

National PRO

Great Prizes In Charity Raffle

Kensworth Taster Car Trial

Falcon’s Taster Event Car Trial takes place again this

year on Sunday 13th September. Everyone is welcome to

come along and take part either as a driver, passenger or

marshal.

The aim of the Kensworth Taster Trial is to introduce new

competitors, marshals and passengers - young, old, male

or female - to the sport of car trials without the need for a

competition license or club membership card. Competi-

tors as young as 14 years old can take part (subject to

conditions) in this event.

For more details and regulations, visit

www.marshals.co.uk/regions/south_east/index.htm

7

The rather aptly worded ‘Bienvenue au Quebec’ sign

may no longer reside at the infamous ‘Champions Wall’

at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but the welcome British mar-

shals received at the Canadian Grand Prix was second

to none. Once again, the Automobile Club de l'île Notre-

Dame (ACIND), extended its invite to British marshals to

attend one of the most favoured circuits on the F1 calen-

dar. After hearing nothing but positive feedback from

fellow marshals who had attended in previous years, I

jumped at the chance.

The application process was a breeze with just a few

quick forms to fill out and send back before waiting with

fingers crossed in the hope of being selected. The re-

sulting ‘oui’ email left me feeling like a kid at Christmas,

and I could not wait to get everything sorted to make this

dream a reality. Having never been to Canada before,

and therefore no knowledge of, well, anything that side

of the Atlantic, Marshals' Co-ordinator, France, was ex-

tremely helpful in providing information to make the trip

as easy and comfortable as possible. I’ll come on to the

specifics later, but first, let’s go racing!

As is tradition, members of the ‘International Crew’ met

at an Irish bar (just to keep up with the international as-

pect…) on the Thursday afternoon before the Grand

Prix. This was not only a fantastic ice breaker for new-

bies like myself, but also a great chance for returning

marshals to meet up again with friends from around the

world. It just showed how popular the Canadian Grand

Prix is to those from overseas – there were marshals

from the USA, France, Ireland, Mexico, Monaco, Abu

Dhabi, and the UK of course. It also gave us a chance to

meet our ‘leader’, Lou, who, for years, has taken over-

seas marshals under his wing to help us be part of the

action at this prestigious event. Straight away Lou made

each and every new marshal feel a part of the team and

welcome. It didn’t take long for me to forget I had never

been here before because everyone was so welcoming

and chatty, telling all the first timers what to expect and

some valuable tips and tricks to help us along the way.

Another highlight of the ‘ice breaker’ was a charity raffle.

There were some fantastic prizes up for grabs, including

an array of driver signed merchandise, including a Red

Bull top signed by Daniel Ricciardo, which I came away

as the proud owner of. Not bad for a CAN$10 invest-

ment in tickets… The raffle did go on for about 2 hours

or so, yes, 2 hours, phew, but it was for good reason it

lasted that long – the host was special guest Will Bux-

ton, who is the Formula 1 pit reporter for NBC and

NBCSN.

Living The Dream At The

Canadian Grand Prix

8

Every prize came with its own story or memory from Will,

who entertained the crowd the whole evening.

After the Thursday night festivities it was time for the

serious shenanigans to start, the first day of the 2015

Canadian Grand Prix. One of the excellent aspects of

the Canadian event is the fact that everyone is on a dif-

ferent post each day. This was an added bonus for

someone who might not be able to attend again for

some time because it gave us the opportunity to experi-

ence 3 different parts of the track and work with 3 differ-

ent teams of people. Brilliant! On Friday I was on post 4a

– the third corner chicane and first of the circuit’s ‘brush

the wall if you dare’ challenge. How the drivers can get

that close without actually hitting it I’ll never know! The

photographer’s favourite spot at post 2b (exit of the sec-

ond corner) awaited on Saturday, where the main task

during the F1 sessions was fending off snappers with

the blue flag… Considering I had experienced 2 pretty

decent posts, I didn’t expect too much for race day, but

to be given post 13, the last chicane, was, well, wow!

There are no words to describe the experience of stand-

ing just a few feet away from the track on the first lap

with 20 cars whizzing past at 200mph just before the

braking point. I didn’t want the race to end!

Over the 3 days I met some fantastic people from all

walks of life from all over the world. This is the thing I

love about being a part of the ‘Orange Army’, we all

have one thing in common – motorsport – and it doesn’t

matter where you’re from, or what language you speak,

we are all in it together.

Apart from the fantastic vantage points the circuit has to

offer (I don’t think there’s a post more than 10 feet or so

away from the track…) another big bonus was the on

post facilities. Sometimes it’s the little things that make

all the difference. Each post had its own, clean, Portaloo

(as Newsletter Editor, I’m contractually obliged by Chair-

man, Neil Stretton, to mention the toilet facilities…) and

a cooler full of ice and a selection of cool beverages

(non-alcoholic of course) to choose from throughout the

day. It was quite refreshing come the end of the day to

not have to succumb to drinking water which has been

warming up in your bag all day to the point you could

brew a tea bag in it….

The cooler was replenished at lunchtime, just as our

complimentary lunch bag was delivered to us on post.

No more soggy sandwiches, hooray! Like I say, some-

times it’s the little things that make a big difference. The

hospitality didn’t stop on post, after each day it was back

to the marshals’ tent where we had the morning brief-

ing (alongside coffee, doughnuts, and pastries) for com-

plimentary beer, food and a chance to mingle and chat

about the day. This was a great way to pass the time

after the race rather than get caught up in the 100,000

plus crowd trying to exit the circuit using the one Metro

station available…

9

The time also allowed us to hear from our ‘leader’ Lou,

who was celebrating his 60th Grand Prix and had ample

of stories to share from the years gone by! His achieve-

ment did not go by quietly, instead he was presented

with a picture by Charlie Whiting, which had been

signed by all of the drivers, as well as gifts from fellow

marshals. With Lou being a bit of a connoisseur, the ma-

jority of the gifts, unsurprisingly, were bottles of ‘posh

plonk’. Some did joke that Lou might have to drink it all

before leaving rather than take it back to the States in

case he exceeded customs regulations. I never did find

out which way events unfolded, but, I have since seen

via Facebook that Lou made it home safely, so all’s well

that ends well as the saying goes…

I had only known Lou for a few days, but it was a pleas-

ure to be a part of the celebrations because it didn’t take

long to see why he was such a popular character. His

enthusiasm and dedication was clear from the start.

Although this article is pretty long, it only really touches

the surface of the wonderful experience and hospitality

of the weekend which will stay fresh in my memory for a

long time. I have not only marshalled at, in my eyes, one

of the world’s greatest circuits, I have also met and

made friends with dozens of overseas marshals as well

as other Brits who went over for the event. To really ap-

preciate what I’ve been talking about, you HAVE to do it!

With an automatic place for next year’s event, I now just

have to wait for the fresh 2016 ‘office planner’ to be

placed on the wall at work to book my time off for next

year, money dependant of course!

So now for the bit we try to forget about – the financial

side of the trip! Aside from the flights, the main expense

would always be accommodation for an event like this.

Let’s face it, even ‘budget’ hotel chains can be pretty

‘cha-ching’ anywhere near a race circuit during a big

meeting. However, France recommended the McGill

University New Residence Hall in Downtown Montreal,

and at £500 for the week (Tuesday-Tuesday) - it was a

no brainer. Even more so considering I only paid half

that because I was sharing with a fellow marshal. The

flights themselves were around £700 return from

Heathrow, but we travelled via New York in order to

make the most of our time on the other side of the pond

after the Grand Prix, and spent four days in NYC. Fights

from London to Montreal ranged from £550-£700 de-

pending on dates and times. Transport was not a major

financial concern – a weekly pass for the Metro and bus

network was around CAN$32 – about £18 which allowed

us to travel to and from the circuit each day (3 stops on

the Metro from our hotel) as well as explore Montreal

during our ‘free time’. Food and drink wasn’t a major

concern for the reasons mentioned previously, but there

was ample of places to eat and get supplies, including

the supermarket UNDERNEATH our hotel. A brilliant

concept considering it was a University Hall of Resi-

dence which is sure to have ample students with the

midnight munchies… There are other things to take into

consideration, such as spending money, but that really

does depend on the individual.

All in all, flights, accommodation, travel and travel insur-

ance (not forgetting the excellent £10 BMMC repatriation

Insurance) based on my experience, can comfortably be

done for less than £1,000 per person. OK, it’s still a big

consideration, but not as bad as you might have thought.

Same time next year? Yes please!

Martyn Dolton

Newsletter Editor

10

The committee is here to help you with any

questions or queries you may have. Below are

details of all the members on your committee.

Feel free to get in touch if there is anything we

can help with, but please remember, we, like

you, are volunteers and carry out our duties in

our spare time. We also have jobs and some-

times may not be contactable during the day.

Committee Contacts

If you wish to contact any of the com-

mittee members by phone then please

be courteous and make you calls be-

tween 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday.

Emails are by far the best option to con-

tact committee members on and we will

get back to you as soon as possible.