MSA SUMMER 2017 THE
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SPINAL TRACK MEET THE WOMAN TRAINING DISABLED RACERS
DIAMOND GEEZERS JOIN THE BMMC AS IT CELEBRATES ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY
JUST A BUMP ON THE HEAD THE HIDDEN DANGER OF CONCUSSION AND HOW TO SPOT IT
MAGAZINE FOR BRITISH MOTOR SPORT
The inside story of the campaign for closed-road motor sport
Return of the Superprix?
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Contents
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05 Forum
Welcome letter from the editor
06 Action replay
Jamie Caroline makes British F4 history
09 News
Latest updates and events from the MSA
17 View from the MSA
Suze Endean on how to develop the sport
19 View from the Volunteer Gary Milligan, the Clerk of the Course of the closed-road Ulster Rally
21 View from the Competitor Leading hillclimber Chris Merrick
24 Closed-road motor sport How the MSA helped change the law
30 Spinal Track
Meet the woman helping disabled drivers get started in circuit racing
50 24
37 60 years strong
Happy birthday to the British Motorsports Marshals Club
44 Heads up
How to guard against the dangers of concussion in motor sport
50 Weekend Warriors
Mark Todd's 2800bhp Pontiac GTO
52 Place Notes Bouley Bay, Jersey
55 Toolkit
Hi-tech kit for racers
59 National Court
Reports from judicial hearings
66 Club Focus
Forresters Car Club from Wales
contributors GORDON CRUICKSHANK
MICHAEL THOROGOOD
Motor Sport Magazine's editor at large tracked down one of the most inspiring women in racing. "People with a disability are finding that it is no barrier to motor sport - which can only be a good thing."
The BMMC was founded in 1957. To celebrate, we asked Michael to find a marshal from that very first year. He did. "The BMMC and its members are key to motor sport. Here's to the next 60 years."
SPECIALISTS IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF GEARBOXES AND DIFFERENTIALS AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING FROM DESIGN TO PRODUCTION
Tel: +44 (0) 1732 741144 info@quaife.co.uk QUAIFE AD_180mm x 55mm_09.2.17.indd 7
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Forum facebook.com/msauk twitter.com/msauk Instagram.com/msa_motorsport
Editor’s letter Much of this issue is dedicated to closed-road motor sport. Using public roads to host motor sport events has been the exception rather than the rule in mainland Britain for more than 100 years but this is now going to change. By giving councils the power to close roads without needing an Act of Parliament to suspend the Road Traffic Act, it is hoped that dozens of events will now flourish across the country, reinvigorating grass-roots motor sport. Changing the law to make this possible hasn’t been easy. And it wouldn’t have happened without the MSA. As we explain on page 24, the campaign has rumbled on for seven years. Over that time the MSA has tenaciously put the arguments in favour of it to MPs and government ministers and then been instrumental in shaping the new law and making sure it found its way onto the statute books. Because the MSA, unlike many other regulatory sports bodies, receives no public funding it has done all this using its own money. Ultimately this comes from the motor sport community itself. The success in getting the law changed should therefore be seen as a victory for everyone involved in the sport without whom it wouldn’t have been possible.
twitter feed What people are saying about the MSA on Twitter Amy Williams @AmyWilliamsMBE May 24. Swotting up for next wks test at @SilverstoneUK @ MSAUK @fia. Need to get my race licence to take part in this year’s @Silverclassic in July. Lando Norris @LandoNorris May 26. Awesome first win for @ oliverrowland1 and @ damsracing! More to come mate, nice job @FIA_F2 Wales Rally GB @WalesRallyGB May 26. The route has been revealed and tickets are on sale http://walesrallygb.com - Have a great weekend everyone! #WRGB #WRC Sweet Caroline @jamiecaroline7 May 28. 3 ex @carlinracing drivers in the @IndyCar #500 Top 4 bravo @TrevorCarlin #Surreal
Petter Solberg RX @Petter_ Solberg May 28. It was 405 days since my last win, and I can’t think of a better race that I could have ended that run than the final one at #LyddenHillRX! MSA @MSAUK Jun 1. Happy #VolunteersWeek to our brilliant volunteers. #Motorsport couldn’t exist without you! #ThanksMarshal #OrangeArmy #ThankfulThursday MSA @MSAUK Jun 9. Since the launch of our Rally Marshals’ Training & Accreditation in January 2016 the number of registered marshals has increased by 48%!
WE WANT YOUR OPINION ON THE ISSUES MSA MAGAZINE SHOULD COVER. Email us at: msa@motorsportmagazine.co.uk
Joe Dunn, Editor
The official magazine of the Motor Sports Association (MSA). Published on behalf of MSA by Motor Sport Magazine Ltd., 18-20 Rosemont Road, London NW3 6NE. Tel: 020 7349 8497 www.motorsportmagazine.com. Editor Joe Dunn, Art Editor Damon Cogman, Designers Zamir Walimohamed & Neil Earp, News Editor Tim Swietochowski, Sub-Editor Gillian Rodgers. Advertising Kit Brough & Marc Butler, Commercial Director Sean Costa, Publisher Sophia Dempsey. Printed by Precision Colour Printing. The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of the MSA. Equally, the inclusion of advertisements in this magazine does not constitute endorsement of the products and services concerned by the MSA.
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Action Replay
Where: Thruxton What: F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford When: May 6-7, 2017
JAKOB EBREY
Carlin’s Jamie Caroline made history by becoming the first driver to win all three races in one British F4 meeting. During the following round at Oulton Park, 18-year-old Caroline equalled the record for the most wins in a season, with eight, despite being less than halfway through this year’s campaign.
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News The latest briefing from your governing body
Events like the Brighton Speed Trials may become more common after the MSA victory
MSA ACHIEVES CLOSEDROAD MOTOR SPORT New legislation comes into effect in England In one of the biggest developments in the history of UK motorsport, the MSA’s sevenyear campaign to bring closed-road events to mainland Britain has been successful, with the enabling legislation now in place in England. Since 2010 the MSA has called for a change in the law to allow local authorities to suspend the Road Traffic Act for authorised motor sport
The
Big number
£40million
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events, without requiring an Act of Parliament. Andrew Jones MP, Transport Minister, said: “There are already races of this kind in some areas of the British Isles which are incredibly popular, attracting thousands of spectators. New road races will boost local economies through increased tourism and hospitality, and offer community opportunities such as volunteering.”
Potential revenue that closed-road events could generate for local communities
VNUK THREAT REMAINS The MSA has submitted its response to the government’s consultation on Vnuk, a 2014 European Court judgement that still threatens the future of UK motorsport. The court ruled that EU countries must look again at how they have enacted EU motor insurance law in each country. The court interpretation would require all motor sport vehicles to have compulsory third party motor insurance. As a result, the UK government launched a consultation in December 2016 about changes to our Road Traffic Act. The MSA has now entered its response as the four-wheel governing body. To view the MSA’s consultation response search for ‘Vnuk’ at www.msauk.org.
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News
NEW MARSHALS PRIZE DRAW LAUNCHED The MSA has launched a new monthly prize draw for marshals in recognition of their invaluable contribution to UK motorsport, with exclusive prizes on offer courtesy of drivers, teams, events, championships and more. Each month at least one person will be picked at random from the MSA’s
database of registered marshals. They will each win a special prize and receive a signed certificate of recognition from Rob Jones, MSA Chief Executive, on behalf of the governing body. “It gives us great pleasure to launch this new prize draw in recognition
FUNDING INITIATIVE REVISED AND RELAUNCHED The Club Development Fund has been rebranded as the MSA Motor Sport Development Fund, with enhanced support available for clubs and organisations.
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Suze Endean, MSA Development Manager, said: “This move has been designed to help support clubs, which are the backbone of UK motorsport. The relaunched MSA Motor Sport
of UK marshals,” said Jones. “It cannot be said often enough that without marshals there would be no motorsport; the wider motorsport community has a collective duty to show its appreciation for all that they do, and this new initiative is our latest way of saying ‘thank you’.”
Development Fund offers clearer guidance on where support can be obtained and makes it easier for clubs to apply. The requirement for match funding remains.” The application form and accompanying guidance document are available at msauk.org. Go Motorsport’s Regional Development Officers (RDOs) can help clubs complete their applications and answer any associated queries.
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News
KARTPIX.NET
The MSA British Kart and Junior Kart Championship kicked off in June
KARTERS COMPETE FOR WORLD TITLE CHANCE The race for prize drives in the CIK-FIA World Championships got underway in June, as the MSA British Kart and Junior Kart Championships kicked off at Clay Pigeon. Promoted by Super One, the
championships continue at Shenington on 26-27 August and end at PFI on 8-10 September. Rob Jones, MSA Chief Executive, said: “Together with key figures from within karting, we pulled out all the stops to offer
competitors a fabulous prize package: full factory supported prize drives in the CIK-FIA World Championships; tours at leading teams including Mercedes F1; TAG Heuer watches; Koden helmets and more. “We look forward not only to crowning our MSA British Champions at PFI, but also to seeing them in action when the CIK-FIA World Championships visit the same great track on 22-24 September.” For the latest results and championship standings, visit superoneseries.com.
in brief SINGLE-DISCIPLINE STEWARDS
CHILD SAFEGUARDING
JUMP IN MARSHAL NUMBERS
The governing body is now accepting applications from those wishing to become a Steward in their one preferred discipline. In the past, all applicants had to attend a number of events in each discipline, however the MSA has relaxed this requirement. Three people have become single-discipline Stewards to date, a further 14 are currently undergoing training. For further information, email training@msauk.org. The application form is available from james.betchley@msauk.org.
The MSA has launched a revised child safeguarding policy to help provide a safe and positive environment for all young people in motor sport. All MSAregistered clubs are required to adopt the policy, which has been designed to be more user-friendly. There is a template policy document that clubs can use, plus a range of guidance documents on topics such as DBS checks. The policy can be found in the Policies & Guidelines section of the Resource Centre on the msauk.org website.
The number of MSA-registered marshals has increased by 48 per cent since December 2015, rising from 6082 to 8994 as of 8 June. Part of this increase may be attributed to the successful uptake of the MSA’s online rally marshals training modules, which were launched in January 2016. Since the start of this year it has been a requirement for all those marshalling alone on UK stage rallies to have completed the modules. The MSA has recently sent all registered marshals a welcome pack.
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News
Billy Monger in action before his crash at Donington Park in April
F4 BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP INVESTIGATION The MSA has been working with the FIA and the Global Institute for Motor Sport Safety (GIMS) on the investigation into April’s British F4
accident at Donington Park involving Billy Monger and Patrik Pasma. Representatives of the GIMS, the FIA and MSA conducted a technical examination of the cars on 20 April at Donington Park. The MSA and the GIMS then met with representatives of the teams and championship to allow access to the cars, which were later released. All in motor sport were greatly encouraged by Billy’s courageous and positive response to his circumstances and the MSA continues to send its best wishes as he continues his journey towards recovery and rehabilitation.
RECORD DEMAND FOR AASE PROGRAMME This year’s MSA Academy AASE programme received a record number of applications from aspiring young drivers aged 16 to 18. Now in its eighth year, AASE is a three-year course based at Loughborough College that develops young athletes while providing an accredited qualification. Eighty-one youngsters applied for the latest
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intake, leaving staff with the difficult task of allocating the available spaces. Greg Symes, MSA Academy Manager, said: “This level of demand is testament not only to how well regarded the MSA Academy AASE has become but also to how seriously the next generation of competitors are taking their development and studies.”
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Opinion
View from the MSA
Suze Endean MSA Development Manager on getting people involved
W
hy does development matter? If you’re happy with what you’re doing now and events are running with sufficient entries and volunteers, why do anything to change? Why not turn the question around and ask, can you afford not to do things differently? Being prepared for today is all well and good... but tomorrow is important, too. I’m lucky enough to work in a sport that isn’t just my job, it’s my hobby. I’m sure some of you reading this will have competed alongside me and no doubt there are many for whom I’ve filled in a time card when it has been my turn to volunteer. I love motor sport because it has given me so much and that’s why I’m passionate about getting more people involved and protecting it for the future. There are thousands of people all over the country who put their blood, sweat and tears into making events happen. As a competitor I always try to say ‘thank you’ and it’s nice to hear it myself when I’m wearing an orange tabard. But when you or I are no longer able to contribute, who is going to carry it all on?
Being there: Suze taking part in the Oxford Motor Club Autosolo at Finmere earlier this year
“It’s all well and good a motor club bringing in five new members, but what happens if five others leave at the same time?” www.msauk.org / Summer 2017
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I have a few suggestions. First, we need to encourage people in motor sport to get involved in other roles and disciplines. One of the best things I ever did was to try different types of motor sport as both a competitor and volunteer; it opened my eyes to the sport’s diversity and the transferable skills that can be adapted from motor sport to my daily life Organise a buddying system for newcomers – a point of contact or a ‘face’ to speak to at a club night or event – works wonders. For existing members, encourage a shadowing system for different roles. Also simply ask people what they want to do; they will often have ideas but won’t put their hands up – they need our encouragement. We often talk about how important development is, but sometimes sustainment can be overlooked and I believe this is just as important. It’s all well and good a motor club bringing in five new members, but what happens if five others leave at the same time? Evolution is natural but what does your club do to encourage people to engage and remain? Sending an email post-event to say ‘thank you’, reminding members of upcoming events, mince pies at Christmas – these may be small things but it lets those already involved know they’re valued. Social media is fast becoming a way of communicating with groups, but remember that not everybody uses these platforms, so use all available channels to ensure nobody feels left out. We all love our sport, so let’s continue to work together to encourage people to get involved. And if you need a helping hand, contact your local RDO via the MSA and Go Motorsport websites. n
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Opinion
View from the volunteer
Gary Milligan The Clerk of the Course for the Ulster Rally explains how to run a closedroad event
W
hat does it take to put on a closed-road race? It is a question that, in the wake of the government’s decision to make it easier for councils to approve such events, many car clubs will doubtless be asking themselves. The answer is: a lot of effort – in return for a lot of reward. Unlike the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland has always had legislation in place to allow road closures for motor sport. I have been Clerk of the Course for the Ulster Rally for two separate three-year stints, so I like to think I have a fair idea of the challenges car clubs are likely to come up against. First of all, it is crucial to get local residents on side. It is impossible to over-state the importance of getting out there and knocking on doors, explaining to residents along the route what you are proposing and what the advantages are. Residents will want to know how they get out of their property and back again. If anyone has a strong objection to your event it’s best to find out early on. Most people are supportive – especially when you explain the financial benefits of hosting a rally. With a full entry, the Ulster Rally typically brings 2500 ‘bed nights’ and a £1 million economic benefit to the local area. I’ve also helped on smaller events where locals in the paddock have sold burgers, for example.
1977 Competed in first motor sport event 1986 Joined the committee of Omagh Motor Club 1987 First event as Clerk of the Course 1994-98 Clerk of the Course for the Bushwhacker Forest Rally 2004-06 and 2014-16 Clerk of the Course for the Ulster International Rally 2004-13 MSA Rallies Committee member 2008 to date Competitor Relations Officer for Wales Rally GB 2013 to date Chairman of Omagh Motor Club
The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of the MSA.
“With a full entry, the Ulster Rally typically brings 2500 ‘bed nights’ and a £1 million economic benefit to the local area” www.msauk.org / Summer 2017
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Not everyone will be persuaded. A few years ago one resident objected to a hillclimb because he’d fallen out with the motor club proposing it – in 1977. Even with the help of the local MP he refused to budge. But this is unusual: most residents are happy once everything is explained to them. The second thing is to plan your route. Businesses need to be approached to ensure that they can work around road closures. Health visitors and carers need to be catered for and access arrangements need to be agreed for things such as farm milk collections and postal deliveries. Bus routes need to be avoided and churches too – suppose there is a funeral to be catered for on the day of the event? One year a stage of the Ulster Rally was passing a church where a wedding was scheduled. The Clerk of the Course contacted the bride and groom who agreed to move their wedding an hour earlier, and on the day they posed for a photograph with some of the course cars as they left church. A closed-road rally stage is likely to have many more junctions than a forestry stage. On the Ulster Rally a ninemile stage may have up to 35 marshalling posts to cover, so manpower requirements are high. Likewise, when there is an accident in a forest it is usually fairly easy to clear the stage for following crews. This isn’t always the case in closedroad events so try to avoid narrow roads with high banks where a car may become wedged and cause an interruption. Town-centre stages can be a good way to bring rallying to a new audience. A word of caution, though – the budget required can be tens of thousand of pounds, so unless you have a generous sponsor or substantial local authority backing this type of event is beyond the reach of most clubs. But don’t be put off. The effort may be substantial, but the rewards from running a successful closed-road event will make all your hard work worthwhile. n
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Opinion
View from the competitor
Chris Merrick
I
have competed in all the events in the MSA British Hillclimb Championship for 10 years, which includes the much-loved closed-road courses at Craigantlet in Northern Ireland and Bouley Bay and Val des Terres in the Channel Islands. My absolute favourite has to be Craigantlet. When I first went there, fellow competitor Mike Dean said that if you can only do one hillclimb in a season, do Craigantlet. He was right: it is a wonderful hill. It is long and starts off tight and twisty at the bottom but then opens out into this incredible high-speed run. It is fantastic to drive a top class hillclimb car on closed roads, and at places at Craigantlet we were touching 150mph. Plus of course the views from the top of the hill back across Belfast are spectacular. We’ve all been used to competing on a road that is maybe 14ft wide with very little room to move the car around. They take some mastering. Val des Terres in particular is a big challenge because of the granite walls but at least the people in Guernsey have accommodated the hillclimb course by keeping the pavement really low. You need to use the full width of the pavement at Val des Terres as it climbs up from St Peter Port.
WWW.GUERNSEYMOTORSPORT.COM
Leading hillclimber says the UK can host some spectacular closed road events
1977 Won his class in the Scottish Hillclimb Championship in a Ford Escort 1979-1982 Raced an MG Midget and a Mini Miglia 1990 Moved to a Mallock MK16 in hillclimbs 2005 Stepped up to a Gould GR55 2005 to 2011 Regular top five finisher in the MSA British Hillclimb Championship, scoring two overall wins 2012/13 Raced a Merlyn Mk6 in the Guards Trophy 2014-date Racing a Cooper T59 in Historic Formula Junior
The views expressed by the individual contributors are not necessarily those of the MSA.
The series of hairpins climbing up the valley from Nailsworth, known locally as the W, could make a fantastic hillclimb route” www.msauk.org / Summer 2017
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The local public love the event and they embrace it, rather like they do in France. And if the local community is behind it, the event is much more than just a hillclimb. A couple of years ago I did the Ollon-Villars hillclimb in Switzerland in my Merlyn Mk6 sports-racing car and although it was only a demonstration event it was still an amazing experience. We now have the chance for closed roads events on the mainland. It needs to be well thought out but it would most definitely be successful and it would be more than just a hillclimb. In Britain we’ve got some of the best roads for this type of event and the local communities could really benefit from it not just in terms of enjoying the racing but also financially because visitors will spend money in local shops. I live in the Cotswolds and immediately you can think of venues that would make spectacular hillclimb courses, like the series of hairpin bends climbing up the side of the valley from the town of Nailsworth. Locally it is known as the ‘W’ due to the series of tight bends and there is no doubt it could make a fantastic hillclimb route. There are many sections of road that could be used without upsetting local residents. That’s very important: any new event has to work with the local community. Now I’m racing in Formula Junior, we’ve got the chance to do some of the famous street race circuits in Europe and Pau in France is near the top of the wish list. They work extremely well and places like Spa and the Nurburgring, which we visit now, started as road circuits. If we can make competition on closed public roads work in a safe and sensible way, and I know we can through the well-organised clubs we have, it would be brilliant for motor sport as a whole in this country. n
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The new law could see races such as the Birmingham Superprix return to British cities
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Top of the
Bill Closed Roads
Closed-road motor sport:
the inside story How the MSA fought for the right to hold motor sport events on closedroads – and won. By Joe Dunn
G
ood things come to those who wait – and after a marathon seven-year campaign British motor sport has received one the greatest prizes in its history. The news that the government has given the green light to making closed-road motor sport easier is likely to have a seismic effect on motor sport in this country. The law change will enable more events to take place, encourage more fans to get close to the action, galvanise grass roots motor sport and result in some high-profile new events. Already racing fans are dreaming of city centre races like the Birmingham Superprix from the 1980s coming to their local town. But getting there has not been easy. And despite what one or two online commenters might say, none of it would have happened without the MSA: the sport’s governing body has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to conceive the idea then shepherd it through the labyrinthine legislative process to ensure it became a reality. Along the way the MSA has had to deal with successive governments,
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educate itself in the murky world of public affairs and lobbying and deal with curve balls from Brexit to HS2. The story of how one of the single biggest changes in motor sport’s history came about is a testament to the determination not just of the MSA team that saw it through, but also to the support of the wider motor sport community who backed it and government ministers who could see the value of having a thriving motor sport industry in the UK. That story starts in 2010 according to Colin Hilton, the former chief executive of the MSA who initiated the campaign. He has returned to the MSA’s headquarters near Heathrow to celebrate the success of the campaign and is joined for lunch at a local Italian restaurant by his successor Rob Jones, Ben Taylor the former head of MSA communications and current managing director of International Motor Sports and Ian Davis, the MSA’s rallies executive who worked on the legal drafting. “One of the things that spurred it was, strangely, the forestry commission,” says Hilton, casting his mind back to the beginning of the campaign. “In return for access to the forestry estate, which is used for all the country’s ❱❱
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Top of the
Bill Closed Roads
rallying events, we paid a fee to them. “In 2010 we had heard that the fee would be increasing so we started looking at alternatives to the forestry estate for rallying. And the only alternative, obviously, was to make sure that other roads were available for motor sport, as there are on the Isle of Man for example, or, famously, at Monaco.” Rob Jones agrees: “That was one thrust of our strategy, but alongside that, we also realised that most rallying takes place in rural areas and from that we knew the economic benefit that competitions bring to those areas and how effective it had been at promoting the grass roots of motor sport. “We realised that bringing motor sport to the local community helped engage grass-root interest and the best way of having more people see it would be to have more events on roads.” The plan began to take on a life of its own. Not only would enabling closed-road racing give the MSA an alternative to using forestry commission land for rallying but it would also allow it to promote the sport more generally by allowing events to take place where more people could see them. The quest for closed-roads had evolved from being a way to sustain the status quo to being a way to develop the sport more widely. All they needed to do was change the law. “We knew that would be easier said than done,” says Ian Davis. “I’d liken this legislation to the repeal of the Red Flag Act in terms of its significance and its enormity. It is a major change and these things don’t happen quickly.” As a comparison, Hilton recalls a relatively minor previous experience with legislation: “Back to 2000 when the RAC was sold, the authorising of events on the public highway within the Road Traffic Act – not motor races, but other types of events – was still with the RAC. In the RTA it mentions the RAC as the authorising body as used to be. So I wrote to the minister in 2000 to change RAC to MSA – that took ten years, which goes to show that these things are not the work of a moment.” The proposed changes to the Road Traffic Act were more than simply changing the three letters. The MSA wanted to amend the Act in order to allow local authorities the power to close roads and suspend the RTA governing things such as speed limits and parking restrictions (see panel). But before it could do any of this it needed to find a way to approach the government. “If we’d gone in and written to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Transport saying ‘we want you to change the law for motor sport on the public highway,’ we wouldn’t have achieved anything. We’d have had no chance,” says Ben Taylor. “So what we did was spend 2010 getting the supporting evidence together, building some contacts, going to the fringe meetings [at party conferences] and raising the profile of it. Coming out of the fringe meetings we were able to identify some supporters within each of the parties who turned out to be a huge help in the course of what we were doing.”
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“If we’d just written to the Prime Minister saying ‘we want you to change the law’ we’d have had no chance”
The A-team from the MSA, from top: Colin Hilton, former chief executive; Rob Jones, current chief executive; Ben Taylor, former PR boss and Ian Davis, rallies executive
The team set about laying the groundwork: they launched a petition and organised panel discussions at party conferences aimed at boosting the cause. In an effort to increase its appeal they broadened the concept away form just motor sport into areas such as how government can stimulate sport by reducing the regulatory burden on administrators. They wheeled out some of the biggest guns in British motor sport in support, with appearances by Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell as well as inviting potentially supportive MPs to Silverstone for the British GP. But most crucially the MSA also commissioned a report by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University which proved the positive economic benefits of motor sport events to local communities. They were surprised by the reception they got: “We always put the flak jackets on before those meetings, expecting someone to stand up and say: ‘you just want to go racing on the public roads,’ ” says Taylor. “Particularly at the Liberal Democrat conference who at the time were just into the coalition government and fighting that liberal
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The circuit of Ireland, which hosted the 2016 European Rally Championship on closed-roads
What has changed The power to suspend the Road Traffic Act has been devolved from Westminster to local authorities, meaning that event organisers no longer need an Act of Parliament to host a closed-road motor sport event. Carried through parliament with the government’s Deregulation Act, the new law authorises local Highway Agencies (Councils) to suspend the Road Traffic Act and issue a Motor Race Order if they judge an event to be in the interests of the local community. This bypasses the bureaucracy of central government, which proved a stumbling block for small sprints or hillclimbs in the past. When a road is closed for a street party or for roadworks, local speed limits and regulations on parking, tax and insurance remain active, which is why closed-road motor racing has never been feasible in the past. Since April, that has changed. The new law also recognises the MSA and ACU as the two authorising bodies for closed-road motor sport events in England, and although road traffic laws are devolved to Scotland and Wales, the MSA is confident that they will follow England’s example soon. The legislative change may now facilitate closed-road motor sport, but it will be local communities and event promoters that will make it a reality. After the success of the Tour de France in Yorkshire and the MSA’s positive campaign, it may not be far away.
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corner. We thought they would come across as very green and anti-automobile, but what we actually found was that someone stood up and said: ‘we are Liberal Democrats. We intuitively believe that people should be allowed to selfdetermine, so I’m all for this’”. “We were amazed,” adds Hilton. “I remember at Manchester, this very well-dressed guy stood up in the middle of the audience half-way through the questions and answers and said: ‘I am the Minister for Development from the Isle of Man,’ and I thought ‘oh, here we go’, and he said that motor sport is the best thing that has ever happened to the Isle of Man – it brings more income into the IoM than any other industry. I don’t think we had a single person complain.” The result of the lobbying – which all concerned freely admit was new to them– was that the MSA found loyal allies in several MPs. In particular the former Conservative Chancellor Ken Clarke, a keen motor sport enthusiast and one of the last big beasts of Parliament, and Ben Wallace MP (who was introduced to the ❱❱
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MSA by one of its former Directors, Ben Cussons) who was at the time working with Clarke, would become instrumental. The PR effort also led to meetings with Mike Penning, then Minister of State for Transport, and Robert Goodwill, who had been a member of the transport select committee and would go on to hold positions at the DfT. “Things started moving quite quickly at this point,” remembers Taylor. “In April 2011 Ben Wallace secured a Westminster Hall debate with Mike Penning, Secretary of State for Transport. So Ben stood up and said ‘motor sport is fantastic, it’s brilliant, this is something we should do.’ And Mike, in response to that, announced that he agreed and the government would shortly be bringing forward a three-month consultation period in order to have a debate about our proposal. All of a sudden we were in play.” With the broad principle gaining favour it was up to the MSA to draw up the details. “This is where it was absolutely invaluable having a member of staff on the team who knows the Department for Transport regulations as well as the Department for Transport knows them, because if we’d been doing this blind on the legislative side, we wouldn’t have appreciated all of the nuances and understanding of that – which Ian steered
What is the process for hosting an event? 1) A club or promoter plans an event or stage The process begins with an event promoter, who identifies a viable section of public highway and puts together a plan for an event or stage. 2) MSA receives proposals An MSA registered club, or an event promoter collaborating with one, submits an event and venue dossier to the MSA to outline its plans. An administration fee of £500 is paid, ensuring that the MSA is not overrun with outlandish or impractical proposals. 3) Consultations begin If the proposals are worth pursuing, the MSA begins consultations with the club, relevant bodies and all interested parties and establishes whether the club has the resources to promote, finance and organise an event. Normal procedures for hosting a new event also take place at this point, such as route assessment for a rally stage or licensing for a new race venue. 4) Race permits are issued If the above criteria are met, the MSA can issue a Closed Road Organising Permit, which the club or promoter can take to the local authority to confirm that the governing body judges their plans to be safe, costed and feasible. 5) Local authorities have the final say This is where the new legislation comes into play. Whereas before an Act of Parliament was required to suspend the Road Traffic Act, it is now the local Highways Agency who can issue a Motor Race Order and give an event the green light.
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everyone through single-handed.” Ian spent months working with the DfT refining the new regulations. “The problem with this sort of legislation is that it has so many implications,” he says. “For example, if you want to close a road, no problem – a utility firm can close a road to replace a gas main. The problem with that is that everything else stays the same: the statutory speed limits, the taxation and insurances of the vehicles, construction and use regulations. Originally the idea was to come up with a simple sentence that said ‘as a highway it is suspended and by ceasing to be a highway everything else is off the table’. But in reality you have to go through the legislation line by line checking off every area.” But just when things appeared to be moving forward, the brakes were slammed on. In 2012 the DfT found itself mired in problems with the proposed High Speed Rail 2 project. With civil servants seconded to work on HS2, resources were scarce and the closed-roads proposals were left to languish. It was a frustrating time for the MSA team but they didn’t give up. Instead, during the Olympic year they launched a renewed charm offensive, bringing a simulator to Westminster and inviting 50 MPs to set the fastest time, with David Coulthard presenting the prize. Even so, it was a further two years before closed-roads returned to top of the government’s agenda. In some ways the timing was lucky: at the time the coalition government was publicly pushing its Deregulation Bill, and the idea of devolving powers from central to local government was very much in fashion. And as luck would have it an old friend was behind it. “Ken Clarke was the author of this deregulation bill,” says Jones. “He was the promoter of the bill and so closed-roads suited government generally because of the common sense of it,
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Closed-road events such as the Bouley Bay hillclimb in Jersey could become more common on the mainland, including city centre events
but also from their deregulation point of view, making the country accountable for itself.” As often happens with government, victory arrived unexpectedly: in July 2014, during a visit to the Williams F1 team, David Cameron, then prime minister, announced out of the blue that local authorities were to be given the power to suspend the Road Traffic Act. Rob Jones remembers it well: “We knew it was coming,” he says. “but there’d been this deathly silence for a while, then on that summer day the prime minister himself says ‘Oh, by the way, we’re going to have legislation for closedroads’. It couldn’t have happened in a better way.” It was a huge moment for the MSA but if they thought the hard work had been done, they were mistaken. The
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primary legislation providing the framework for closedroad motor sport passed in the 2015 Deregulation Act, but the MSA then had to work with government to enact the secondary legislation which would make the framework available to event organisers. “Within the sport the expectation was ‘right, let’s go.’ But we had to say – woah, hang on guys, we’ve now got the first piece of legislation in place, albeit the major part of it, but we still need to bring it into practical law,” says Taylor. Once again events conspired to hold up the change on law. “In theory there was nothing to delay it in these last two years, but you have to remember that over this time there had been a general election, Brexit happened, HS2 was rumbling on and so was Heathrow’s third runway which meant the DfT was pretty busy. I think it was December 2016 when we heard it was on its way.” On April 10 the change to the law allowing local authorities to suspend the Road Traffic Act finally came into force. “Even though I knew it was happening I didn’t believe it until I saw it in black and white,” says Taylor. “It was a long process, with such a huge amount of hard work by so many people and it could have fallen by the wayside many times. “But what really annoys me is when I look at the forums or people suggest that the MSA hasn’t been responsible for making this happen; that it’s only happened because Bernie Ecclestone wanted to have a Grand Prix in London and flicked his fingers and the government jumped, or someone else was responsible for it. The reality is this has been single-handedly driven by the MSA”. Rob Jones says that the MSA is now working with several potential motor sport events which will take place on closedroads from next year. He believes that it could be the catalyst that propels motor sport back to into the mainstream and says that the MSA as a whole has learnt valuable lessons about representing the sport and getting the best deal from government. And he stresses that it has been done on a shoestring budget. “Bearing in mind that we’re one of the few national governing bodies in the UK who get absolutely no government support whatsoever it has been a brilliant effort,” he says. “We look enviously at our colleagues in British Cycling, in British Athletics, British Rowing – pretty much anything else – who get millions from government yet we are self-funding entirely from our licensees. To achieve what we have makes me extremely proud and optimistic for the future of British motor sport.” n
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Spinal Track This is
Gordon Cruickshank joins an enterprising outfit giving disabled enthusiasts a taste of the track – for free
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Disabled racers
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hen a male friend suggested that Nathalie McGloin couldn’t drive her new Porsche quickly, it raised her blood. A couple of track days later and she had discovered the racing bug, lined up a Cayman S, passed her ARDS test and signed up for the Porsche Cup race series. The fact that she uses a wheelchair for her everyday transport simply didn’t enter into it. Now McGloin has engineered a way for other disabled people to sample the thrill of motor sport – without investing a penny. Her Spinal Track operation offers customers tuition on a race track in a VW Golf GTi, fully prepared for track days but fitted with hand controls. For someone who is fully mobile a taster of the track is easy to arrange; not so if you need hand controls. Nathalie, who has been involved with many less able people through wheelchair sport (she was in the England wheelchair rugby squad), also points out that not many disabled people have cash to spare: “I was adamant I wanted this to be accessible to anyone, not just people who had money.” Spinal Track’s format is straightforward: two people per day have one-to-one tuition on track in the 200bhp Golf. In the left-hand seat sits race and rally instructor Andrew Bayliss, and after a couple of sighting laps the candidates get four stints on the circuit. In between Bayliss gives debriefs and advice on any errors and where to improve, so by the end of their session candidates should have a good
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Above: Nathalie McGloin became the UK’s first female tetraplegic racer, competing in the Porsche Cup. Left: McGloin with partner Andrew Bayliss (behind) and eager clients
feel for what it’s like to handle a car on a circuit – usually for the very first time. But with an increasing number of disabled people getting involved in various forms of motor sport, the operation also offers different levels of tuition for those with experience under their lap belts. “We aim to get around 40 track miles per customer,” says McGloin, “and we find the four sessions are about enough for a newcomer to handle. We do ask for a £200 deposit to cover no-shows or someone doing something silly, but at the end of the day 80 per cent of our clients have donated their deposit back to us because they’ve enjoyed it so much. And sometimes I’m running my Cayman on the same track day, so clients can see that it’s possible to get into racing proper”. She adds that Bayliss is well attuned to the abilities and limitations of disabled people as he was her tutor in her early racing days – and also happens to be her partner. ❱❱
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Disabled racers
McGloin’s commitment to the project started with the car: “We came across the Golf fully equipped with roll cage, track suspension and a tuned engine plus hand controls, and we bought it with our own money,” she recalls. Since then the pair have got the scheme rolling through donations and several valuable sponsorships. “Silverstone have been wonderful, giving us access to all their track days, and now track day operator Open Track has opened its whole calendar to us as well,” adds McGloin. Several motor sport suppliers have donated components, too. Most sessions so far have been held at the Northamptonshire circuit or Bedford Autodrome, but there are plans to go further afield. “We tend to avoid more demanding, undulating tracks such as Brands Hatch and Cadwell,” explains McGloin, “as they can be tough for a
Above: McGloin is expanding her Spinal Track project. Right: the specially-adapted VW Golf used for track days
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first-timer who is disabled, but we’re looking at going to Mallory, Snetterton and perhaps Anglesey to reach more customers. However, as a non-profit organisation we have to balance that against travel costs.” Spinal Track was only started last year but has so far managed to give some 30 people this chance of a lifetime – and the plan is to expand the operation with a second car. The project is now a charity, which McGloin says has expanded the funding horizon, and there is a major sponsorship announcement in the wings. Nathalie, who is already involved in ambassadorial roles with a number of racing organisations including Susie Wolff’s Dare to be Different, which promotes female enterprise, says that Claire Williams of the Formula 1 team will be a patron of the new charity, all of which should raise the profile and scope of Spinal Track. With a spinal injury herself McGloin knows that area of disability well, but the outfit’s name doesn’t mean that people with other challenges are excluded. Longer-term plans include sessions on flat non-circuit areas where those lacking the arm strength to handle track g-forces and even people with visual impairments can have fun behind the wheel. It’s clear that there’s a demand for what Spinal Track offers – “the waiting list is as long as my arm,” Nathalie says. Once they get that second car operating, the queue of hopefuls is likely to account for both arms. n
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BMMC
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For the past 60 years the BMMC has been making sure motor sport events go off without a hitch. But it wasn’t always so organised as Michael Thorogood finds out
diamond anniversary for the men and women in
orange
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Marshalling started out as an amateur affair with volunteers culled from the crowd, left and below. Gradually it professionalised with overalls (right) replacing tabards (bottom)
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ike Devine will never forget attending a scramble at Beenham Park near Reading some 60 years ago. As a spontaneous 14-year-old, Devine had decided to spectate at the event with a friend – but they ended up getting a lot more than they had bargained for. “We thought it would be nice to go and watch the scramble, but we ended up marshalling the event,” he remembers. “We were given a rope with a loop on the end and we’d haul out the cars that got stuck. We just thought it would be interesting, so we gave it a go. That was my introduction to motor sport.” This was the nature of marshalling in its founding days: spontaneous, unstructured and haphazardly organised. With few assessments of competencies, ex-drivers would often be roped in to take on roles such as flag marshal, whilst volunteers from the spectators would regularly fill shortfalls. “In the beginning there were very few regulations,” says Devine. “Since those days, safety has definitely been the biggest area of improvement.” Having made his debut in 1957, the same year as the British Motorsports Marshals Club (BMMC) was formed, Devine can lay claim to being one of Britain’s longest serving marshals. He continues to marshal as a 74-year-old and has seen the club grow from humble beginnings to become the largest marshalling organisation in the world. Each year the club’s orange army of volunteers provide an astonishing 40,000 marshalling days across the country, but as national secretary Steve Woolfe explains, the club’s early days were beset with challenges. ❱❱
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“We were given a rope with a loop on the end to haul out the stuck cars” Timeline Foundations
Marshalling is haphazardly organised and loosely organised with little structure of roles or assessment of competencies. Ex-drivers are often roped in to take on roles such as flag marshal, whilst volunteers from the spectators regularly fill shortfalls.
1957
British Motor Racing Marshals Club (BMRMC) is formed, based on John Aston’s proposal for a register of marshals and capabilities. On formation the club immediately hits a financial crisis, but is bailed out by Aston buying the club’s entire stock of regalia.
Post 1957
The club attempts to gain acceptance by the RAC, then motor sport’s governing body, but fear of it becoming a ‘union’ of marshals makes the RAC reluctant to register it. The grading scheme forms the foundation of the MSA grading scheme.
Post 1957
The club’s original ‘Training and Grading Notes’ become the de riguer in the USA, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and the Far East and is translated into 16 different languages.
2017
The BMMC has over 2,200 members attending an incredible 40,000 marshalling days each year.
Future
The BMMC looks to increase diversity, particularly with a higher proportion of female marshals. The club looks to continually develop links with all branches of motor sport to offer training via club membership and their volunteer force to main events.
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“One of the founder members of the club was Wing Commander John Aston, who in 1952 was asked to be Chief Marshal for an event at Silverstone,” Woolfe says. “At this point he thought that a register of marshals and capabilities would serve a useful purpose and it was from these embryonic beginnings that the club was eventually formed. “Unfortunately the club hit a financial crisis immediately on formation and had to be bailed out by John buying the club’s entire stock of regalia! The next major hurdle was to gain acceptance by the then governing body, the RAC, who were reluctant to register the club for fear of it becoming a ‘union’ of marshals. “Thankfully those days are long gone and the club now enjoys a very healthy and co-operative partnership with the MSA.” Woolfe began his own marshalling career on a very wet Good Friday at Oulton Park in 1974, at a time when the club was in its infancy. Although the club has grown in size and scope, with a National Council devolving responsibilities to seven Regional Committees and the British Rally Marshals Club, he explains how the job of the club’s 2,200 members remains unchanged. “When looking at present day marshalling, the basic tenets of our discipline have not changed. We are still basically enthusiasts, maybe frustrated racing drivers,
Modern day marshalling is organised and puts safety first at all times
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with a deep commitment to the sport. Simply, marshals are the folk who tend to dress up in orange and present themselves at motor sport venues for the purpose of helping the sport to exist.” Alongside flag marshals and incident officers, doctors, scrutineers, timekeepers, firemen and commentators also make up the club’s cohort. Most offer their time and skills for free to do what they love and to benefit from unprecedented access to the sport. For one of the club’s newest recruits, Keeley McCarthy, becoming a marshal was the best way to get involved in motor racing. “We are not all destined to be race drivers, so I decided to research alternative options within motor sport,” she explains. “It’s the hands on involvement and flexibility to suit work/home life balance that appeals. “As a woman trying to enter a male dominated sport, the BMMC made me feel at ease. Upon attending training at Oulton Park, the atmosphere was exceptionally welcoming and the training meticulously planned. I had the opportunity to experience being on post, circuit ❱❱
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action and supervised flagging. Listening to marshals share their stories just confirmed for me that I was going to be hooked.” Having begun her own marshalling career at an Oulton Park taster day in 1997, Nadine Lewis became the first female national chairman of the BMMC last year. She now spends her days ensuring marshals are represented in decision-making about the future of the organisation but makes sure she still gets her hands dirty on a regular basis. “I still get a buzz being trackside and getting stuck in and will continue to do so around my role as Chairman. Being at ground level gives me first hand experience of issues but more importantly helps me meet our members and potential members. Seeing people learn and upgrade gives me a particularly good feeling. “We are all volunteers and we all enjoy motor sport no matter what our background is and what our day jobs are. As the club celebrates its diamond anniversary it looks forward to many more years of helping marshals enjoy their hobby.” British marshalling has come a long way in 60 years, but the allure for many marshals remains unchanged. Indeed, more than half a century on, it is access to top-class sport and the knowledge that marshalling keeps the show on the road that keeps veteran marshal Mike Devine coming back for more. “My favourite marshalling memory is Silverstone 1987,” he says. “Nigel Mansell stopped right in front of us and kissed the ground after winning the race. There was far more access in those earlier days. I used to walk in the pits, we’d get dragged into the parties after the race and we’d meet all the drivers. “It’s the atmosphere and community of marshals that I love. My daughter and sister have both marshalled too, so it’s become a whole family affair. Now it’s the BMMC’s 60th anniversary and my 60th year of marshalling. I think I am just starting to get the hang of it!” n
Getting involved in marshalling
BMMC chairman Nadine Lewis, below with deputy F1 race director Herbie Blash, still gets a buzz from marshalling
Why become a marshal?
Motor racing couldn’t take place without marshals. Intrinsic to the sport, marshals help ensure that events run safely and efficiently. As reward, they are granted the best seats in the house, second only to competition itself. As well as the best trackside views of top-class sport, the huge variety of roles provide the opportunity to learn new skills and to meet like-minded people.
Who can become a marshal?
Almost anyone. Although trackside marshals must be at least 16 years of age, younger enthusiasts can still get involved as a cadet marshal (aged 11 for some clubs). Disabilities are no barrier either. Where possible, the MSA strives to accommodate people with any kind of disability.
Where can I marshal?
With hundreds of motor sport clubs across the UK, there are opportunities for anyone to get involved as a marshal. Marshals have the freedom to choose where and how often they volunteer and for rally enthusiasts, BMMC membership also grants membership of the British Rally Marshals Club.
What do I need to become a marshal?
Marshals require outdoor clothing, appropriate footwear and many choose to buy marshalling overalls, but aside from food and travel costs, marshalling is free and accessible to anyone.
How can I become a marshal?
A good way to start your marshalling career is to attend a Taster Day, to see if marshalling is for you. Once you’re involved, the MSA funds training days and seminars. To be a rally marshal you’ll need to complete the MSA’s online training modules at msauk.org/rallymarshalstraining. You can find out more and sign up to a BMMC Taster Day on www.marshals.co.uk
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Medical focus
Heads Concussion is one of the hidden dangers of racing, but a new campaign aims to raise awareness among drivers. By Hal Ridge
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ere’s a story that might ring true with many racers who have had a shunt and a bang to the head. It comes from three-time Le Mans winner Allan McNish. “At Brands Hatch in 1989 I dropped my left-rear wheel off the circuit at Dingle Dell during a Formula 3 qualifying lap. The car half spun but dug into the grass and flipped over. The roll hoop fell off, so basically I was upside down with a bit of a bang of the head. It was nothing serious and that was it as far as I was concerned. We were out of the weekend because the roll hoop was taken off the car, but no big stress. “Jackie Stewart was there and took me to this bloke called Sid Watkins – some doctor in London. Sid put some electrodes on my head and a strobe light in my face and said ‘Right, I’m taking your medical certificate off you.’ That was to be for six or eight weeks, I was going to miss
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two rounds of the British F3 championship. My season was gone. I went to see another doctor, David Cranston, who asked if I’d seen anyone about it already. I said, ‘Well I saw this guy called Sid Watkins and he told me I couldn’t race.’ He replied, ‘Well I don’t know what you’re doing with me, if you’ve already seen Sid you know that’s it – just go home.’ “I went to Heathrow and sat on a flight to Scotland, next to this doctor I vaguely knew. He was from Edinburgh and I was flying to Glasgow, so I’m thinking: ‘Why on earth’s he flying to Glasgow?’ We arrived in Edinburgh and I realised I’d got the wrong flight. It was three days later that I started to get all the symptoms; depth perception issues, a sore head and being very tired, never mind flying to the wrong city. That was the moment that I realised that a) I hadn’t got a clue about my body and concussion, and b) an engineer engineers the car and the doctor basically engineers your body. I was 19 years old and if there had
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you lose been a car sitting for me an hour later, I’d have been back in it without question. Now, was I fit to race? No. Was I fit to test three or four days later? Definitely not.” Head injuries, and more specifically concussion, have been a major talking point in contact sports such as football and rugby for some time, where the governing bodies of the disciplines have been campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers, and it’s no different in motor racing. While our sport is arguably safer now than it has ever been, there’s a misconception that protected by safety cells and state-of-the-art helmets, unless a huge accident is sustained, the risks of a driver being concussed are low. That isn’t the case, as McNish – who suffered some extraordinary accidents in his top-level professional career – found out almost 30 years ago. Now, he’s one of a number of leading drivers telling their stories in a bid to raise awareness of the issues of head trauma injuries. ❱❱
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“The concern we have is for the driver and their health”
In 2016, the MSA launched a directive surrounding concussion, having liaised with bodies like the Rugby Football Union to create rules governing the suspension of competition licences for drivers showing symptoms of concussion, dizziness, headaches, confusion and amnesia following an accident. As part of the ruling, competitors who suffer concussion during an event can take no further part, and can only return to competition once they’ve been given formal clearance by their GP. FIA Chief Medical Officer and MSA Medical Advisory Panel chairman Ian Roberts is pushing for competitors to become even more aware of the dangers, for both themselves and fellow competitors. “People often think that to have concussion you have to be knocked out. You certainly don’t, the symptoms can be as trivial a bit of headache or feeling a bit sick,” he explains. “We don’t like to take people out of competition, but it is a necessity for their safety and of others. The whole point of getting people to rest is to allow the brain to settle down. We want to avoid second concussion syndrome, where the process can actually be compounded and lead to quite severe long-term problems. For most people, concussion resolves in two to three weeks, but for others it carries on and we don’t want to see them back in competition until symptoms have disappeared.”
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FIA Chief Medical Officer Ian Roberts wants drivers to be honest if they suffer a bang to the head away from racing
Roberts is also eager for competitors to make the MSA aware if they have suffered concussion-like symptoms elsewhere. “It’s extremely important that if anyone has suffered concussion-like symptoms away from MSA events, that they’re honest and report it to licensing [the MSA licensing department] once they’ve seen their doctor so that we actually know about it. We fully understand that people don’t want their licences suspended, but the concern we have is for the driver, their health and their continued competition.” In August 2014 at Snetterton, then reigning MSA British Touring Car Champion driver Andrew Jordan hit a tyre barrier in free practice. He suffered concussion, but having been stopped from qualifying the car, was allowed to race. Jordan was forced to withdraw ahead of race three, at a time before the MSA Concussion Policy was brought into action. “They took me to hospital, which I didn’t want to do and then I tried to get them to let me qualify, but they wouldn’t. I was allowed to race and was a bit tired in race one, but race two was going really well until I got turned around. The exhaust got bent and it was so hot in the car – when I got out and I could barely walk. “That was unexpected because I’d been in hot cars before, but it was all adding up. I knew I couldn’t start ❱❱
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race three even before the doctors said. It just goes to show that you don’t have to have a huge crash to knock your head about. After the crash the doctor asked for my date of birth and I was literally sitting there thinking, ‘I really need to answer this because it’s going to ruin my weekend’ but I just couldn’t. For a good few days afterwards I didn’t feel right. We all do this to win, but first and foremost you’ve got to look after yourself. And, it’s one thing putting your safety at risk but you’re racing other people and it’s not fair to do that.” The general safety levels in motorsport have increased immeasurably since the era of McNish’s Brands Hatch accident in 1989. Witness the fact that the Scot walked away from a huge crash at Le Mans in 2011. Equippment such as the HANS protection system and modern engineering mechanisms in helmets offer more protection than ever, but that doesn’t fully protect users from the risk of concussion, something of which Roberts says competitors should be aware. “That’s a false sense of security,” says Roberts. “Modern G-forces are quite extreme. The car might be designed to withstand those, but your skull and brain are still millions of years old and they’ve not adapted to the engineering we have these days. Modern helmets will protect the skull from fracture, but we shouldn’t be complacent that they take away the risk of concussion – that’s definitely not the case.”
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Andrew Jordan didn’t initially appreciate the full effects of his BTCC off at Snetterton in August 2014
McNish is also urging competitors not to have a laissezfaire attitude towards potential head trauma injuries. “With safety moving forward, we step out unharmed of absolutely monster shunts,” he says. “However, the unknown part of it is what’s happened in your head, and that’s the part that is very difficult for human beings to try to analyse themselves.” Today, McNish is a patron of brain injury charity, Headway, in his home region of Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland. The charity not only raises awareness of the risks involved in head trauma, but also supports those who have suffered head injuries. McNish says he is asking competitors to heed the advice of medical professionals. “Dario Franchitti, who is a good friend of mine, had to stop his career because of concussion. But luckily the concussion hasn’t caused long-term issues. “It’s very often the case that drivers are the last people who should be deciding if they’re fit to drive or not, because ultimately we’re fully charged to get in a racing car and do our job. Let’s be honest, if you didn’t think you were invincible, you wouldn’t get in a racing car anyway. My position in this is very, very clear: if the doctor says you’re not racing, don’t fight it, you’re not racing. Because the chances are you’ll get on the wrong aeroplane and end up in the wrong city.” n
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Mark Todd Pontiac GTO
Some 2800bhp is unleashed during lightning elimination duels, but these aren’t just top-spec drag racers – these are Europe’s fastest street cars
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TECH SPEC Engine: Twinturbo, 9.5-litre aluminium V8 Power: Up to 2800bhp Top speed: Over 200mph Acceleration: 0-60mph in 1.1 seconds; 0-160mph in 4.7sec; 0-200 mph in 7.2sec
MATT WOODS PHOTOGRAPHY
ark Todd is a stalwart of a very specialist discipline. Competing in a drag racing series called Street Eliminator, Todd pilots a modified Pontiac GTO at speeds pushing 200mph. But that’s not all: these drag racers are fully streetlegal and taking to the streets is part of the competition. “It’s a fantastic series with the added challenge of making a street-legal racer,” says Altrincham resident Todd, who calls his car the ‘Freight Train’. “I didn’t see the point of investing in a car you could only use a few days a year. I love the fact that I can drive anywhere in the car at any time.” Todd was introduced to the sport as a teenager when he watched a friend compete in a VW Beetle, but it was a late ’90s TV programme called 0-60 that inspired him to get involved, which he did at the wheel of a Pontiac Firebird. Now a successful businessman with a degree in mechanical engineering, he says it’s the thought of going drag racing that motivates him to succeed in his work. “The GTO’s twin turbos produce up to 2800bhp,” he says in a tone that suggests the figure still amazes him. “It hits 60 in 1.1 seconds and pushes 200 in just 7.2. It’s run on a single engine rebuild for three years, which is incredible.” Todd stepped up to Street Eliminator having started out in lower racing categories and in 2015 he claimed the title. Competition ranges from Bentley Continental GTs through to VW Beetles, all running a variety of power adders. They compete in elimination duels, but only if they survive ‘the cruise’ – a 26-mile convoy drive including a fuel stop and hot start, proving the cars’ ability to operate on the public road. “In the lower categories the cruise was good fun, but at the top level you begin to dread it!” says Todd. “If you fail to complete it you’re disqualified and miss race day. In 10 years of competing I’ve never failed the cruise – but people do. “Some suffer fuel evaporation on the hot start, or miss the cut-off for returning to the track behind the lead car. The convoy rattles windows, but we get a positive reception.” Victory at Santa Pod in April opened Todd’s 2017 account in style. He may now have responsibilities, but the thrill and unique challenge of the sport means he isn’t planning to hang up his racing boots anytime soon. n
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Weekend Warrior
CHASSIS
Long wheelbase with big overhang on the boot for better weight distribution.
POWER
Up to 2800bhp, put down through the rear tyres only.
ACCELERATION
The GTO can break the motorway speed limit in a shade over a second, hits 160mph in less than five seconds and pushes 200mph in just over seven.
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12/06/2017 15:01
Place Notes
Bouley Bay One of the most picturesque closed-road hillclimbs
T
he idyllic setting of Bouley Bay on Jersey’s beautiful north coast, with the French coastline visible on a clear day, is unsurpassed for its atmosphere and spectacle in British hillclimbing. The first hillclimb was held here in 1920, when the road surface was concrete and the event was organised by the Jersey Motorcycle and Light Car Club (JMC & LCC), the island’s largest such entity. Unlike on the mainland, Jersey law has allowed the running of closedroad motor sport events for decades. In the light of the recent law change in England, Bouley Bay offers an insight into what car clubs in England can look forward to. Many different venues in Jersey were tried in the early years, but Bouley Bay remained the favourite for competitors and spectators alike. The hillclimbs stopped briefly during the German occupation of the island in the Second World War, but the club was quick to start again by organising an international event in 1946. The following year Bouley Bay was one of only five venues in the inaugural British Hillclimb Championship and the venue has hosted a round of this prestigious championship ever since. Local newspaper reports from the 1950s mention regular crowd attendances in excess of 7,000. Today the JMC & LCC organises four hillclimbs a year at Bouley Bay, including the National, and these continue to attract a large entry list and crowds of enthusiastic fans. The original course was 1065 yards in length, but this was reduced to the current 1011 yards in 1949 on safety grounds. Demanding, technical and challenging are just a few of the descriptions used by UK competitors who visit each year for the British National Hillclimb
52 54 MSA PlaceNotes SA.indd 1
CIRCUIT
INFO
Les Charrieres du Bouley, Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5AS www.jersey motorsport.com Opened: 1920 Course length 1011 yards Course record 36.48 seconds, Trevor Willis, 2016
championship. Unlike many UK events, the JMC & LCC hillclimbs are open to all types of machinery, from standard production cars through to racing cars, motorbikes, quad bikes, sidecars and karts; all are welcome to entertain the crowds. With its mixture of blind bends through high-banked, tree-lined corners to the tight hairpins towards the top, Bouley Bay has everything to test the best in the business. For spectators the high banks above the top half of the hill are a natural amphitheatre, giving a perfect view of competitors tackling the track. The first challenge from a competitor perspective is balancing wheelspin with forward motion off the steep start on the doorstep of The Water’s Edge Hotel. They must then brake sharply at the end of a short straight that leads in to the first double corner. A tight left is followed by a tight right-hander leading on to the fastest part of the hill. Drivers go up through the gears here towards Slemens Corner, which is often taken at 80mph. In fact, if you are brave enough at Slemens and do not back off too far, chunks of time can be gained. But be warned: if you are too keen, the large trees on the left of the course have won many a battle with racing machinery. Exiting Slemens it’s a question of how late to leave your braking for the long, fast left-hander at Les Platons. From Les Platons the hill snakes up towards the famous Radio Corner hairpin, where once again bravery on the brakes and good speed through the corner reap handsome time dividends. Another short straight leads up to the very tricky reverse camber top corner. Finally, there’s a quick blast on the throttle to the finish line and glory! All in all a very challenging course that rewards the brave and accurate in equal measure. A fast time is considered to be anything below 50 seconds, so the current hill record of 36.48 seconds – set by UK competitor Trevor Willis in his OMS28 3.2L V8 Hayabusa at the 2016 National event – is an outstanding time. n
www.msauk.org / Summer 2017
13/06/2017 10:55
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Toolkit The latest products and advice for competitors
Coming up with the cash reserves We all know racing isn’t the cheapest sport to be involved in. Which is where Moorgate Motorsport Finance comes in. It is a young, innovative company which specialises in offering finance for all aspects of motor sport. The company is based in Towcester just 10 minutes drive away from Silverstone, the home of British motor racing, and is well placed to service the finance requirements of teams and competitors alike with a personal touch. It prides itself on providing efficient and cost-effective finance solutions across every area of motor sport, from competitors and teams to hospitality. The company’s customer-focused approach to finance also helps provide a solid financial base for customers to push forward from.
The benefits • Spread the cost of your team over up to five seasons. • Invest in more competitive vehicles to give your team better results. • Free up your cash to attract more competitive drivers. • Improve the image of your team. • Invest in quality support and transport vehicles.
Why use motor sport finance? As well as enabling you to spread the cost of your race or rally car over a period of your choice, taking out finance can also help with the cost of any capital expense that you and your team might incur. From team trucks to tyre balancers Moorgate can finance everything you need to start or grow your dream race team. The company offers flexible terms and competitive rates and boasts a genuine interest in the world of motor sport.
For more information call on 01908 92 62 62 and speak to Moorgate’s motor sport specialist Andy Gough, a driver himself, who will undoubtedly chew your ear off about the benefits of rallying over circuit racing whilst hopefully helping you to fund the investment that you need to run a winning race team.
www.msauk.org / Summer 2017
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What Moorgate will finance • Race and Competition Car Finance • Race Transporter Finance • Hospitality Trailer Finance • Engineering and Equipment Finance • Pit Garage Wall Boards Finance
55 12/06/2017 15:01
Toolkit
Lending a hi-tech hand The electronic gadgets making life a little bit easier for amateur and pro racers alike
EPAS ULTRA MOTORSPORT SYSTEM
DC Electronics is now firmly established as the go-to supplier for Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) in motor sport. Top of the range is this Ultra professional motor sport system, which excels in all genres, being used extensively from LMP to club motor sport, and everything in between.
All AIM products available from www.demon-tweeks.co.uk
Complete systems from £4162 www.dcelectronics.co.uk/ Products/EPAS/
MSA AND EVENT REGULATIONS MAY APPLY, ALWAYS CHECK BEFORE PURCHASING AND USING
EPAS PRO RACE SYSTEM
The Pro Race system from DC Electronics provides a cost-effective EPAS solution for motor sport. It is perfect for competitors who need reliable assistance, but who may not require the fine-tuning capabilities of the Ultra system (see above right).
REAR VISION CAMERA SYSTEMS
DC Electronics offer a range of Rear Vision Camera systems, which include the new mirrorstyle option. These costeffective, easy-to-install kits are the perfect way to overcome limited rear visibility. System prices from £204 www.dcelectronics. co.uk/Products/ ComplementaryProducts/
Complete systems from £2103 www.dcelectronics.co.uk/Products/EPAS/
56 56-57 Toolkit2 GC.indd 1
www.msauk.org / Spring 2017
13/06/2017 10:57
ADVERTISING FEATURE
AIM MOTORSPORT SMARTYCAM HD
Recommended for touring, GT and rally cars and karts, this professional onboard camera records in full 1280p HD video and can include all the technical information that will help you improve your performance. Designed for motor sport, the camera will automatically start and stop recording by using data from the built-in accelerometer, leaving drivers free to focus on the track. £650.00+VAT
AIM MOTORSPORT MXL2 DASH LOGGER / DISPLAY
MSA AND EVENT REGULATIONS MAY APPLY, ALWAYS CHECK BEFORE PURCHASING AND USING
Designed to display data coming from your ECU, the internal accelerometer and the GPS module (included in the kit) the AIM MXL2 Dash Logger further improves on the successful MXL dash display. With an improved LCD screen featuring dual coloured backlights and WiFi connectivity, the system is housed in a waterproof aluminium chassis. £1325.00+VAT
AIM MOTORSPORT EVO4S DATA LOGGER
The latest generation AIM EVO4S Data Logger with GPS08 Module is an evolution of the well-known EVO4. It has the same connection logic, one connector per channel, but with a completely redesigned internal electronic board. It is fully compatible with the last generation of AIM dash/logger and ready for the new RaceStudio 3 software. £775.00+VAT
www.msauk.org / Spring 2017
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57 13/06/2017 10:57
A NT I – D O P I N G
DRIVE OUT DOPING!
X
You have the right to compete in a clean, fair and safe sport – that’s why the MSA works with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) to maintain your sport’s integrity.
Banned Substances can be found in:
All competitors, coaches and athlete support personnel must abide by anti-doping rules. These are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code, which governs anti-doping internationally.
Prescribed medication.
If you hold an MSA Competition Licence then you are bound by anti-doping rules, regardless of the level at which you compete.
KNOW THE RULES Visit msauk.org/antidoping today.
Over the counter medication.
Performance enhancing drugs. Recreational drugs.
National Court
Motor Sports Council National Court
the Appellant’s car ended up in the
on notice of a red flag before he had
gravel trap.
the chance to try. The Appellant
3. At the material time the
had not abandoned his car nor had
Appellant had not completed 75%
he turned off the engine prior to the
of the race.
deployment of the red flag.
4. The Clerk of the Course
We do not feel that it can be
rightly or wrongly concluded
held that he was not under his own
SITTING TUESDAY 16TH MAY 2017
that the Appellant’s car was
power at the material time and
Stewards of the meeting who
“beached” in the gravel trap on
accordingly we allow this appeal.
Guy Spollon Chairman, Chris
rejected the appeal on the basis
the exit of Coppice Corner and
Mount, Bob Kettleboro
that the Appellant’s car was not
was, particularly with deteriorating
CASE No: J2017-07 LEE PATTISON
under its own power at the showing
weather conditions, in a dangerous
of the red flag. The Appellant now
position.
The Appellant Lee Pattison is
The Appellant appealed to the
appeals to the National Court.
a registered competitor in the 2017 Renault Clio Championship organised by the BARC. The
5. Subsequently the decision was taken not to run the second part of
The relevant regulations are:
the race and effectively to exclude
1.Under GR Q5.4 any race can be
the Appellant on the basis that he
Appellant’s car is presented and run
stopped at the sole discretion of
was not under his own power at the
by Team WDE.
the Clerk of the Course by waving
time of the red flag.
The Appellant took part in the
the red flag at the start finish
This Court considers that the
It follows that: 1. All appeal fees will be reimbursed and 2. The Appellant must be reinstated in the results. GUY SPOLLON, CHAIRMAN
SITTING TUESDAY 16TH MAY 2017 Guy Spollon Chairman, Chris
championship event at Donnington
line. Competitors are warned that
critical question to be asked is was
Mount, Bob Kettleboro
Park on 16th April 2017. His car
the race has been stopped by the
the Appellant under his own power
CASE No: J2017-03 Alfie Hodges
bore the competition no 5.
simultaneous waving of the red flag
or not immediately prior to the
at all flag marshalling posts.
deployment of the red flag.
This matter concerns the events surrounding Race 4. The Appellant
2. Under GR Q5.4.2 Any race
There is no definition for
This Appeal comes before the National Court by way of an
started the race from pole position
stopped after the leader has
the purposes of the General
Eligibility Appeal. The father of Alfie
and was still leading when he was
completed more than 2 laps but
Regulations of the words “under
Hodges, namely Robert Hodges, is
struck from behind by another
less than 75% of its duration will
one’s own power“ and there is
the PG licence holder.
competitor at the uphill entrance to
be considered as the first part of
certainly nothing that we can find
Coppice Corner. Regrettably, both
a two part race … only cars which
that dictates that a vehicle should
organised a series of kart races at
cars left the track and entered the
are under their own power at the
actually be moving at the critical
PF International. At the end of Heat
gravel traps.
showing of the red flag will be
time.
2 it was alleged that:
It is the Appellant’s case that: 1. Before he had the opportunity
classified. 3. Under GR Q5.5 the Clerk of the
We have had the opportunity of
On 1st and 2nd April 2017 TVKC
1. Alfie Hodges was seen to
viewing the video footage which
push his kart, no 17, into the pit
to drive or try to drive off from the
Course may order that the duration
shows the collision itself and also
lane entrance where his mechanic
gravel area, he was notified via car
of the second part or re run of any
what happened within the cockpit
collected him.
radio by the Clerk of the Course that
race shall be of a shorter distance
of car no 5 immediately post
there was a red flag.
than originally scheduled or may be
collision.
2. As only 10 laps of the race had by then been completed,
abandoned altogether. 4. Under GR Q5.4.2 in the event
The Court has also had the
2. The bumper of kart no 17 had been knocked in. 3. The mechanic to Alfie Hodges
advantage of hearing oral evidence
was observed to reset the nose cone on kart no 17.
he believed the race would be
of an abandoned race the positions
from both the Appellant and the
restarted.
of all “classified cars“ are based
Clerk of the Course. The evidence of
The matter was referred to the
upon the order of crossing the
the Appellant was critical in that he
Stewards of the meeting who under
above he switched off his still
finish line at one lap less than at
indicated very clearly that:
U17.5.5 excluded Alfie Hodges
running engine and alighted from
the time of the first showing of the
his car.
red flag.
3. In the belief of (1) and (2)
4. His car was thereafter towed out of the gravel area for ease and he was able to drive back to the paddock. 5. He was then wrongly excluded
There can be no dispute in this matter that: 1. The Appellant was leading the race when he was the innocent
1. Prior to having any
from the meeting on the basis that
opportunity to try and drive out of
the bumper of his kart had been
the gravel trap, he had been told
intentionally reattached after the
“red flag”.
chequered flag.
2. He, accordingly, turned his car engine off. Although the Appellant in
By a notice of appeal “Fusion on behalf of Alfie Hodges” appeals to this Court “on the basis that
from the race results as he was
victim of a collision caused by a
practice may have had difficulty in
‘the mechanic’ as stated on the
allegedly not under his own power
pursuing competitor.
extricating his car from the gravel
documents issued by the Stewards
trap, it certainly seems that he was
is not officially linked to the ❱❱
at the time of the red flag.
www.msauk.org / Summer 2017
59 MSA National Court.indd 1
2. As a result of the collision,
59 12/06/2017 16:00
National Court
driver being penalised”. In a document dated 12th April 2017 Lisa Hodges on behalf of the Appellant states that:
of the MSA. 3. Provide CCTV footage. The National Court refused the
3. The Chief Scrutineer in his reports noted that: (a) The individual in question,
moving to the front and tampering with the nose cone and then carrying on pushing the kart from
application not least on the basis
i.e. the mechanic, “was seen on
that the Appellant had received no
numerous occasions on camera at
From the documentation before
documentation to support the claim
notice of the application and would
the end of the heats, final and the
the Court it is quite apparent that:
that the individual who may have
not be in a position to respond to
practise on Saturday, tending to the
1. The nose of the Appellant’s
tampered with the kart was acting
any submissions made on behalf of
kart and driver in question, showing
kart was re-set after the chequered
for the driver as his mechanic.
the MSA.
he was familiar with the driver and
flag.
1. There is no official
2. The video evidence was not shown to the driver and PG
The Court noted that:
kart plus he was wearing the team’s
1. General Regulation H32 sets
livery, suggesting to us he was the
referred to as “the mechanic” was
mechanic”.
dressed in team livery and had
licence holder therefore making
out the responsibilities of entrants
it impossible to verify if the
and in particular at GR H32.1.6
individual was associated with the
where it is stated:
driver. At the commencement of this
the rear into Parc Ferme ….”.
“an entrant shall furthermore
2. The individual who has been
(b) (We) “viewed the footage
been seen on numerous occasions
from many angles and found three
during the weekend to tend to the
positions that showed the driver
Appellant’s kart.
ensure that a vehicle is maintained
pushing the kart to the end of (the)
Appeal an ex parte application was
in an eligible and safe condition
pit land and staying at the top
the party who reset the bumper of
made by Mr Simon Blunt on behalf
throughout the event or meeting”.
waiting to be collected followed
the Appellant’s kart.
of the Motor Sports Association seeking to:
2. Before issuing the penalty the
by the mechanic collecting the
3. The individual at (2) above was
This Appeal is accordingly
Stewards checked the camera CCTV
kart from the pit lane entry … the
dismissed with an order of £500
1. Intervene in the Appeal.
footage from the pit lane entry and
mechanic is then seen pushing the
costs.
2. Make submissions on behalf
the scrutineering enclosure.
kart from the rear, then stopping,
GUY SPOLLON, CHAIRMAN
www.msauk.org / Summer 2017
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Club Focus
WWW.JMSPHOTOGRAPHIC.CO.UK
Forresters Car Club This South Wales club is celebrating its golden anniversary
I
n 1967, a group of motor sport enthusiasts formalised its meetings at the Forresters Oak pub in Newport. Half a century later, Forresters Car Club (FCC) remains a mainstay of club-level motor sport in South Wales, with 120 members and an impressive roster of events. The current membership includes two MSA stewards and the likes of Paul Spooner, an MSA Academy co-driver coach. Meanwhile, one of the original members remains active at the heart of the club: Mike Taylor, who has acted as treasurer for the past 20 years. The club organises three rallies a year and co-promotes Dixie the Challenge with the nearby Forest of Dean Motor Club. It is also one of three groups that organised the Welsh Rally on Epynt. These annual events are key to the club’s survival, as chairman Neil Fuller explains: “I honestly think that if we stopped organising rallies the club would fold. A lot of our members are organisers and volunteers, not just competitors. It’s the organising of the rallies year after year that keeps us all going.” The club’s first road rally ran in 1972 before the introduction of the popular Caerwent rallies in 1994.
66 66 MSA ClubFocus_SA GR.indd 66
CLUB INFO Formed 1967 Members 120
www.forresters carclub.co.uk
The two events take place annually at the disused RAF Caerwent site close to the club’s base in Cwmbran. Social activities are also key to the club’s 50-year success, with members meeting once a week at the local rugby club for quizzes and the occasional game of crazy golf. Regular trips to events at Shelsley Walsh and Castle Combe’s Rally Day also help keep the club vibrant and active. FCC is known for its annual Motor Sport Evening at Newtown Motors. For the past nine years the event has spurred locals to get involved in motor sport, with help from guest speakers such as legendary co-driver Nicky Grist and local rising star Osian Pryce, a current member of the MSA Team UK national squad. All these broad activities have enabled the club to raise more than £5,000 for local charities over the last two years, with £3,000 being pledged to local cancer charity Latch earlier this year. For 2017, the club is supporting the Alzheimers Society and has already raffled an entry to the Mid-Summer Caerwent Stages rally. The Forresters Car Club meets every Thursday evening at the Croeseceiliog Rugby and Cricket Club in Cwmbran. n
www.msauk.org / Summer 2017
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