Marshalling at Mallory yesterday (9th April)...

[chrischris]

As being at the paddock gate and looking straight ahead at the accident and seeing everything that happened, I must say that the Marshall's on the post/s just in front of the gate (don't really know numbers), well they done a excellent job after seeing what had happened the yellow flags were straight out. And the marshals were on scene within seconds of the incident and so were the rescue unit followed. The driver in the car that rolled several times managed to get out of the car and then knelled to the ground the marshal with him, looked like he was doing everything possible to ensure the driver remained stable. Then the next thing that I remember happening was a orange mini spinning a couple of times and just missing the back of the rescue vehicle, then coming to a halt.
But I must say that the yellow flags in view that I could see around were being waved.
Shortly after the incident happening, the red flag was then called. But I cannot really remember when it was called.

All marshals, rescue, paramedics all involved you did a excellent job.
If anyone would like to ask me any more questions of what I could have saw which not mentioned here. Please feel free.

It would be a excellent Idea to get the video on you tube etc would be worth a look!

Thank You
Chris - Paddock Marshal - (Paddock Gate @ Mallory Park)

[ditchy19]

there was no flag and i will come straight out and call you a liar. what were you going to say "oh yeh i admit it i didnt put the flag out".
i have nothing to gain by this but you do have something to lose. i stood as did many others inc a camera man and there was red from the post on the esses entrance.
you nearly caused a major accident and should be ashamed.

[devon kev]

Originally Posted by ditchy19

there was no flag and i will come straight out and call you a liar. what were you going to say "oh yeh i admit it i didnt put the flag out".
i have nothing to gain by this but you do have something to lose. i stood as did many others inc a camera man and there was red from the post on the esses entrance.
you nearly caused a major accident and should be ashamed.

I believe theres to much conflict of interest on this thread , although we're all entitled to an opinion I think enough has been said on this topic

[Dan Friel]

Ditchy, I'm not entirely sure who you are calling a liar but the manner of your posting is unnecessary. There's clearly a difference of opinion on this issue and video footage may well help clear it up. Luckily no-one was wiped out and I'm sure those involved won't let this occur again (whoever is to "blame").

[devon kev]

I think we should let the Moderators sought this thread out

[Robin_D]

What makes me wonder is the fact that all of the cars came round on full chat. Not just Craig.

If yellow flags were out, which I assume they were, then all but a few of the leading pack (around 6 -7 cars) missed them.

It would be good to see the incident again, and see what we could all learn. But I do agree that a finger, should NOT be pointed.

[candfracing]

Right, firstly, I'm not stating that you are lying, purely saying that there was (in mine and others opinion) no flags being shown or waved.

Below are some stills from my camera, please feel free to highlight where exactly you are waving the flags!






I'd just like to re-iterate, that I'm not trying to point fingers, maybe the flags where being shown, but remember, we have the same view as the photos above, if the camera can't see them, we can't see them.

Maybe there where flags and maybe the issue is (as being debated elsewhere) they are not visable for some reason, back drop of colour etc....

[devon kev]

I'm not taking sides in this debate, but i've studyed the photo's and I must say " I can't see any flags displayed

[White flag man]

I believe there is a yellow flag being waved at the second post. Apparently no flags at the first. It's also lot easier for me to sit here studying photos than for you racing around at whatever speed. May I also say that you're own view was probably even worse than the camera, as you are inside the car wearing, I guess, a full face helmet.
Thanks for the pictures, and thanks for not getting personal.

[ditchy19]

you may not like the way i speak, but thats me thats how i speak. i tell it like it is i dont take rubbish from anyone especialy when its a matter of safety.
if it takes someone getting an earfull to stop this happening again surely its worth it.

[Dan Friel]

Ditchy,

I'm still not entirely sure what point you're trying to make? So far in this thread everyone has kept it civil, and that's the key to 10/10ths. Your attempt at giving someone an earful won't achieve an awful lot.

Back to the subject, those trees behind the post would certainly make if tricky to pick out a red flag displayed at that post. The lights at Combe (for example) certainly make a difference in my opinion.

[candfracing]

Hopefully the meeting at the BRSCC on Friday can make some positive conclusions. I'm seriously beginning to think that the posts maybe in the wrong positions.

[ditchy19]

Originally Posted by Dan Friel

Ditchy,

I'm still not entirely sure what point you're trying to make? So far in this thread everyone has kept it civil, and that's the key to 10/10ths. Your attempt at giving someone an earful won't achieve an awful lot.

Back to the subject, those trees behind the post would certainly make if tricky to pick out a red flag displayed at that post. The lights at Combe (for example) certainly make a difference in my opinion.

at no point have i been abusive just direct and straight to the point. the point been there was no red flag. if you read back you will see that that is mainly what this thread is about. the fact is an error was made bymarshals/track officials that came within 2 metres of a terrible accident no one wanted to admit to it. how can people learn if they dont understand they are wrong.

[ditchy19]

p.s. i aint giving anyone an earfull.

[JimW]

Ditchy

I have a suspicion that it may be you calling people liars rather than suggesting that they are mistaken which gets the debate into unhelpful areas. Many people are sensitive about being accused of bad faith; many will happily debate about whether or not they were in error.

Regards

Jim

[chrischris]

Should we not put a end to this really!
I must say as a marshal we are all voulenteers (not paid) and give up our own time to go to the meets. We all put ourselfs in danger aswell. But if we were not there the meet would not go ahead.

I am not taking sides here but I must say the marshals from my point of view done their best. After all we are all human!

On the stills from the camera, you should be able to see the accident ahead just before the entrance to the herpin, but sadly I cannot.


Thanks

[White flag man]

Criag
There are quite a few of those around the country.
May I please suggest that you spend a day flag marshalling with us. I'm not being disrepectful. As I've said in another thread, we can show you our problems, and you can tell us yours.

[ChrisA]

Ditchy, Are you a marshal, racer, spectator,or just a casual contributor? It would help, possibly ,to make this clear.

[numbersix]

I've just spent 20 minutes copying those pictures into a photo editor and checked what I saw with family members. The three pictures seem to be taken on different laps. I'm using cloud formations and the fact that car 30's (the camera car) distance from the corner decreases while the white car in front is roughly in the same position.

So, which of these pictures represents the same lap as the incident?

[Robin_D]

If you look to the right you can see the rescue unit on a few of them.

[James Elder]

Well I thought this was going to be an interesting one when I started to read it!

I'm not going to talk about the flags particularly, because I haven't marshalled at Mallory, so can't relate the points. The camera shots do tell me a bit though as a marshal generally and as an insight into the driver's view.

I can see what looks like a marshals post on the left of the picture and another to the right of the car in front and then the incident seems to be on the far right of the pictures with a marshals post to the left of it (I'm assuming the big white boxes are the marshal points by the way).

Now I don't want to take sides, but I can't see flags clearly in these shots. But on saying that, one thing these photos don't show is closing speed - Mallory is practically an oval and therefore approach to this incident will be considerably quick (the slight blurring in some of the photos show that there is a lot going on). This makes it hard to see flag signals, because the driver is busy with the car and everything goes past so quickly that there is only so much time to absorb anything. Looking at the photos here I am wondering if it could be worthwhile to have an earlier flag signal - at the box shown on the left (if that isn't used already).

[ditchy19]

Originally Posted by ChrisA

Ditchy, Are you a marshal, racer, spectator,or just a casual contributor? It would help, possibly ,to make this clear.

please read my earlier post on page one.
to everyone else iam not trying to offend, iam just very passionate.
wether it be marshal error or bad post positioning it is something that needs correcting.
sorry if i offended but iam sure youve all heard worse.

[chrischris]

I cannot make out much from the photos. Is it possible if the video gets put on youtube with a link here. Then we can see the video from the drivers perspective, but from the photos I cannot really see much, and some people are beginning to wonder weather they are all the same lap ect.

[Robin_D]

Well whether is it on the same lap or not, we have a problem. If the flags were being waved then most of the cars missed it, just unfortunate that Craig got tapped.
So is that point too far back? Are the drivers too busy coping with the esses to notice the flag point there?

[numbersix]

Please ignore my post above. I have re-examined it and find that all the changes can be explained by the natural movement of the cars. Sorry to add to the confusion. Please ignore the post.