Zaniest Marshals?

Gnomex · 3 Dec 2002, 16:24 (Ref:441895)

As a marshalling gnome I thought I was pretty zany until I met up with the lads at "Piston Broke Public House" (otherwise known as the Lydden Rallycross Startline crew). A few examples of their antics:-

1. A set of pub bar optics (complete with "alcohol")
2. Beer mats and beer towels.
3. "Piston Broke" cloth badges (to die for...)
4. Inflatable alien (the alien marshal)
5. Awarding points (ice skating style, e.g. "5.8" for "style" and "5.6" for "technical merit") using the pit board numbers for spinning cars.
6. Silly hats competition specially for the TV cameras.
7. Radioing in "One Daffodil down!" in response to a question about circuit damage.

Any other "Piston Broke" member out there want to add to the list?

Anyone out there think they can top this???

Ian Smith · 3 Dec 2002, 21:45 (Ref:442139)

Can you apply the word "zaniest" in the context of marshals
"WE ALL HAVE TO BE

TO DO WHAT WE ALL DO!!!!!
In whatever Capacity we serve the world of

motor sport.

EvilPumpkin · 3 Dec 2002, 22:15 (Ref:442160)

Our alien marshal has overalls....AND a ten-tenths badge!

Oh and I have evilpumpkin sew on patches.

I don't think that makes me "zany" of course - simply over the insanity horizon and accelerating......

Hog · 4 Dec 2002, 08:55 (Ref:442356)

Hello Gnomex (didn't realise it was you) - Dave here. What about the Pestalozzi hillclimb were Jay and I were so bored we radioed in an ice cream spillage to control! Will you be joining us on the 28th?

Hog · 4 Dec 2002, 08:58 (Ref:442360)

PS - By the way Gnomex - you forgot to mention the Piston Broke business cards that were printed. Any driver who breaks down or stacks it near our post gets a card saying "Thank you for spending time with us at the Piston Broke Public House, Lydden" Usually taken in good spirits apart from the one or two who fail to see the funny side (Mentioning no names - T*** B***).

Gnomex · 4 Dec 2002, 09:48 (Ref:442387)

Hi Hog

Yes its me! YES I will be there on the 28th. I thought maybe we could do something to celebrate Xmas in true "Piston Broke" fashion - a summer garden party perhaps?

Have you seen the Lydden 28th thread?

Hog · 4 Dec 2002, 09:54 (Ref:442390)

Mmm. Makes interesting reading. Perhaps we could have stock hatch versus Unlimited Bangers on another date? What do you suggest for the garden party? I must get the marshaltubby headgear sorted........

BTW - Jay has moved up to central London - but I know he is hoping to make it down for the day.

Hog · 4 Dec 2002, 09:59 (Ref:442394)

There's no way I'm wearing a summer dress for the garden party...........again. We must get an Xmas tree for the post. Compulsory Santa hats and beards all round I think don't you?

racerkeke · 4 Dec 2002, 15:55 (Ref:442637)

One zany idea I've seen is "tickets" given to drivers who visit the station -- pads of printed ticket forms with space to write driver's name, session and tickboxes for infractions. Stuff like "Parking in a no parking zone", "littering", "damaging public property", "driving without care and attention"... All infractions were worth one beer to the workers. A Detroit Region worker had a bunch of these at the first Houston race, and since we were at Los Huevos (Turn 5, the 90 deg left hander after the long backstraight) we got to use them a lot. As the communicator I'd scribble the driver's name while calling the incident and pass the ticket to the safety who would fill out the tickboxes and drop it in the cockpit while getting the driver on his way. The TransAm drivers were the best at "paying up" but we got smiles and waves from many previously-ticketed CART drivers too.

keke

Gnomex · 4 Dec 2002, 15:57 (Ref:442639)

Hog

Do you want to mail me outside this discussion so we can finalise our arrangements? (I'm pretty new at this but I think you do it by clicking on "Gnomex" and following on from there). If not speak to Nige he has my landline. Cheers.

Hog · 4 Dec 2002, 16:42 (Ref:442663)

Hi Gnomex. I couldn't mail you through this site so I've mailed Nige and hopefully he will pass on the necessary. See you on the 28th - don't forget your fishing rod.

EvilPumpkin · 4 Dec 2002, 17:06 (Ref:442679)

Quote:

Originally posted by racerkeke
One zany idea I've seen is "tickets" given to drivers who visit the station -- pads of printed ticket forms with space to write driver's name, session and tickboxes for infractions.
keke

LOL - I was introduced to something similar this year keke

My Observer at Brands (who shall remain nameless) showed up on Saturday with a big bunch of certificates stating something along the lines of "you have just stuffed it up and been assisted by the crews of Post 5 & 6 - happy driving"

(Sorry Steve, I really can't remember the whole thing - it was funnier than that though).

What I liked most about it was that most of the drivers really seemed to like it!

pinki · 8 Dec 2002, 17:02 (Ref:445695)

Quote:

Originally posted by EvilPumpkin
My Observer at Brands (who shall remain nameless) showed up on Saturday with a big bunch of certificates stating something along the lines of "you have just stuffed it up and been assisted by the crews of Post 5 & 6 - happy driving"

(Sorry Steve, I really can't remember the whole thing - it was funnier than that though).

What I liked most about it was that most of the drivers really seemed to like it!

That's been a festival tradition at Druids for quite a few years now, last year we even fitted the Sainsburys trolley repair labels to any fordies that ended up in the gravel

Mad Hats · 8 Dec 2002, 23:13 (Ref:445885)

Greetings to the other members of the "Piston Broke" crew (Hog & Gnomex) - I hope to join you on the 28th but as usual it is subject to getting childcare organised. This will probably be my last marshalling fixture as I'm packing it all in - I'll still be at the meetings but in a non-marshaling capacity

Hog · 9 Dec 2002, 09:05 (Ref:446160)

Understood and we look forward to seeing you on the 28th Mad Hats. Piston Broke forever!!!

Gnomex · 9 Dec 2002, 10:40 (Ref:446206)

Hog - I think we had better organise a "send off" for dear Mad Hats!

racerkeke · 9 Dec 2002, 15:46 (Ref:446353)

Pinki's post reminds me of what the Dallas-based Texas Racerchasers do -- they "brand" cars that end up in their corners with stickers. As I was told by my captain at Houston the first year, "Waaall, it's legal to brand cattle that get on your property if they're not already branded by someone else." The stickers are circular, about 4" across, and say something like "You have been branded by the Texas Racerchasers" with a big sheriff's star. Some club racers and even some pros (one TransAm car comes to mind) wear the brands as a badge of courage... or stupidity, I'm not sure which. I have one of the "brands" on my worker bucket. I was "branded" the first time I worked with a Racerchaser, in Detroit.

keke

keke

racerkeke · 9 Dec 2002, 15:51 (Ref:446358)

Another zany marshal thing just came to mind -- when the gravel traps at Laguna were rebuilt in the mid 90's they were raked into very deep furrows (like more than ankle deep).

The first CART practice that year was greeted by a set of plywood shark fins, circling in the gravel trap of one particularly "interesting" corner.

It looked great; unfortunately CART made the workers remove them for safety reasons in case anyone did make it into the gravel trap. But pictures do exist!

keke

blueflagger · 11 Dec 2002, 20:05 (Ref:447827)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by racerkeke
[B]One zany idea I've seen is "tickets" given to drivers who visit the station

We did this at an SCCA National a few years ago and added fines to the tickets. My corner crew scored ice cream bars, two bags of Oreos and a jar of peanuts. The grid crew got seven large bags of M&Ms from drivers who weren't properly buckled up in time.

Another zany that the drivers love is when we have the Aloha corner crew at an annual regional race, dressing up in Hawaiian shirts and skirts for the pace laps and 'leiing' the winning drivers on their victory laps. It certainly keeps the day from being dull.

theracegypsy · 11 Dec 2002, 20:18 (Ref:447834)

Welcome blueflagger, knew we could get you in here sooner or later! Now we have you and keke, all we need is lacerat & racerchaser and we could have a complete post! Will work on that!
Meantime how zany can us marshals get. I remember years ago having spin counts at Castle Combe, with the "best spin of the day" award.

**Woolley** · 11 Dec 2002, 22:43 (Ref:447951)

I've been known to hang a Skull and Crossbones flag - "If you come off here, prepare for boarders." It doesn't seem all that zany now I've seen everyone else's antics. I'll have to think of a way of spicing it up a bit. Gangplank? Cutlass and eye-patch? Any good ideas out there?

Gnomex · 12 Dec 2002, 09:29 (Ref:448137)

Talking of flags Woolley - the "Piston Broke" crew have a marshals lunch break flag. This is a yellow flag (home made!)with a hamburger on it. The hamburger comprises a bun, the burger, relish and lettuce! We have been known to put the flag out at lunchtime to the amusement of nearby spectators.

We are also thinking of doing a black flag complete with a babys pram out of which flies a babies dummy (Geddit?). There are some drivers I would love to show it to!

Hog · 12 Dec 2002, 10:10 (Ref:448158)

How about the "Brown flag with the propellor"? For when it's really gonna hit the fan?

racerkeke · 12 Dec 2002, 16:16 (Ref:448435)

Back in my younger days we used a "snow" flag at Mosport during early and late-year club events like driver's schools. Light blue with large white polkadots.

keke

**Woolley** · 13 Dec 2002, 01:00 (Ref:448756)

Originally posted by Gnomex

Quote:

the "Piston Broke" crew have a marshals lunch break flag

Is that to be displayed because you're having a lunchbreak,or because you want one?

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