I’ve heard drivers in the past thank the volunteers during the post-race interviews. I’m sure they do notice you and appreciate everything you guys and girls do… as do the spectators who are at the track and watching from home. You’re a very important part of each race meet and should be applauded for your efforts.

John, we all know im sure how stupid we really are!

I do pretty much any motorsport event i can, and i think many people forget that were there at 6am, and most of the time dont leave before 6 pm, and at major events its a 4 day marathon for a hat and left overs.

most V8 drivers do realise that if we wernt there they would be working at woolies, its just some twatbags that ruin it.

but, like in all sport, volunteers actually create a safer environment because if it were a job, people would be simply waiting for the pay cheque, and not payng attention. I’ll still do it for the love but it would be nice of CAMS to get off their rears and do something better for us, ie a few squiggles.

oh..that sucks.

I don’t think he was complaining about the officials there as such, just that there should be more of them…
What Garth needs to do is to turn this into something positive and help to recruit more people.

At events, we often don’t get time to be able to go and look around. For example, at the Clipsal we had 3 flaggies on the point and rotated every 20 minutes - so it was 40 minutes on, 20 minutes off. At Bathurst, you are often too far away from the pit area - wherever you go you are there for the day.
What would be good if there were enough people so that you could take a break of an hour or two sometime over the weekend, and actually have a look around.

However, the last couple of events been able to have a bit of fun during drivers parades - Remember the Dipper at Bathurst Jamie ? Also wished Russel Ingall a Happy Birthday at the Clipsal.

Team Vodafone are good guys - last Bathurst they turned up to a volunteers function the night before (The Tasman Boys were there as well) and they are always helpful in helping out officiating clubs.

BTW: I think there is a perception that it is a hard job to get in to - but it isn’t, you just need to have some dedication and be a bit manic…

Great post Andrew… Volunteers are the lifeblood and the backbone of the sport. Have been and always will be. Even at Club events out in the sun (especially up here in Queensland when i have raced on days close to 40 degrees). Flaggies are your friends. One of them could save your life one day…..

How do you find mor information on becoming a volunteers???????

Rodney, try Cams.com.au, or contact your local cams office. they can put you in touch with the local officals association i would think ??

Hi Rodney
PM me and I will happily find yo a spot as a volunteer somewhere at a race track in Austrlia.
Thanks for your support.

thanks..

Sanchez thinks that it is normal for a Tander to blame someone else for a mistake……..it comes with the surname.

Sanchez also thinks that Leanne is a man child.

hahaha PMSL Sanchez…

Rach xo

List of the main (Flag) Officiating clubs in each state:

NSW: Motor Racing Officials Association (MSOA), Contact MALCOLM GARNER
m.garner@bigpond.net.au

QLD: Queensland Motor Racing Officials Association, Contact: MR DALE HAM
Website: http://www.qmroa.asn.au phone: 0407 730 764 (Mobile)
Email: qmroa-sec@hotmail.com

Vic: Vic. Flagmarshalling team (VicFlag) ERIC RIGG 03 9781 1783 (Home)
http://www.vicflag.org.au Email: secretary@vicflag.org.au

Tas: Light Car Club (Launceston), Rosemary Taylor 0417 353 469 (Mobile) or
MG Car Club (Hobart) Gillian McGuinness, 0417 138 513 (Mobile)

SA: SA Motor Racing Officials Association (SAMROA) Darren Mattiske 0412 823 171 (Mobile)
http://www.samroa.org.au secretary@samroa.org.au

WA: Try Wanerroo Sport Car Club http://www.wascc.com.au/

NT: Try North Australia Motor Sports Club (Darwin) http://www.namsc.org.au/
David Ling, 0412 336 153 (Mobile)

Isn’t it timely that the volunteers were paid when flagging at national events???

I think you guys should be duly compensated for your efforts! I don’t think that a free lunch and soft drink cuts it these days.

Does anyone know if flaggies overseas get paid? I’m guessing that the NASCAR guys and gals would follow the ‘circus’, but what about elsewhere?

Reading the original post… and the comment about lunch.

John, you wouldn’t have been at Bathurst last year by chance would you ?
Sundried eggplant and a turkish roll that the ants wouldn’t eat…

Most volunteers are out there because:
a) They like the sport and
b) They are at least slightly nuts
As a result, you have people there who are pretty dedicated to the job and take it pretty seriously. It would be nice to be paid, but funding it could be difficult with the number of volunteers required.

One way may be for the Govt to allow expenses incurred as a result of volunteer work to be claimable as an expense for income tax purposes (in the same way as you can claim work related expenses). The other one is for the Motorsport community to help each other out by being able to billet officials visiting from further afield - as accommodation can be pretty expensive.

That said, I’m looking forward to this weekend (Shannons Nationals at Mallala), Paul Morris in a HQ in the wet .
This could get interesting….just don’t let it happen right in front of me….

Hey Andrew.

Wasn’t officiating at Bathust last year, but have been a victim of the dreaded eggplant parmagiana at the GP before.
I can understand the need for event organisers to cut down on costs when it comes to the volunteers, but geez, surely food can’t be one of them.
I have been subjected to th frozen salad roll of death, the ham and salad wraps from hell, muffins that doubled as Civil War cannonballs, green bananas that could puncture tyres, and my favorite, a seafood cocktail roll served at a comfy 35C.
We are entertaining the AMRC series at QR this weekend, so I will no doubt be busy.
Have fun at Mallalla.
I will get a photo of myself on the weekend with all the fire gear on, and post it along with how much it costs.
Yes, we pay for all our own protective gear!

If you go to my home page here, you should find a photo of me taken yesterday at QR.
This is what I wear (and pay for) like lot’s of other rescue volunteers
From head to toe:

HJC Helmet $200
Chicane head sock $60
RPM 2 piece 2 layer fire suit $660
Sparco Carmyth underwear $440
Homer Simpson cotton boxers $40
Gloves $60
Nomex socks $40
Taipan Fire boots $220

Total $1720

That’s a decent amount of dough to spend on your own!
Some people (like Revolution) help out where they can, but the gear is still expensive.

When you add air fares, accomodation, food and drinks, I would say that I spend close to $8000 a year doing what I love.

I could run a race car for that much.

Just thought I’d let y’all know.

Hi,

I am an official too!! I have been scrutineering for about 6 years.

Andrew - OMG - the lunches at Bathurst last year were gross!!! I actually ended up with food poisoning, and missed working on the friday and saturday, and had to do the CPS paperwork on the sunday, cos I was still really crook. (which was good - cos I sat down the whole race in the dunlop garage, and watched the race on TV)

But crappy lunches aside, I still really enjoy getting up close to the cars, meeting all the drivers, and feeling like I have contributed something.

they have to give us crappy lunches to give us something to complain about… atleast at non major events at EC the roll and the filling is seperate so it isnt soggy by lunch.

Nicola,
There’s always the weather…. last weekend at Mallala was shocking. Marshals were stood down during practice on Friday it was that bad.

The thing about working at events it you become a part of the action, what happens on the track has an impact (no pun intended) on you.

Spectators like to see things happen, officials also like things to happen (within reason) - just not near them.

Has been some recognition from the Clipsal 500 today (and Clipsal 500 do a really good job of looking after their volunteers/officials):
http://www.cams.com.au/content.asp?PageID=Article&ObjectID=1158

Clipsal 500 Adelaide Increases Support Of State Level Motor Sport
….
The Board, which promotes Australia’s largest domestic motor sport event the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, has decided to increase its financial support of the SA State Motor Racing Championships conducted by the Sporting Car Club of SA.

…..

‘Drivers, teams, pit crews, and race officials start their motor sport careers at this level and many of those people that regularly compete or officiate at the Mallala circuit in SA are integral to the success of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide. Motor sport is their passion and we are only too happy to assist’.