Trackrod Rally Yorkshire looking for marshals

The event takes place in September which starts and finishes in Filey and takes in the North York Moors forest

Author: Karen LiuPublished 28th Aug 2022

People in North Yorkshire are being asked to help out and be a marshal at one of the biggest motorsport events next month.

Trackrod Rally Yorkshire takes place on the 23rd and 24th of September, starting and finishing in Filey, and taking in the North York Moors.

It is one of the major championships in Britain with around 180 cars expected to race through a track in the forest.

Richard Webster, Chief Marshal at Trackrod Rally Yorkshire, said: "We allocate marshals a post, what is known as a junction, and they basically make sure that when the cars comes past if there's any accidents or incidents, they support the more experienced marshals who manage the incident at the scene of the accident to make sure that rescue, recovery and medical crews get there as fast as possible.

"People don't need experience. If you don't have any experience then we'll make sure that you're buddied up with someone who does have experience, somebody who will take you through what the stage entails, what the responsbilities are, manage the expectations all through the event and also making sure people are safe.

"If you do have experience and you're over 18 then the Motorsport UK website will give you online training and the opportunity to register. If you pass it, then you are registered and we can take you on and buddy you up with somebody who's a bit more experienced to make sure that everything is safe on the day.

"Trackrod Rally Yorkshire is very much the pinnacle of rallying in the North Yorkshire forests. We're going to be seeing the British Championships and the British Historic Championships. Marshals will see the whole spectrum of cars all the way through from the historics with some lovely Fiats and Ford Escorts."

In addition to the usual ‘thank you’ gifts, including a range of useful marshalling necessities, organisers are further acknowledging the major contribution from these unsung heroes by, this year, presenting 20 random awards of £100 each, bringing the total budget for this aspect of the rally to over £5000, part of which is donated by the competitors in their entry fees.

Richard added: "We still need marshals for all stages but especially Dalby (the longest stage) on Friday night and Saturday.

"I wouldn’t turn anyone away but what we really need is someone with some experience, who maybe has done it before and drifted away for few years for some reason.

"We wouldn’t just put anyone out on their own - we would make sure they had someone with them.

"It’s a vital role in running the rally as we have to fulfil Motorsport UK safety regulations or we cannot run.”

Rod Parkin, Trackrod Rally Yorkshire Clerk of the Course said: “We’ve been very pleased with the response from competitors and it is shaping up to be a great event.

“Now we’d really like to hear from essential volunteer marshals who come to help ensure a safe and successful rally.”

Action this year, some 57 miles of forest tracks, takes place over the ‘classic’ North York Moors stages of Dalby, Cropton, Gale Rigg, Staindale and Langdale.

The event begins on Friday evening and finishes on Saturday afternoon, along Filey beach.

Anyone interested in helping can register their availability by emailing marshals@rallyyorkshire.co.uk or online.

Visit the Trackrod Rally website or Facebook page for more details about the event next month.

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