JIM CLARK RALLY pics

[Guest AlanK]

We were standing in the Press corner at Swinto when the car rolled - you guys must have been just down from us.

 

BTW =- the 'senior marshall' that was mentioned earlier - was he wearing a white bib by any chance?  Cause if it is who I think it is I dont think he actually has anything to do with the thing and just turns up each year.....

[derek_robertson]

The guys with the green bibs were the only official photographers allowed to stand where they deemed safe

Each had to submit a safety plan outlining which stages they were attending,where they would be standing(what junction etc) & what avoiding action they would take if a vehicle came off the road heading towards them. These guys have to have their own PL insurance & are there at their own risk whilst Joe Public comes under the insurance cover of the organisers. "Motorsport is dangerous, you enter at your own risk" signage isn't worth the paper it's written on nowadays. That is why the public have to be kept at a safe distance, to protect them against themselves & the inevitable extremely fast rally cars entering the scenery.

Only 20(max) green vests were allocated this year.

I saw plenty of unofficial photographers & tv crews with white & yellow vests blagging their way into media positions(NO MEDIA TAGS).

It's very hard to police & yes most marshalls do take pictures/videos, I've been asked a couple of times to refrain from taking pictures(after seeking sector marshalls aproval to take a few pics) whilst marshalling in heavily/over marshalled areas. My son was taking pics this year when asked to put the camera away by a senior official, he duely complied.

It's so hard to control when most marshalls are volunteers & more so on largescale events like the Jim Clark.

I've marshalled on this event for the last three years & each year it's getting harder to carry out, personally I feel it's being wasted by oversafety. The road closure orders covers the roads & verges, therefore in my understanding of the law joe public can stand in fields over hedgerows/fences etc & are within their rights to do so.There are no tresspass laws(Scotland) to stop you standing in a field providing you don't damage crops or fences.You, as  a marshall can only advise on their safety up to a point............& after that.....???????????

This rally is heading the same way as the GB rally & will be killed off unless spectators get better value over the next few years. Just MHO.

Organisers need to create a better spectacle especially the shakedown stage on the thursday night where the public had to pay £5 to watch a handfull of cars run several times through Floors Castle grounds. The top 20 internationals/nationals should be made to put on a show worthy of people paying. Quite a few folks won't be back next year because of the ripp off factor.

The WRC boys can do it, don't see why the internationals/nationals can't!!!

Back to being a spectator,

Del

[derek_robertson]

Sorry,

Meant to say "nice pix guys"

[]

[dougster]

Good points Del.

Too much blagging onto stages and too many marshals taking pictures. []

I like the spoiler picture Davie.