Racing – A Spectator’s View

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Written by Paul Goodman, Co-ordinator for the Cockshoot Cup

In 2014 the MG Car Club will run six race meetings at circuits across the country. At each of them you will be able to see MGs racing in the Club Championships and also guest races which will include Morgan, Porsche and Ferrari. In this article I will take you behind the scenes at a race meeting and pass on some tips to help you to get the best out of your visit to the circuit.

Preparations for a race meeting start many months before the day of the event. The drivers have to send in their entry forms and entry fee. The officials for the meeting have to be appointed and the programmes printed. As a spectator, there are several things that you can do before the meeting that will enhance your visit. First, tickets can be bought in advance from the circuit at a discount. Children and car parking are usually free and there are no extra charges for entering the race paddock.

Secondly, you can do some pre-event research. The race entry lists are published on the MGCC Motorsport Website several days before the race meeting. This enables you to see who is racing and in what cars. You can then look at the Championship websites where you will find the latest news and the points scored in previous races. You can also look on YouTube and view ‘in car’ videos of races at the track. Finally, if you are driving to the circuit in your MG, then put your licence and Club Membership Card in your wallet.

Many race drivers arrive at the circuit the evening before the race day. They stay in motorhomes or camp at the circuit. Facilities are always available for spectators to stay overnight and if you are coming from a long distance, then this is a good idea.

Race day starts very early in the morning. Drivers have to ‘sign on’ at Race Control and then have their cars scrutineered. This is the process during which the basic safety of each car is checked and the driver’s race clothing is inspected for conformity with the laid down standards. There are good photographic opportunities at scrutineering and it gives spectators a chance to see the cars close up, but you are not permitted to get too close to the process. About this time, you will also probably feel the need to sample the bacon rolls which are on sale at all the circuits.

Around nine o’clock the qualifying sessions begin. These will usually last for 15 minutes. Qualifying has two purposes. Each driver must complete three laps of the circuit to qualify for the race, and the fastest lap by each driver is used to establish the starting grid for the race. If a Championship is running two races during the meeting then the second fastest time determines the starting grid for the second race.

For the first time in 2014 you will be able to follow the progress of the cars on the circuit on any web enabled device. The timekeepers ‘TSL’ will be broadcasting ‘live timing’ on their website. Each racing car carries a transponder and the signal is triggered by a buried wire on the start finish line. The timing is immediately updated and you can see the time for the completed lap, and if it is faster than the previous time. The same facility is available for the race. A short time after the completion of qualification, a printed sheet of times and the grid positions is available for collection from race control.

Close examination of the qualifying times will show you where the closest dices are going to be in the race, but also look out for potentially fast drivers who might have had mechanical problems and be further down the grid than expected. You can watch for them powering through the field when the race starts.

At the completion of qualifying there will be a short break and then racing will commence. The races will be listed in the Programme and there will be a scheduled lunch break. This is your opportunity to take to the track. At all the meetings run by the MGCC, there is the opportunity to drive on the track in convoy behind the course car. There is generally no charge, but a waiver must be signed and your licence and Club Membership Card shown. Passengers are allowed as long as they also sign on. Your perception of the track will change completely as you drive around it. Look for the camber on the corners, the position of the kerbs, the changes in surface and the tyre marks on the track in the braking areas.

At most circuits there is a wide choice of viewing points. You should be able to hear the race commentary at all of them which will enable you to keep in touch with the progress of the race. You might like a viewpoint near the start line where incidents often occur, or a braking/overtaking area elsewhere. At some circuits, such as Brands Hatch, much of the circuit can be seen from a single vantage point, whereas at others, for example Oulton Park, only one or two corners can be seen. The tension builds as the cars drive a lap from the ‘collecting area’ to the grid. They will often be weaving on the track as the drivers will be warming the brakes and the tyres. They don’t want to arrive at the first corner with no stopping power. They are then given a five second board, the red light then comes on and goes off within ten seconds to start the race.

Once the race is underway, there are many different things to look out for. You will notice the volunteer race marshals located around the track, with each post having line of sight to the next. Keep an eye on the flag marshal who signals to the drivers. The most common are yellow flags for danger, white flags for a slow moving vehicle, blue flags to warn slow cars that they are about to be lapped and red flags which signify a race stop. The ‘SC’ board might also appear which means that the safety car has been deployed and is controlling the race.

At the end of the race the winner takes the traditional chequered flag. The race cars then slow down and are directed off the track into ‘parc ferme’. They must not be worked on in this area. They are then released one at a time into the scrutineering bay where they are checked for compliance with the technical regulations. The cars are then released either to be loaded onto their trailers or to be prepared for a second race.

This work will include checking all the fluid levels, the wheels and tyres and the tightness of critical bolts. If a car has been damaged or has developed a major mechanical fault, the team will work frantically to try to ready it to race again. All this effort will be going on in the pit garages or in the paddock. It is fascinating to watch, but make sure that you don’t get too close.

Shortly after each race the results sheet will be published in printed form at race control. Drivers have 30 minutes to submit a protest challenging the race results. If this period passes peacefully, then the results become final and the trophies can be awarded. The MGCC holds a trophy ceremony for each race in either a hospitality suite or one of the pit garages. This is your chance to see what the drivers look like without their helmets and to hear the stories from the race.

As the day progresses, the paddock will gradually empty as drivers leave for home. Some will be elated, others hoping for better in the future and, sadly, some with a lot of expensive work to do before the next meeting. It is always worth staying until the end of the meeting because often the last races are the best.

Hopefully you will have enjoyed your day out at the race circuit and will head for home looking forward to a further visit. You will have noticed the very large number of volunteers who have made the day possible. In fact, there are even more people involved than you will have seen on the circuit: hidden away manning phones, the press office, timekeeping and carrying out secretarial work. The Club is always on the look out for new volunteers. If you would like to get involved with running race meetings then please contact the Club Office. Newcomers will always receive training and operate with an experienced person.

The MG Car Club’s first Race Meeting of the year is at Silverstone on March 29th. Tickets can be booked in advance here for just £10! Entry is free for children aged 15 and under.