Marshal Like a Pro

Marshaling is one of the most awful jobs there is at a race track. Here are some things to help you get through it.

It's Never Good Enough

You'll never marshal someone's car fast enough, or put them where they think they should be. People who just crashed are frustrated already and they'll take it out on you all day long, they'll bitch more about your poor marshal than they will the series of events that lead them up to the crash in the first place. At best they'll holler from the driver stand and belittle you in front of everyone, a worst they'll bitch passive aggressively behind your back in the pit all day. Some guys will climb off the driver stand and snatch their car out of your hands and storm into the pits. That's just how it is. You can follow all the rest of the tips below, but know that marshals are like officials in sports. When they do it right nobody notices, and when they make any mistake at all it's the end of the world.

Watch your Corner

It's hard to marshal and not watch the race, but it's harder to watch the race and marshal. Try to stay focused on your section. Watch the cars enter your section, follow them through, and exit and then shift your gaze back to the entrance of your section for the next pack. If you try to watch the whole race you'll miss stuff that happens right under your nose. Try to keep count, 3 cars in, 3 cars out. If 4 come in and 3 come out there's something wrong! Be aware of the marshals near you, in the event of a crazy pileup they may need help, but more often it is better for you to stay put than to cross lanes of traffic to get one car.

Stay Calm

Just like in racing, when marshaling slow and steady wins the race. You can be quick without being hurried. Make calm assertive decisions about which cars to go after, and in what order. You won't ever do it fast enough anyway, so take your time, be sure footed with your recoveries and sure minded in your spots. Everybody want's a faster spot, but nobody want's to be spotted in the wrong lane, facing the barrier, or be fumbled with 2-3 times be fore finally landing on wheels. It's easy to get flustered and panic, but try your best to be in a calm place.

Watch the Line

As if there's not enough to do already right? But watch the line the fast guys are taking through your section. Is that the line you drive? Where are they slowing down, when do they get back into it? One of the biggest missed opportunities is watching, really watching, how the other drivers drive. Get technical, notice when they're steering and working the throttle and how the car responds.