July 2013

1973 – 2013
40 Years of Safety in Motorsport
The Official Newsletter of the Motorsport Emergency and Turnworkers Association
M.E.T.A. c/o: 10952 McAdam Road, Delta, BC, V4C 3E8
Newsletter E-Mail: [email protected]
META Website: http://www.meta.bc.ca/
July 2013
Next META meeting will be
Volume 38 Issue # 7
JULY 24,
24, 2013
CLUB EXECUTIVE
Our meeting location is ABC Country Restaurant
15373 Fraser Highway, Surrey, BC
PRESIDENT:
Lynn Rimmer
604-584-1503
[email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT:
Tasma Wooton
604-854-4245
[email protected]
SECRETARY:
Jerold Klassen
604-853-3192
[email protected]
TREASURER:
Manfred Zumm
604-521-4439
[email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT:
Mike Bailey
604-716-2660
[email protected]
NEWSLETTER STAFF
EDITOR:
Andrew Clouston
604-942-4974
[email protected]
fax 604-777-7703
MEMBERSHIP
Thomas Liesner
604-584-1503
[email protected]
All opinions expressed in the Mayday
are those of the individual authors
and do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the Mayday staff, Club
Executive, or the members of META.
META meetings are held on the
fourth Wednesday of every month,
except December. Publication
deadline is the 30th of each month.
Submissions may be faxed or
e-mailed to the Editor.
Produced in Canada.
SPEED READING
Jul 10
Jul 12/13/14
Jul 13&14
Jul 13&14
Jul 13&14
Jul 20&21
Jul 20&21
Jul 21
Jul 24
Jul 26
Jul 27&28
Aug 2&3
Aug 3&4
Aug 4
Aug 10&11
Aug 10&11
Aug 10
Aug 11
Aug 14
Aug 17
Aug 23/24/25
Aug 24&25
Aug 24
Aug 25
Aug 28
Aug 31
Sep 1
Aug31&Sep1
Aug 31 &
Sep 1&2
SCCBC Meeting – Best Western,
ICSCC Race #6&7&8 – SCR
CACC Race #3 – MRP
NASA Northwest #3 – PIR
Toronto Indy – Double Race
24 Hours of LeMons – TRMP
ICSCC Race #9 – PR
Grand Prix of Mosport
META Meeting – ABC Restaurant
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Double Reg with Vintage – TRMP
Great American Stockcar Series –
TRMP
CACC Race #4 – MRP
Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
ICSCC Race #10 – PIR
NASA Northwest #4 – ORP
Road America
Road America Grand Prix
SCCBC Meeting – Best Western,
Kansas Speedway
Great American Stockcar Series –
PIR
Chumpcar World Series – TRMP
Mission Soapbox Derby
Grand Prix of Sonoma
META Meeting – ABC Restaurant
Baltimore Grand Prix
Baltimore Grand Prix
Columbia River Classic – PIR
ICSCC Race#11&12&13 – MRP
North Road
NWMS
SCCBC
NASA
IRL
IRDC
ALMS
7:30
Grand-Am
SCCA/NWR
GASS
SCCBC
IRL
CSCC
NASA
Grand-Am
ALMS
North Road
Grand-Am
GASS
MADSDA
IRL
7:30
ALMS
IRL
SOVREN
SCCBC
Coquitlam, BC
Spokane, Wa
Mission, BC
Portland, Or
Toronto, Ont
Shelton, Wa
Seattle, Wa
Bowmanville, Ont
Surrey, BC
Indianapolis, In
Shelton, Wa
Shelton, Wa
Mission, BC
Lexington, Ohio
Portland, Or
Grass Valley, Or
Elkhart Lake, Wis
Elkhart Lake, Wis
Coquitlam, BC
Kansas City, Ks
Portland, Or
Shelton, Wa
Mission,BC
Sonoma, Ca
Surrey, BC
Baltimore, Md
Baltimore, Md
Portland, Or
Mission, BC
CACC – July 13&14 Mission Raceway Park
CACC – Aug 3&4 Mission Raceway Park
Rogers Ramblings
I was reading my favourite magazine “Motorsport” the other day and there was an article on Gilles Villeneuve
and why thirty years after the accident, he is still an icon. The author decided to interview some people from
that era; not just drivers, but mechanics, team owners, friends, reporters etc and it is amazing how many people
said he was crazy – driving over the limit.
It was interesting reading and with all the comments from the reporter’s interviews, they all said the same thing.
He was not crazy. He was in love with racing and speed.
The F1 doctor in the pace car, Sid Watkins, was waving Gilles by to regroup one race and he flew by the pace
car. After the race Sid approached Gilles and asked him what he was thinking. He replied “I did not touch you,
did I?” He was a true racer – “give me an inch and I will take it”.
All of the other drivers had great respect for him. He was very fair, but if you wanted an inch you had to fight
for it.
He never had a top notch car in F1 but he knew how to get 150% out of that car. He never liked fancy stuff. He
was from the old days, one engine four wheels and a steering wheel. Oh yes, sometimes brakes too.
It is a fascination with the skill and the love of driving a car to the limit of its speed that is the reason I am still
involved in the sport. I mean, come on, who in their right mind will get up at 6am on your day off and stand on
your feet for 12 hours, then, dead tired, go to the hotel to sleep and then yes folks, do it all over again next day!
If you can hear me Gilles, yes – I am also in love with racing and speed. I am there for the love of the sport.
Roger
At the last Mission race many of you saw or heard of the Go-Pro camera’s placed around the
track.
Below is a link to the YouTube video of the Closed Wheel 1 Race featuring the B-Spec series
cars.
20 minute video with multiple camera angles, in-car cams, bumper cams, as well as a camera from
the grand stands, with announcer.
Check it out, very well done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewSF3KrRgCg
© BSpecRacing.ca, http://www.bspecracing.ca
Mission Raceway Park, British Columbia,
Canada.
Go racing in BC. Visit http://www.sccbc.net/
Organised by SCCBC - Sports Car Club of British
Columbia, the the oldest sports car club in
Canada, http://www.sccbc.net/
Sanctioned by CACC - Confederation of
Autosport Car Clubs
http://www.caccautosport.org/, the affiliate of
ASN Canada FIA, the Canadian national auto
sport body.
Sports Car Club of British Columbia
Presents
“Summer Fun”
July 13-14, 2013
This event is sanctioned by CACC and affiliated with ASN Canada FIA INC.
It is a championship points race conducted under the 2013 CACC regulations and is organized by the
Sports Car Club of British Columbia at the Mission Raceway Park Road Course in Mission, BC.
Each regional group will have a points race on each of Saturday and Sunday.
Sports Car Club of British Columbia
Presents
“Summer Sizzler”
August 3-4, 2013
Featuring
4th Annual Formula Vee Invitational
Brought to you by the Family Affair Racing Team (F.A.R.T.)
Also featuring
2 Dash for Cash Races
Open Wheel Cars Dash Saturday, Closed Wheel Cars Dash Sunday
META and SCCBC at Canada Day Parade, Vancouver, July 1, 2013
Photos by Gerry Frechette
See the full gallery of photos at:
http://gerryfrechette.zenfolio.com/p866376884
Cold Fire™ – Fire Suppressant available to META members
META has purchased a supply of 'old label' Coldfire cans (the Coldfire never expires) at a special
price of $15 each for META members only.
These are not available to the general public and are intended for use at the track only.
Please contact me if you have any questions, or to place an order.
Ann Peters
[email protected]
Photos by Brent Martin http://martinsactionphotography.smugmug.com/
1973 – 2013
Celebrating
40 years of
Safety in Motorsport
From: http://www.gvmps.org/inductee_pdfs/l&k-skinner.pdf
2011 Greater Vancouver Motorsport Pioneers Society
Inductee Profile
LESLIE AND KEVIN SKINNER
Supporters - Sports Car Road Racing
Kevin’s involvement in motorsport
began with his participation as a
corner marshal in turn two at
Westwood. In 1968, he joined the
Sports Car Club of British
Columbia (SCCBC), and earned
his competition racing license in
1969 racing his MG Midget in F
Production. In1973, he placed
second in C Sports Racing in the
Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs
(CASC) Canadian Runoffs at
Edmonton racing a Lotus 23.
While returning from Edmonton,
Kevin contemplated retiring from
racing, but Leslie encouraged him
to buy a Brabham BT21 Formula
B car and at that point a new
chapter in his racing saga started.
Kevin competed over the next
seven years in the International
Conference of Sports Car Clubs
(ICSCC) and won their Formula B
Championship in 1978 and ‘79.
Later, he purchased a Brabham
BT38 and fitted a Ford BDA to run
in Formula Atlantic, he still owns
this car today. In 1979, Kevin
became the ICSCC Contest Board
representative for SCCBC. In
1981, he became the SCCBC,
ICSCC Executive Board
representative, a position he held
until 2007. Kevin was elected to
the executive of the SCCBC in the
mid 80s as Vice President for
several years and then President.
As president, he was
instrumental in finding the current
SCCBC racing facility by
negotiating the development of the
road course at Mission Raceway
Park with the BC Custom Car
Association. Kevin was awarded a
life membership by the SCCBC.
Kevin represented British
Columbia on the board of Western
Canada Motorsports Association
(WCMA) for the period of their
representation of the sport in this
area. Kevin has worked with
Imperial Tobacco and Honda
Canada to bring the Players Pacific
and Honda Michelin Racing Series
to Westwood and the Molson Indy
to the streets of Vancouver. Kevin
was on the SCCBC New Track
Development Committee to
oversee finding a replacement to
Westwood. In 2001, Kevin took
driver training again and regained
his competition racing license so
he could compete in the West
Coast Championship Endurance
Series and later the Westcoast
Sportscar Championship. One of
his greatest thrills was racing in the
SCCBC Invitational Sedan Race
on the streets of Vancouver, with
his sons Peter and John-Paul. For
many years, Kevin has taken on
the media role of design and
graphics of the SCCBC posters,
brochures and promotional
campaigns. In 2008, Kevin was
back on the executive of SCCBC
as Vice President of
Administration and since 2009,
Kevin has been the president of
ICSCC. Leslie became involved
with motorsport in 1970 crewing
for Kevin, she also helped GVMPS
pioneer Hilda Randall in the
concession at Westwood. Leslie
supported Kevin in his racing
habits by buying him his Brabham
(John Randall photo)
BT21, Brabham BT38 and RDC
Formula Vee. While Kevin was
involved in the political aspects of
the SCCBC, Leslie took over the
responsibility of managing the
front gate duties at Westwood, a
responsibility that she still
oversees to this day at the Mission
Raceway Park. Leslie is one of
only four Honorary Members of
the SCCBC. In addition, in 2007,
she joined the Executive Board of
SCCBC and then took on the
additional role of Volunteer
Coordinator for the SCCBC to
recruit new volunteers to the
Motorsport events. In 2005, Kevin
and Leslie were awarded the
Randall Cup by the SCCBC, this is
the highest award for long term
commitment to motorsport. Leslie
also supports Kevin in her role as
First Lady of the International
Conference of Sports Car Clubs,
which also involves traveling to
each of the Conference race events
throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Through their combined life long
commitment to racing, this
enthusiasm has flowed into their
family life, with both sons, Peter
and John-Paul have joined the
ranks of SCCBC championship
recipients.
From: http://m.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/new-cars/auto-news/auto-racing-wouldnt-be-possible-without-theseunsung-heroes/article12521407/?service=mobile
Motorsports
Auto racing wouldn’t be possible without these ‘unsung heroes’
Jeff Pappone
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published Friday, Jun. 14 2013, 6:00 AM EDT
When a track worker died in Montreal during the Canadian Grand Prix, it made headlines around the world;
when they do their job flawlessly, nobody really notices.
That’s the reality of giving your time to make events like the Canada’s Formula One race possible.
Noticed or not, track workers are key players in every racing weekend, toiling long hours for zero pay and
putting themselves at risk every time they take their posts.
“They really are the unsung heroes of our sport,” said IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ont., who
drives the Go Daddy car for Andretti Autosport.
“Not only do they have probably the most important job of all, they are volunteers. Nobody has a greater,
selfless passion for the sport than they do and none of us would be privileged enough to do what we do without
them.”
Mark Robinson, 38, died on Sunday after a freak accident near the end of the Canadian Grand Prix at
Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The corner worker was helping with the removal of a car when he
dropped his radio and stumbled as he tried to pick it up. He fell under the wheels of the crane that was moving
the Sauber of Esteban Gutiérrez and died in hospital a few hours later of his injuries.
It was the third track worker death in Formula One since 2001. It was also the third fatality at a major Canadian
racing event. A marshal died during the 1996 Toronto Molson Indy when he was hit by a wheel that flew off
rookie Jeff Krosnoff’s car. Krosnoff was also killed in the crash. Six years earlier, a marshal lost his life in the
Vancouver Indy when he was struck by car as he tried to push another out of a danger zone.
While their work often blends into the background, racing drivers understand the contribution track workers
make every weekend. There’s no doubt that thousands of racers owe their lives to the timely intervention of a
track worker, whether it’s waving a yellow flag to warn of danger, putting out a fire after an accident or pushing
a car and driver out of a dangerous spot.
“As a driver, they are incredibly important: They are your eyes as you are approaching a corner and they go in
when there is still racing going on to assist a wounded car or driver in need – it’s very selfless to do that,” said
Canadian veteran racer Ron Fellows, who also co-owns Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont.
“They put in long days, there’s risk involved, and they are not just there to help the drivers, they are there for
spectators too. They are under-appreciated, but certainly from my side of it, they are very much appreciated.”
By all accounts, Robinson was the typical track worker and not unlike many of the 825 volunteers occupying
flag stands and making up safety teams at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this year. He wanted to be a part of a
racing event and volunteered to put himself in harm’s way to play a key role in making the Canadian Grand Prix
a success.
“They love racing so much and they want to be involved,” said reigning IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay,
who is Hinchcliffe’s teammate at Andretti Autosport.
“They’re there looking after the driver’s safety and the crew’s safety and that’s part of it, so it’s very sad news
for Montreal.”
These volunteers don’t just run out to a flag stand unprepared and wave the yellows when they see a crash.
They also give up their spare time to put in days of training in addition to standing for hours in all kinds of
weather conditions, ready to step in if needed.
In Toronto, every IndyCar track worker for the Honda Indy in July is a member of the British Automobile
Racing Club. Each is trained and licensed to meet the guidelines of the sport’s overarching governing body, the
Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile. Robinson was a member of the Automobile Club de l’Ile Notre
Dame.
Simply put, without volunteers like Robinson, staging events at racetracks would become a near impossible
task.
“Well, without them, I can tell you, it doesn’t happen, especially with the volunteers,” said former racer turned
team owner and race promoter Michael Andretti, who will also be running the IndyCar event in Milwaukee this
weekend.
“We have 200 to 300 volunteers that come out and help, and if we didn’t have them, there would be no event.
So they are very, very important to these events. We’re all one big family in the end in auto racing. It is a small
world, so you definitely feel it when something like that happens.”
During next month’s Honda Indy Toronto there will be roughly 200 on-track volunteers, course workers and
track marshals making sure that it’s a safe race for everyone involved.
And while the drivers will get all the applause and glory, race president Charlie Johnstone hopes fans take a
moment to think about the men and women who make it all possible.
“Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Honda Indy Toronto,” said race president Charlie Johnstone.
“It’s a stressful environment that does indeed have inherent hazards. Our hearts and prayers go out to the
family, friends and co-workers of the fallen volunteer in Montreal.”
Our 2013 Race Day will be on Saturday August 24, 2013
with a rain out date of Saturday September 14, 2013.
Pre-race and registration date: August 11, 2013
at the Mission Leisure Centre parking lot from 9:00am-2:00pm.
PLOT TWIST! This year we have ADULT RACING!
A $100 bill gets you the thrill!!!
email [email protected] to register for adult races.
From: http://www.pitpass.com/49267-Formula-One-and-Volunteers
Formula One and Volunteers
11/06/2013
In the post World War II boom in road racing, be it sports cars,
sedans, or open wheel racing of all kinds, including Formula One,
all of these events relied on volunteer marshals to wave the proper
flags, help drivers out of crashed cars, and move cars out of harm’s
way.
These events could not exist without these volunteers, and for their
time and effort we are all grateful. These (extra)ordinary men and
women (above) risk their lives, and sometimes lose them, for the
sport they and we love.
For local meetings, amateur events, SCCA races, vintage events,
and others offering little or no prize money, not paying marshals is understandable. But for big-time racing, be
it World Touring Car, World Endurance Championship, and certainly Formula One, with all of the money
involved, not paying these men and women who are indispensable to the event is preposterous. Marshalls go
through lengthy training, have to buy all of their own equipment, make their own travel arrangements, pay for
their own accommodation, all for no pay.
As with many things, just because we’ve done it this way for a long time, does not make it right. Would it make
sense to have Premier League matches refereed by volunteers? The officials for the Super Bowl culled from
local amateur leagues? Umpires for the World Series chosen from local Little Leagues? I think most fans,
especially those betting on the games, might possibly object.
It is past time for this modest proposal. Each team in Formula One, World Endurance Championship, and
World Touring Cars needs to contribute 1% of its annual budget to a fund that will be divided among the
marshals at each event, and a separate 1% put in a fund for medical expenses for injured marshals, funeral
expense and money for the widows, widowers, and children, of marshals who might be killed in the line of
duty.
This is long overdue and should take little time to implement. Various finance companies are involved in
sponsorships of all major series, so there is already a company involved that could administer the funds. It
would also be good public relations for the sport, showing they give more than lip service to the debt they owe
these men and women. I’m sure any driver who has been helped from a crashed, sometimes burning, car would
agree, which, at some time or another, is pretty much all of them.
Jim Casey
[email protected]
The location for the next META meeting will be
A B C Country Restaurant
15373 Fraser Hwy, Surrey, BC
July 24 --- 7:30pm
604-287-3332
Mission, BC
Specializing in Sports and Vintage Cars
Surgery Hours 8:30 to 5:00
Monday to Saturday
Membership
C/O Thomas Liesner, 8849 143A Street, Surrey, BC V3V 7P7
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________
City: ________________________Province/State __________________Postal Code ____________
Phone No ____________________E-mail Address: _______________________________________
PLEASE MAKE CHEQUES PAYABLE TO META or
Renew on-line by PayPal or credit card at
http://meta.bc.ca/wordpress/forms
Membership cost is $20 / year – Membership year ends Dec. 31 – Note that the META newsletter is only sent via E-Mail