Officialling Information

For New Officials information please contact our Officials Registrar - David Bellenger.

Phillip Island Officials Invitation
Phillip Island Officials Registration

2008 Australian MotoGP Application

2009 Australian F1 Grand Prix Invitation & Application

If you are interested in becoming actively involved in being a race official, please read on for a run-down on how the club plays a major part in the running of motor race meetings. Those of us who do this regularly get a great deal of satisfaction out of it and we hope that you will quickly feel the same. If you wish to follow up on becoming a race official, make contact with the club Official’s Registrar as requested, and he will arrange a registration form for you to fill in and return to him. This form acknowledges that you wish to participate in events organised by the club, at your own request and on your own responsibility. If you fill in the details on this Race Official’s Registration Form and return it as requested, your name will be placed on the Race Official’s Register and you will be contacted prior to each race meeting the club is conducting, regardless of which venue is being used. The indemnity on the form will remain in place for as long as you are an active member of the PIARC Officiating Team. It does not reduce any of the insurances we have in place for all officials working at our events, but it does serve to remind you of your own responsibilities to look after yourself while at events. We run five or six public race meetings each year, and to remain on the list, you will be expected to attend some of these each year. If we do not hear from you for any twelve month period, we will stop contacting you and you will have to let us know if you wish to resume activities with the club.  If you change your address, please ensure that you let us know so that we can maintain our contact with you.

 

The race meetings we run are usually over two or three days at Phillip Island, and getting there is your responsibility. If you cannot get away from work on the Friday, we understand and always manage to find enough officials to get on with our tasks. This arranging of your own accommodation is usually not such a hardship for officials, it is seen as a chance for a weekend away in a caravan, tent, or shared rental house with your mates. At most events, race officials get a guest pass as well, but the guest must remain in a public area and cannot join the official at the side of the track.

 

As a guide to the type of involvement a race official may have, when you first arrive at the circuit for a Meeting, you must sign-in and collect your credentials. This usually happens at the Main Gate, but a letter which is sent to every official in the register will confirm this or tell you of alternative arrangements. This signing-in is necessary to let us know you are at the track, and also to register you for insurances that we have in place. From there, you proceed to the official’s car park, then to the Muster Shed in time for your first briefing. At this briefing, we will tell you all of your duties for the day and allocate our specific tasks and positions to individuals. New officials and junior officials are given a special briefing by Tony van den Dungen at the same time, to ensure that they are prepared for their roles. If you wish to talk to Tony before the Meeting, you can contact him on 0411 717 985. At Phillip Island race meetings, you are provided with lunch and drinks throughout the day, and we usually all gather at the PIARC Shed at the end of each day to unwind for a short period.

 

New officials are not sent out on their own at any time – they are placed under the supervision of experienced officials and we usually find that new officials feel comfortable in a very short time, and immediately start enjoying their involvement. There are a range of roles available – some are very close to the action and some such as paddock control are more involved in keeping things flowing away from the actual track. The are various age imitations placed on officials – what and where they can be at certain ages. We can work through this with you and find something appropriate in most cases.

 

Our preferred uniform for most marshals is white overalls and sturdy footwear. Those in Pit Lane, in the Control Tower, in the medical team and the communications team may wear PIARC Official Shirts which are available from the club. Do not worry too much for your first meeting. Just be practical and keep in mind the self-protection items referred to below. PIARC does have available a good set of wet weather gear in white, costing about $70 a set which may be interest to you.

 

PIARC is strong on training and you will be notified from time to time about training sessions, some under the CAMS Officiating Program and some under our own auspices. We encourage you to attend these sessions because we have found over the years that the best officials, and those who enjoy their roles the most, are those who take the role seriously, and who work at improving their skills.

 

Through PIARC, officials can register with a number of important events in the country.

Registration forms and notes for the major events are available here.

• PIARC Phillip Island car racing (including the V8s).
• Phillip Island international motorcycle events
• Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Race Officiating does have its risks and the Disclaimer on the Registration Form acknowledges that, but we firmly believe that good marshalling and common sense minimise any potential dangers present. We have prepared a set of Safety Notes which we expect you to read and absorb.  They detail some procedures that must become almost automatic for race officials in protecting yourselves and your fellow marshals, and which will enhance your enjoyment of the roles allocated to you. If for any reason, the roles allocated to you at an event are not to your liking, please talk to the Secretary of the Meeting or to your Senior Official about this because there are many roles available and changes are always possible. The insurance referred to includes personal accident insurance and indemnity insurance in case you are caught up in liability claims. We are satisfied that these are appropriate for the circumstances but you need to be aware that the personal accident insurance does not cover all likely expenses. You should be a member of the Ambulance Service for example, because an Ambulance ride back to Melbourne can be most expensive. The PA insurance replaces a limited level of income in many circumstances, but this is not unlimited. Details are available from CAMS, and through the club if requested.

 

Motor racing is about competition between competitors in whatever conditions exist at the time. It rarely stops because of weather and consequently we have to be prepared to continue roles in spite of the conditions. Although the Australian weather tends not to have the extremes that other countries experience, you should be prepared for the worst and the experienced ones always wear or take (in a waterproof kit bag), the following items:

·         Suncream and a spare cap for sun protection, and sunglasses or protective glasses, with plastic lenses.

·         Long sleeved shirt and long pants, again for sun protection, if outside & not wearing overalls.

·         Overalls for trackside officials - white or orange, if not being supplied by the organisers.

·         Waterproof footwear - comfortable leather boots are probably the best and do not melt like nylon footwear if exposed to flame. Remember you will be standing for many hours each day.

·         Spare socks & shirt, and a Jumper or windcheater.

·         Small towel that can be worn round the neck as a scarf in heavy rain.

·         Parka and waterproof gloves in colder areas.

·         Leather gloves (gardening gloves will do) for trackside marshals - to protect the hands.

·         Waterproof and windproof topcoat with hood - reaching below the thighs, and better still with matching pants.  Should NOT be coloured bright yellow, red, or green.

·         Other task-specific gear such as balaclavas for Fire Marshals.

·         Some extra fluids and food as a supplement in case of local delays in supply.

·         Small, lightweight collapsible stool if on duty over long hours.

·         Garbage bag, mainly to keep your kit bag in while in the rain and on the wet ground.

·         A garbage bag containing shorts, T-shirt & a towel kept in the car - when you get to your car at night, remove all wet, dirty clothes, dry off and put on the clean clothes, and then drive home in comfort.

 

Don’t be scared off by the warnings, they are a part of the drama and excitement we face and enjoy at each event.

We look forward to working with you soon,

 

David Bellenger – Official’s Registrar