Chatsworth Rally Show 2009

Tony Jones from Sheffield and Hallamshire was a kind chap who volunteered to be a radio marshal for me on the Jim Clark, if I would put a team of people together and be sector marshal on the Chatsworth event.

The Team was:

Martin P, Dawn Q, Nick G, Katie Q, Dave Baskerville, Ian B and myself from Slaithwaite MC

Dave Crosland, James Crosland, Allan Ellis and Ian Cowburn from David Browns MSC.

Trevor, Melvyn, Gary and Richard from Buccaneer MSC.

John & Sarah Padgett from Lindholme MSC.

We were to man? people? staff !!,   3 junctions and camp in the grounds of the estate on the Saturday.

The rain on the Friday was pretty bad, not good for putting tents up, but even worse during the night, it was monsoon season in Derbyshire.

Saturday sign on was 6am. We already knew our junctions, arrived on post and put up our free little cheap gazebo’s, they offered a little shelter but our boots were wet through from the long grass, wet feet by 7am is no fun.

The team were split up to cover the junctions and the event started even though the rain had stopped… oh boy did it rain.

The cars varied from Mika Hirvonent in a Ford WRC, Aston Martin driven by Mark Higgins, historic cars including Russell Brookes, Louisee Atkin~Walker in a blue Porsche, Stig Blomqvist in an escort and just about everything you could think of.

The only problem I had was moving photographers who decided standing on the outside of a corner on wet grass where cars were going off was a good idea. I was prepared to red flag the stage but with the help of the radio cars and the media officer the offending snappers were moved. I must say that most of the Kodak clan were great, nice people, Phil & Marcus Andrews are among the best, they even took pictures of bad photographers for me to report later.

We kept moving around between the junctions to give everyone a different view, towards the end of our 13.5 hour sting Dave Crosland and Dawn disappeared to start the barbeque, it was great to know there would be hot food waiting for us, thanks guys.

We all got together Saturday night, ate well and had a few drinks… Allan of David Browns was a hero, he put all the soggy boots in his transit van and with the heater on full blast dried them all out, think we may owe him an air freshener.

The spirits were low so we ducked the marshals cars in the car park, about 30 ducks were waving around on aerials… nice sight.

Sunday 6am came around too soon, more rain, we again plodded into stage to run a holding area, Start line (which turned into a stop line) and a flying finish and the infamous Summer house yump.

The rain was again relentless, but we started putting ducks on aerials and lifted the spirits, competitors were demanding ducks, Steve Perez thought the duck looked good on the Stratos, Mark Higgins and Mika Hirvonen were in hysterics, thought the ducks were fun.

All in all 97 ducks were present, I just hope the official photographers have forgiven us, imagine all the editing out that had to be done… oooops.

Inside page of the motorsport news had an Aston martin with a duck on. 

Katie Quinn was the only marshal who had something to smile about, she won a draw and went in a Ford Fiesta rally car then a production car trial machine.. well done Katie.

Never again was the cry when packing up soggy tents, we mean it.

Team Duck