| Introduction | Championship | News & Press | Cameo | Gallery | Records | Membership | Related Links |
| Calendar | Challenge | Committee | School | Marshals | Timing | Accommodation | Full Gurston Menu |
It is a requirement of the MSA that a Clerk of the Course must be appointed for any motor sport event.
The Clerk of the Course has overall responsibility for the general conduct and control of an event, and must discharge that responsibility in accordance with the Regulations, the Programme and the Organising Permit as issued by the MSA.
It is now necessary that all Clerks of Course at Hillclimb events are licensed officials, and the MSA has introduced different grades of Clerks licence appropriate to an officials experience and abilities. Hillclimbs are classified as Speed events, and at Gurston we now have four licensed Clerks, (three of whom are graded as National Grade A Speed Event Clerks, and are therefore able to officiate at any UK hillclimb other than those held under an International permit.
As mentioned above, the Clerk is responsible for ensuring that all the relevant regulations are complied with. Effectively therefore, he or she is "The Boss" of the Meeting. As there are many different areas of control and responsibility at a Hillclimb, it is necessary for other officials to be appointed in order to make the meeting run smoothly. These include a Secretary of the Meeting, Scrutineers, Course Controller, Timekeepers, Marshals, a Results team, Doctors, Rescue and Ambulance personnel, together with other staff whose responsibility is to make each event run as smoothly as possible. Even with all these people appointed to assist at a hillclimb, the Clerk is still ultimately responsible, although he or she may have limited technical knowledge of various areas.
A Clerk needs therefore to be both experienced and well grounded in all aspects of the regulations, most of which are detailed in the Blue Book issued annually by the MSA. The Clerk must be able to build a team from many highly knowledgeable people, and although accepting full responsibility for the proper conduct of the meeting, must allow the specialists to use their many skills properly.
The Clerk is also the official who will attempt to resolve any problems arising at a meeting. These will include interpretation of the rules and regulations, exercise of discipline over competitors, and adjudication between competitors where protests are lodged in accordance with the Judicial Code as issued by the MSA.
The detailed areas of responsibility are set out in the MSA's Year Book, and it is worth reading carefully, to understand the nature of a Clerks powers and responsibilities. Other sections of the Blue book are also essential reading, because if you fall foul of the many regulations, it is the Clerk who will be after you! As in many other areas of life, ignorance is no defence!
At every event, the MSA appoint a Steward. He is known as the MSA Steward, and is charged with ensuring that every event is properly conducted. To assist him, organising clubs appoint two Club Stewards, usually from among their own club members, and these three stewards, acting together, will ensure that the meeting runs in accordance with the rules. Stewards do not form part of the organising team; they are there to provide an overall system of control. In the event that a competitor does not accept a Clerks ruling regarding a particular problem, the Stewards will convene a Stewards Enquiry, and issue a ruling which is binding, subject to the right of appeal to the MSA.
Stewards are appointed from those who have a great deal of experience in motor sport, and who have a good working knowledge of the rules, the Blue book, and the judicial procedures.
The requirements relating to Stewards are also laid down in the MSA's Year Book.
At every competitive event, it is necessary to have present at least one Doctor (or suitably qualified Paramedic), and a licensed Rescue Vehicle, complete with a licensed Rescue crew.
At Gurston, we generally have a paramedic and a BARC Rescue vehicle which generally has a crew of three. We also have an Ambulance available, which is usually provided by the St. John Ambulance Brigade.
Whenever an incident on the hill requires the attendance of a Doctor or Rescue crew, the Observer nearest the incident will request the attendance of medical help by radio. The Course Controller will immediately stop the event, dispatch the medical team to the incident, and inform the Clerk of the Course, who will probably attend the scene in order to oversee the proceedings and co-ordinate the attendance of other specialists etc.
It will be obvious from the above, that there is no room in Motor Sport for those people who wish to be Free Spirits. For any sport to function properly, it is necessary to have in place a system of command and control, and as Motor Sport is recognised as a dangerous activity, the regulations are extensive.
However, the rules are there to protect YOU as much as possible.
From time-to-time members of the National Hillclimb Association visit us, and compete on a wide range of motorcycles. The exit from Ashes is just as demanding as for a racing car, and sometimes . . . . . !
| Introduction | Championship | News & Press | Cameo | Gallery | Records | Membership | Related Links |
| Calendar | Challenge | Committee | School | Marshals | Timing | Accommodation | Full Gurston Menu |
Back to the top of this Page