Hi All

If the Governments road to recovery goes to plan the Club will be opening the beer door and garden (not quite botanical more like plastic flower in a mug) on 12th April at 6 o’clock, I hope to see some of you there.

Please remember to bring your membership card with you and we continue to be card payment only, no cash!

Now some notes about our forthcoming car rally:

“Get it Sideways” rally that the Club runs, entries opened on the morning of 3rd April at 09:00 and was full (70 entries) within 9 minutes, which is just incredible and shows the desire for competitors desperate to get back racing their cars.

The rally will take place on the 17th April at Down Ampney near Cirencester, and as always we need as many people as possible to help set up and take down the course equipment.

This is what one of the non-motorsport members said about the event he has helped with for many years now.

It’s Not All About Driving …

Motor Sport, in common with all sports, relies heavily on an army of volunteers to be able to organise and stage events. The Cheltenham Motor Club rallies are no exception, on the day of the events there is understandably a requirement for some professional services; vehicle recovery teams, medical crews, communications providers and such like. However, these are the exceptions rather than the rule.

CMC rally days themselves, are the tip of the iceberg for volunteer organisers of the event. Many hours of ‘groundwork’ will have gone into reaching this point. For much of this planning etc. a level of rally knowledge is required. Course design, rulebook understanding and requirement, to name just a couple of examples. However, there are also other numerous tasks that don’t require this knowledge. Perhaps none more so than the venue set up. This is where someone like myself (or anyone else) can get involved.

Traditionally, venue ‘set-up’ begins a couple of days prior to the event. Equipment, needed on the day, will have been identified and will require collection and delivery to the venue – van drivers and van loaders/unloaders needed. During the following days this equipment has to be set out. Tents erected, barriers sited, signage established, and the course stages lay out. It is the ‘humping and bumping’ phase. In the main physical work, necessitating little or no knowledge of rallying or even a driving license … except for the van drivers of course!

On event day itself there is still a requirement for volunteer helpers. Competitors have to be directed to the parking and services areas, changes to the course have to be made between stages, repairs to sections ‘taken out’ by competitors completed and general event management tasks undertaken. And at the end of the day what has been set up has to be dismantled, this starts the moment the final car passes the finish line.

Is it hard work? General yes. Is it, at times, dirty work? Same answer. Will I be tired and ache at the end of each day? Almost certainly. But, despite this will I enjoy it? Yes definitely. Alongside the physical work there is comradery, laughs and even ‘renumeration’ in the form of free food and a beer or two at the post event ‘wash-up’ meeting! Metaphorically a million miles from televised rallying or the glamour of F1 but to me at least more rewarding.

Why not give it a go?

Dave

Like Dave others have been giving it a try and keep coming back to be part of a team. A winning team at that.

I would like some helpers on;

Thursday 15th April 10:00 at Andy Gwynne Rally School Latton GL7 5QF.

Friday 16th April 10:00 at Down Ampney Airfield GL7 5PL.

Saturday 17th April 07:00 or 16:00 at Down Ampney Airfield.

If you have some spare time to help out all or some of the time please contact me.

Thanks,

Kevin

Club Chairman

Email smithkc5@hotmail.com or call 07831419985

Club opening hours from 12th April

Mon, Tue 18:00 – 23:00

Wed 18:00 – 00:00

Thu, Fri 17:00 – 00:00

Sat 12:00 – 00:00

Sun 12:00 – 23:00