Army Training: Life in an Orange Suit as a Track Safety Marshal

The 10th of December 2025: An innocuous date for most. For me, it marked something I had been looking forward to for a long time. After a career in Highway Design, Road Safety Engineering and Accident Investigation spanning 51 years, I was retiring.

What initially felt like an extended Christmas holiday soon faded. As the New Year began, I was looking forward to putting my feet up and relaxing in semi-hibernation until spring.

Or so I thought…

While surfing the internet between various “domestic duties” allocated by my wife, Helen, something caught my eye. Cadwell Park, my local circuit, was advertising for part-time Track Safety Marshals for the 2026 Track Day calendar.

Motorsport — and particularly Cadwell Park, just 25 minutes from my home — has played a huge part in my life. Over the years it has brought me countless hours of enjoyment as both a spectator and photographer, and I suddenly saw an opportunity to give something back to a venue I have always loved.

Helen encouraged me to apply. I suspect she was less than impressed with my hoovering skills and slightly concerned at the prospect of me being around the house full-time. I updated my CV, attached a covering letter, and sent everything off. Fingers crossed…

Track Safety Marshal

A few days later, I was thrilled to discover that I had been selected, alongside ten others, for a taster day and informal interview session. Although I arrived feeling nervous, my enthusiasm quickly took over, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Soon afterwards, I received the exciting news that I had secured one of six marshalling places from more than 100 applicants.

I then attended the annual marshal training sessions on 11th and 12th February. The opening theory day gave me valuable insight and practical advice, while the second day involved a driving assessment, fire training, and first aid instruction.

With two intensive training days completed — and a hefty training manual to digest at home — the next phase involved five supervised days “on the job” alongside experienced buddies who would show me the ropes.

Track Safety Marshal: First Day on the Job

A 7am alarm call two weeks later marked my first day as a Track Safety Marshal trainee. After a hearty breakfast, I set off across the Lincolnshire Wolds in pouring rain to join my new colleagues. Despite the weather, I was genuinely excited, albeit with a mixture of anticipation and nerves.

The day’s activities were organised by No Limits, providers of motorcycle track days for novice, intermediate and expert riders. Upon arriving at the circuit, I headed to the Circuit Office where several orange-suited marshals — many familiar from training — were gathering to sign in.

I collected my headset and radio, both essential tools for the job. The office buzzed with banter and laughter, but as soon as the Control Marshal began the briefing, silence fell. It quickly became obvious that while the camaraderie was strong, everybody took their responsibilities extremely seriously.

For my first shift, I was allocated Hall Bends alongside my experienced buddy. Thankfully, given the torrential rain, we drove to the post rather than walking.

Once there, we carried out a long list of essential safety checks, including fire extinguishers, flags, radios and matrix signs. After two exploratory laps by No Limits instructors confirmed conditions were manageable, proceedings began promptly at 9am.

Ready, Set, Go

Following the mandatory radio checks, we awaited the first riders leaving the paddock. Two sighting laps under green flags opened the expert session. Conditions were extremely wet, demanding caution from everyone on track.

Intermediate riders followed, then novices, with the relentless rain continuing throughout the morning. Remarkably, all three groups completed their first sessions incident-free despite the treacherous conditions.

As the morning progressed and the circuit slowly began to dry, speeds inevitably increased — and before long the first riders began parting company with their machines.

A red flag later in the morning temporarily halted proceedings while fluids were cleared at Barn Corner following another incident. It gave us just enough time to grab a quick snack and open the thermos flask before action resumed.

Shortly before lunch, Hall Bends saw its first incident of the day when a rider crashed at the opening left-hander. Fortunately, both rider and machine escaped with only minor damage, although the rider’s pride suffered the biggest blow.

A recovery vehicle arrived quickly and, after assisting with loading the damaged bike, checking the circuit for debris and fluids, and completing the relevant paperwork, my morning duties came to an end. With the sun finally beginning to break through, I walked back to the clubhouse for lunch.

A Chance to Reflect

A healthy portion of chicken curry from the circuit restaurant provided an opportunity to reflect on my first proper trackside experience and prepare for the afternoon at Gooseneck.

Perched around 20 feet in the air, the Gooseneck tower offers panoramic views stretching from Coppice to Mansfield. The visibility is outstanding, although in bad weather the exposed position offers very little protection from the elements.

Thankfully, the track was now dry and riders were making full use of it. Speeds increased noticeably throughout the afternoon as confidence grew.

Despite several incidents elsewhere around the circuit, Gooseneck itself remained incident-free for the rest of the day before proceedings concluded promptly at 5pm.

After packing away the post equipment, we returned to the paddock office alongside the remaining marshals to hand back radios and headsets. With my assessment forms completed by my buddies, I headed home wearing a broad smile after thoroughly enjoying my first day’s marshalling.

Learning the Ropes

The following weeks provided plenty of variety. One day involved painting kerbs and Armco barriers — it quickly became clear that everybody mucks in at Cadwell. Another session involved noise-testing bikes before they went out on track.

Throughout March, I completed five additional training days involving both bikes and cars, each with two different marshal posts per day alongside experienced buddies.

During those sessions, there were numerous on-track incidents requiring the use of the various flag signals. Some situations were more unusual than others, including a wind-blown umbrella landing on the circuit and multiple detached Caterham mudguards needing retrieval.

Cadwell’s unique rural setting also brought regular wildlife encounters, including deer, hares and pheasants.

The weather continued to play its part too, with rain and fog occasionally delaying proceedings or even forcing early abandonment.

Looking Forward

As the training days progressed, so did my confidence and knowledge. Although naturally slightly anxious, I found myself genuinely looking forward to manning my first post alone.

April’s shift rota soon arrived, showing my first solo duty would take place on 2nd April at Chris Curve, preceded by an early morning noise-testing session.

The day’s action, organised by Opentrack, featured a huge variety of performance cars. The marshal assigned to Chris Curve is also responsible for one of the circuit’s fire trucks, positioned beside the post and ready to respond immediately if required.

After driving up from the paddock, I carefully manoeuvred the truck into its tight parking position beside what would become my “office” for the day. Once all checks were completed and equipment prepared, I awaited the “cars on track” call from the paddock exit marshal.

Before long, the convoy of cars began circulating and I settled into the rhythm of the role. I quickly learned that concentration is absolutely key to being a good marshal. You must constantly monitor what is happening on track while simultaneously listening to ongoing radio communications. The ability to react quickly to either is essential.

Fortunately, the day passed with only minor incidents around the circuit. After parking the fire truck away for the evening and returning my radio and keys, I headed home once again with a huge smile on my face.

Bike Days Bring Extra Challenges

The following day — Good Friday — I returned for my first solo bike track day at Gooseneck. Unlike Chris Curve, which is accessed externally, Gooseneck sits on the infield and requires marshals to drive around the circuit itself to reach the post. In this role, even driving to work feels like a perk.

Bike track days are generally busier for marshals than car days because they operate in 20-minute sessions rather than open pit lanes. This creates far more radio traffic and requires regular “call-down” safety procedures.

There also tend to be more incidents. Even a small rider error can have greater consequences than a mistake in a car, often resulting in yellow or red flags.

First Phases Complete

My formal training and first solo car and bike shifts are now complete. However, much like learning to drive, I suspect the real education comes through experience gained on the job over time.

The support, guidance and encouragement from my buddies over the past two months have provided a fantastic foundation for what I hope will become many summers spent at this idyllic circuit hidden away in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Even in the relatively short time I have been involved at Cadwell Park, I have been made to feel part of a friendly, professional, conscientious and extremely hard-working team. As I continue my new career as a Track Safety Marshal, I only hope I can live up to the standards set by this dedicated Orange Army.

You find more information about being a MSVR Track Safety Marshall here.

---