We all managed to get a bit of a lie in this morning, as the roads were not closing until 11.30, ready for the first race at 12.15. I was stationed at Ballaspur for the day, with Simon (from Merseyside) and Andy (from Kent), so we got a lift in the back of the Ballacraine ambulance, and walked the last few hundred yards up the track to our post.
The marshall point at Ballaspur is a scaffold tower from the field next to the track, so we had a really good view of the racing as they passed, really fast, only a few feet away from us. The marshals there are very friendly, so we passed the time chatting to them, while we were waiting for the first race to start.
The first race started on time, and less than four minutes later the first of the 600cc bikes came past us. The race passed without incident for us, so after the last Travelling Marshall went through our location, we climbed into the field behind our post, and sat in the sunshine to eat our lunch.
Next up was the sidecar practice laps, and apart from a few bikes getting very close to the boarding, there was nothing notable at our location. Once the sidecars had left the track, we waited to watch a first for the Isle of Man: the first battery powered bikes doing a lap of the mountain circuit. These bikes are powered by big batterys and motors in place of the tank, and they can reach speeds of over 100mph- but quietly ! Because of this, if the bikes are going through a yellow flagged incident, they must sound their horns, to give us some warning that they are coming, and a chance to get out of the way! The electric bikes came through at quite a respectable speed, although a few of them did seem to struggle with the hill, and one of the marshals mentioned that he had seen a sign in a shop in Douglas: “Extension Leads For Sale, 37 ¾ Miles Long” !!
After the electric bikes had completed their lap, the crossing points were opened, and we walked back down to Ballacraine for a break, where we bought Andy (who has a well known fondness for chocolate) a “TT Special”, which was a chocolate muffin, with a mars bar shoved in the top.
We then returned to our station ready for the next race, and at that time the midges decended on us, so we were trying to watch out for bikes, and also avoid getting bitten to death by the midges. The first bikes came found the corner, only a couple of seconds apart, and from then on were really going for it, with several coming close to crashing into the airbags on the way out of the corner. One bike went over so far, his footpeg went into the tarmac, back wheel lifted, and for couple of seconds all of the marshals and medics were sure he was going to come off. Somehow he recovered, and we spent the rest of the race on the edge of our seats !
When we got back to HQ, the Commissioner had cooked us all dinner, as we had had a long day with no chance to get anything from the shop. The veggie chilli was delicious- and very spicy! Racing again tomorrow, and roads close at 10.30, so I will have to leave HQ at about 9 to get up May Hill on time.
The marshall point at Ballaspur is a scaffold tower from the field next to the track, so we had a really good view of the racing as they passed, really fast, only a few feet away from us. The marshals there are very friendly, so we passed the time chatting to them, while we were waiting for the first race to start.
The first race started on time, and less than four minutes later the first of the 600cc bikes came past us. The race passed without incident for us, so after the last Travelling Marshall went through our location, we climbed into the field behind our post, and sat in the sunshine to eat our lunch.
Next up was the sidecar practice laps, and apart from a few bikes getting very close to the boarding, there was nothing notable at our location. Once the sidecars had left the track, we waited to watch a first for the Isle of Man: the first battery powered bikes doing a lap of the mountain circuit. These bikes are powered by big batterys and motors in place of the tank, and they can reach speeds of over 100mph- but quietly ! Because of this, if the bikes are going through a yellow flagged incident, they must sound their horns, to give us some warning that they are coming, and a chance to get out of the way! The electric bikes came through at quite a respectable speed, although a few of them did seem to struggle with the hill, and one of the marshals mentioned that he had seen a sign in a shop in Douglas: “Extension Leads For Sale, 37 ¾ Miles Long” !!
After the electric bikes had completed their lap, the crossing points were opened, and we walked back down to Ballacraine for a break, where we bought Andy (who has a well known fondness for chocolate) a “TT Special”, which was a chocolate muffin, with a mars bar shoved in the top.
We then returned to our station ready for the next race, and at that time the midges decended on us, so we were trying to watch out for bikes, and also avoid getting bitten to death by the midges. The first bikes came found the corner, only a couple of seconds apart, and from then on were really going for it, with several coming close to crashing into the airbags on the way out of the corner. One bike went over so far, his footpeg went into the tarmac, back wheel lifted, and for couple of seconds all of the marshals and medics were sure he was going to come off. Somehow he recovered, and we spent the rest of the race on the edge of our seats !
When we got back to HQ, the Commissioner had cooked us all dinner, as we had had a long day with no chance to get anything from the shop. The veggie chilli was delicious- and very spicy! Racing again tomorrow, and roads close at 10.30, so I will have to leave HQ at about 9 to get up May Hill on time.
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