After the successful running of the Jim Clark Rally in November last year, the event returns to its traditional slot in the calendar for 2020, with a new sponsor in the form of Beatson’s Building Supplies. The dates for your diary are Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 May with a competitor’s shakedown on Friday 29 May. As usual, a large number of Marshals of all disciplines is required.

You will have seen from the latest news that the situation regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) remains both fluid and serious. The World Health Organisation and the UK Department for Health have been issuing frequent updates and the advice remains that the situation is a public health emergency of international concern. Motorsport UK is following the advice from the government and taking a proportionate response.

Dunfermline Car Club is organising two events at the Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston, over the weekend of 28th/29th March 2020 and is looking for nine radio marshals for Saturday, and eight for Sunday.

The Scottish Association of Motor Sports Clubs has a training programme for marshals and officials of all levels of experience, from complete novice to guru level, and the courses are all free, and run by qualified instructors licensed by the Motorsport UK.

The Jim Clark Motorsport Museum in Duns, Scottish Borders, is hosting a new exhibition, Clark on Canvas. This evocative exhibition of artworks depicts 1960s motor racing, when Jim Clark was the dominant driver. Visitors will be able to purchase paintings from the exhibition, which runs to 30 November 2020.

We were very pleased to support Stewart Paton present a cheque to Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance from the proceeds of a raffle at the Marshals Social Night in February.

The Milltown Stages are back in 2020! They will now be known as The Annabelle Tennant Memorial Stages in memory of Annabelle who was an integral member of the previous organising team. A minimum of eight radio crews are required. Please take a moment to respond even if you can’t attend as it really help us with planning.

The Knockhill Motor Sports Club organised events are going through their biggest changes for the 2020 season with more racing content than ever before and the KMSC need your help as a marshal. All levels of experience welcome.

Several members of Scottish Motorsport Marshals Club attended the memorial service for Club President Andrew Cowan on Saturday 1st February. The Club was represented by Directors Rod Howat, Garry Headridge and Mike Gascoigne along with a number of members. Andrew was President of SMMC from its beginning in 1973, and will be sorely missed.

Help to marshal at various events around Scotland where teams of students aged 9 to 25 design and build an electric car to race at Greenpower events.

We have recently managed to scan in all of the previous issues of MARSHALS POST and we now have an archive of searchable PDFs containing over 40 years of news, developments, events, and banter. It's a fascinating look back through time to see just how pioneering SMMC was nearly 50 years ago, and what a huge impact the Club has had on motorsport in and beyond Scotland.

Concussion is an important health issue in sport and this is also true for motorsport. SMMC are pleased to be supporting the RESCUE-RACER study, the long-term results of which will be used to create guidelines for return to race decisions.

The first round of the SRC kicks off in Inverness on 7th March 2020 with The Snowman Rally. We need marshals, lots of marshals, of all disciplines for the event to run and run safely.

I'm delighted to announce that Mike Gascoigne has agreed to become our new Club President. Mike is one of the three founder members of SMMC in 1973 alongside David Swinton and Peter Francis.

I am delighted to announce that the SMMC Directors have appointed Dr John Harrington as the Club’s Medical Adviser. He will work with the Directors on the clinical governance of the Rescue Team and the first aid training for Club members.