What volunteer opportunities are available at a club race?

Pit Safety. Monitor teams and traffic in the hot pit area to be sure they are safe at all times, including during fuel stops. This is great for seeing teams perform under pressure and watching the track too!

Grid. Line the cars up for races and double-check the driver's safety gear. You're the last person to wish the driver good luck before the race.

Paddock. Direct traffic in the busiest spot at the track. This is where the cars are worked on by their crews, and where everybody relaxes for lunch. The camaraderie is great and a relaxed schedule can give you time off to wander around and watch the action on the track.

Flagging & Communications. The best seat in the house for watching door to door racing! Display flags to the drivers. Radio race control to let them know the track conditions. Acts as a first responder to cars in trouble on (or off) the course.

Course Marshal. Ideal for truck owners. Go out on the track and tow in disabled cars.

Emergency Services. Are you an EMT, nurse, doctor, or firefighter? Handle everything from crew members with scraped knuckles to driver extraction and car fires.

Timing & Scoring. Be the first to know when a track record has been broken and who qualified on the front of the grid.

Registration. Here's your chance to meet drivers, their crew members, and the volunteers that make races happen. Many registration volunteers are also crew members or volunteers in other specialties.

Tech Inspection. Are the cars safe and legal according to the rules? Do the drivers have the proper safety gear? Mechanical experience is helpful, but not essential.

Comm Tech. Short for Communications Technology, these people are responsible for the maintenance of the club's radios and hardline communications.

Sound Tech. Monitor the cars to ensure that they do not exceed the prescribed sound limit. This job can be done from a chair!

Race Chair. These are the folks who organize the event and make sure it runs smoothly. They do everything from budget planning to phoning race results to the press.

Thanks to Shannon Murphy, an SCCA member, for the job descriptions above. They were first published in the March 1996 edition of the Tonneau, SCCA LOL's newsletter.

Note: For many specialties, you must be 16 years or older. For some, for example Timing and Scoring, under 16's are acceptable.