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Message text written by Rich Urschel
"What do you do on the next pass when they're last in line and
not ready? And the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth pass?
Rich Urschel"
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This is the tough call on being a grid marshal. We have had some well-known
people stall and stall and stall, all for the purpose of running, perhaps
even in the next group.
You haven't lived until you watch the "ceremony" of checking every tire's
pressure on each corner after each of the three or four driver's runs.
Then it becomes a question of how mad do you want to make this
usually "famous" person?
Here's where you have to be firm and inform the people either they run NOW
or they won't run at all.
At the AAS round 1 I explained to one "famous" person I didn't really care
when he ran but the group was about to end and then he would have to have a
conversation with the leader, Jesus Villarreal, because when that last car
ran I was gone and so was my grid associate. He would thus be standing
there all by himself and the walk through would begin.
Excuses include: "We need to let the car cool off." Well, if you
live and drive in Sacramento and you haven't figured out how to cool down
your car after owning it for several years you ain't too bright or you
think the grid marshal isn't. You're stalling for the sheer joy of it.
Naturally there are other situations that must be dealt with on an
individual basis.
--John Kelly
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