Many people aren’t aware of the high-vis army that station themselves around the track – but it is a dying breed of individuals.

On a bright Easter Sunday, a team of men and women line-up ready for their briefing. They have left behind the chocolate eggs and these brave souls are about to stand metres away from cars flying past at over 50 mph. They have just a wall or sometimes a fence to stop 1.5 tonnes of metal flying towards them.

The team up at the Curborough Sprint Course in Lichfield, Staffordshire dedicate their unpaid Sunday morning so people can take their cars out on to a live track to perform a series of challenging courses.

We often think of the necessities for racing, drivers and a car. But what happens when it all goes wrong or the worst is to happen and the car is no longer bombing it round the track, but instead parked in a ditch?

The old dogs of marshalling- they are still at it!

A true representation of just how senior the marshals are getting is visible at the circuit, Curborough had a team of over 10 marshals and none of them were below the age of 40.

Rowand Prentice has been on the sidelines for over 50 years. The veteran got into the game through going out with his work colleagues watching the night rallies across Britain.

Now, Prentice is one of the oldest members of the team at Curborough, he is a man who has gained all the knowledge with no one to pass it onto.

The ex-driver himself gets up and to the track for 8:30 am for the enjoyment of seeing the cars. However, his enjoyment is enabling others to do what they enjoy – which is going fast.

“Watching the cars go past is entertaining in itself,” Prentice said.

“And making sure when they are knocking all the cones down you go and pick them up quickly, so you don’t stop the rhythm.

“You also have to put the cone back in exactly the same place, so it is the same for everybody and that make sure they don’t gain an unfair advantage by going straight across quicker, they have got to go round it.”

Marshals are dealing with life and death

According to data released by Motorsport Memorial there have been 486 deaths at UK race circuits since records began, the fourth highest of any country.

Meanwhile, Marshal Liam Clarke died in 2024 after being struck by motorbike after crashing in area of a road race in the UK in a spot that was deemed to be not at high risk.

The reality is the dangers of motorsport might be what is turning people away from the sport.

Mark Martin is a marshal that has held some of the most senior positions in the sport for over 45 years, marshalling for F1 races and GT car races.

However, the true reality of the fatalities has happened twice on his watch, but it is still a situation that has to be dealt with.

“I have had two fatalities in all the years that I have done this,” said Martin.

“One of which I have ended up at the Coroners Court, but when we have an incident, we deal with it and come back to our post.

“If I am a post chief for that day, I will get the team together and say, ‘well done everybody, is there any way we could of sone that better?

“Someone might come up with an idea and you think ‘I haven’t thought of that’. And if there is a nasty incident you ask them you sit them down and ask them if they are ok.”