Interview: Aron Smith

Redstone Racing's newest recruit Aron Smith started his first full season of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at the beginning of the year. Halfway through the season, and with two weeks to go until the season gets back under way, I spoke to the Irishman, to get his thoughts on the season so far - and what's left to come this year...

You're now halfway through your first full season in the British Touring Car Championship. How are you getting on so far?

Well, to say it's been up and down would be an understatement. It seems I may have broken every mirror in the country with the luck I've been having, but I guess that's life! I've loved every single second so far, and the team are like my new family.

Swings and roundabouts: Smith hasn't had the season he would have
hoped for so far in 2012.
Picture Credit: Marc Waller.

You started off on the TOCA package with the Renault Clios - how much of a transition is there between the Clios and the Touring Cars?

It's a different kettle of fish altogether. The cars are more of a racing car, and the actual racing is a lot more fierce - but that's what makes the championship what it is. Apart from the actual racing side, the other thing that's been a read surprise is fan support. Up until this season, I felt like I was racing for myself, but now it's completely different. Having people come over and wish you luck before each race is really inspiring. I know that probably sounds silly, but I love feeling like I can make anyone's day even 1% better!

How are you getting on working with Redstone Racing for this season? You have a very experienced team mate in Mat Jackson, did this help you in your step up to touring cars?

Looking in from the outside, you don't get to see just how much of a team effort it is. Every single one of the team are amazing at what they do, and all of us are there to do our best. It's an environment like no other, and being around the team pushes me further that you could imagine. Good old Mat, where do I even start?! In fairness, having him in the team has been such a help. I don't think he gets the respect he deserves because he is definitely one of the best drivers on the grid, so to learn from him is great.

Part of the family: Aron has settled in nicely at Redstone Racing, describing
team mate Mat Jackson as "one of the best drivers on the grid".
Picture Credit: Marc Waller.

Do you have any expectations for the remainder of the year?

Hopefully to move further up the grid! There's a lot of very competitive drivers on the grid and names I've grown up watching so all I want is to try and get one over on them! I'm one to never set really stringent goals because if you don't accomplish them, you'll end up being disappointed. All I can do is my best - so hopefully that's good enough!


And finally, race days are a busy time for any racing driver. Could you describe a race day in the like of a racing driver?
Race days are absolutely manic! I'm at the track from 8am to have breakfast with the team, and we have a bit of a pre-brief over breakfast, which normally consists of the team slagging my Irish accent - which supposedly mimics sounds off "Big Fat Gypsy Weddings"! Then it's all down to business, running through everything we need to try for the first race. Race one is, in my opinion, the most important race of the weekend. A solid result in race one normally means you're on for a good weekend. After that, there's normally very little time before race two, so it's straight into a debrief to see if we need to change anything for race two. After race two, I feel like I could eat a baby through a tennis racket, so getting lunch is key! We all do a Q&A for the Redstone guests over lunch before heading back to the truck for a debrief with the engineers. After race three, you'll find me wheel spinning out the gate to catch a flight home from the nearest airport! So basically, that's my Sunday. The day goes so fast that you barely notice what happens to everyone else, so watching the replay of the three races is always a surprise to see what actually happened!

Aron will hoping to move his little "Red Devil" up the pecking order
as we enter the second half of the 2012 season.
Picture Credit: Marc Waller.

Marshals; what they really mean to motor sport.

I'm going to start with a question. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a race weekend? The stars, the cars, the weather and the atmosphere were probably some of the answers you thought of....

I think it's fair to say that marshals are the most important people who attend any motor sport event. Without the guys and girls in orange, no racing would happen. It's as simple as that. The reason that the majority of marshals get into the industry, is because of their passion and dedication to the sport they love. They give their all to ensure that motor racing events run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
     Next time you watch a motor sport race, no matter what or where, take a look at how many marshals you see at the sides of the track. Ten, twenty, thirty... Every single marshal that you see is there for one reason - to do a job they love. And there are all there voluntarily.

Passion and dedication: Marshals doing their bit for the sport they love.
Picture Credit: Daniel Wiggins.

In every motor racing series - from small club events to highly publicised worldwide events such as the BTCC and Formula One - marshals are needed at every track, for every race, every year. So far this year, we have seen our marshals put to practise in some high drama incidents. For example, the opening round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch saw an oil spillage on the track lead to seven cars crash out of race three. The marshals were on the scene before the dust had even settled back on to the ground and cleared the track quickly and efficiently in order to get the action back under way. Also in the BTCC, a fiery final race at Croft also saw marshals quickly put out Liam Griffin's flaming Ford Focus after an impact with the barrier.

Carnage: Marshals were on the scene quickly at Brands Hatch after
seven cars made it into the gravel after an oil spillage.
Picture Credit: Daniel Wiggins.

It's not just the "rubbing is racing" forms of motor sport that require the services of the marshals during a race weekend. Formula One stars sometimes get it wrong too. The Canadian Grand Prix in 2012 saw numerous cars fall off the track at numerous points over the weekend. Small events, such as local hill climbs and club meetings also rely heavily on volunteers willing to give up their spare time to help make events run smoothly.

Oops: Jean Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso being recovered
by marshalsat the Canadian GP 2012.
Picture Credit: Tasha Baptie.

I spoke to a few people who marshal at circuits over the length and breadth of Britain. One of the main aspects of marshalling that made people want to get involved was the buzz of being so close to the on-track action. This comes from a marshal at Oulton Park; "We may work in all weathers, have to put up with some appalling conditions and do it for free - but the rush you get standing so close to the track is amazing. I'd never give it up."

Smaller, less publicised events also rely on volunteers giving
up their time to ensure things run smoothly.
Picture Credit: Craig Steele.

With all aspects of motor sport, the highs come with the lows. Marshals have to be on their guard throughout every second of a race, as literally anything could happen at any time. Marshals are trained to the highest standards to ensure that they are prepared for the unexpected.

In writing this article, I would love to be able to inspire just one person to sign up and become a marshal. Go Motorsport UK is one of the main websites that provide useful information on how to go about becoming a marshal. MSA Director of Training and Education, Allan Dean-Lewis MBE, told me a little about why marshals are so important in today's motor racing world - and also gives some tips on how to become a marshal:

"All volunteer officials, including marshals, are absolutely vital to motor sport; without them, there simply would not be a sport for the rest of us to enjoy, whether as competitors or spectators.
     "There are currently around 6,000 MSA-registered marshals across the UK, all of whom are vital to the safe and effective running of the 4,500 MSA-permitted events that take place each year. The MSA runs around 160 free training seminars annually for its volunteer officials, which helps to make British marshals some of the best in the world. That's why our marshals are so highly regarded internationally, and why hundreds of them officiate at overseas events every season.
     "Becoming an MSA-registered marshal is a great way to get more closely involved in the sport and join a community of like-minded enthusiasts. Anybody interested in getting started should head to the 'Go Help' section of GoMotorsport.net, where they will find a list of clubs they can join as well as information about the MSA-backed 'Volunteers in Motorsport' initiative."

This feature, which was first shown as a part of the BBC F1 coverage of the 2011 British Grand Prix, shows pit lane reporter Ted Kratiz seeing what it's like to be a marshal on one of the fastest circuits in the UK. This video is a great insight into what to expect during a race day if you were to sign up to become a marshal in the future.

One of the main reasons that I decided to write this article, was down to the fact that I wanted to know your thoughts and opinions of marshals and the job that they do. Here are some of the responses that you gave...

Scott Mitchell: "A massively undervalued resource in British motor sport. Without them, we wouldn't be able to race. Under-appreciated. Undervalued."

James Wilson: "An admirable job they do - and they risk their lives to keep the show going."

Cat McCann: "They're awesome! They're full of knowledge, helpful and most importantly - dedicated. I just wish I had more time to join them."

Joe Brown: "Marshals are an essential part of our motor sport and ascent the heights from mere fandom to being involved in the sport that they love. They don't get paid, they have to make their own arrangements just so we can enjoy/partake in motor sport. Without them, we would lose our much loved sport."

Alan Faulkner: "Without the marshals, there wouldn't be any motor sport around the world. They are vital to every single race championship and to the world of motor sport."

There was one response that stuck out to me amongst the many I received. Three little words from Toby Tomlins summed up our marshals in one. "Heroes of the sport."

It seems that to fans of motor sport, not only in the UK, but throughout the world, marshals and the job that they do, are respected more today, than ever before.

You may remember that I started this article with a question. And I'm going to be finishing with one too.

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a race weekend?

Croft Race Three: Jason Plato takes the win in a flame fuelled third race

Jason Plato has won the final Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race of the day at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire, bringing Honda’s dominance of the weekend so far to an end. Tom Onslow-Cole drove well to finish in second, with Andrew Jordan closely following behind rounding off the podium finishing positions.

     Nick Foster was chosen to start on pole position from the reverse grid draw, ahead of KX Momentum Racing driver Andy Neate in the MG6 – who was looking to have a good race to bring home strong results.
     Nick Foster made a strong start off the line, as did all three eBay Motors BMWs, with Rob Collard and Tom Onslow-Cole moving up the order. Tony Gilham had a spin in his Team HARD Honda, which left him in the gravel at turn one and the safety car called out on track. At the restart, Foster pulled out ahead of Andy Neate and the battling BMWs of Rob Collard and Tom Onslow-Cole.
     Having started in fourth, Jason Plato was down to sixth, whilst Rob Austin was battling with the two Hondas of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal, with Shedden making a move of the inside of Tower to take Austin for ninth.
     Although Neate was getting closer to Foster in his MG6, the eBay Motors driver was doing a good job to keep Neate at bay, however couldn’t hold on for long, as Neate jumped into the lead at Tower followed closely by Fosters team mate Rob Collard who took advantage of this manoeuvre by Neate.
     With Mat Jackson up into seventeenth having started down at the back of the field, it was his Redstone Racing team mate Liam Griffin causing a stir on track. Contact between Griffin and the BINZ Racing Vectra of Lea Wood saw them both have heavy impacts with the safety barriers at Tower. With fuel still running through the battered Focus, the front end of the car caught fire. Liam was out of the car in no time – and both drivers were unharmed in the incident – whist marshals were quickly on scene and had the fire out in no time at all. Naturally, the safety car was called out to clear the scene, and also to repair the barriers before racing recommenced.

Not in the game plan: Liam Griffin and Lea Wood escape this fiery encounter unharmed.
Picture Credit: Anthony Keenan.

A lengthy safety car period came to end on lap twelve, and it would be a seven lap sprint to the end of the race. Andy Neate made another good restart, and got on the gas, whilst team mate Plato was up alongside Frank Wrathall on the start finish straight. The two Honda Racing boys Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden were lying seventh and ninth respectively, the Civic of Shedden possibly struggling with the maximum ballast from his race two win. Wrathall then goes wide at Tower due to the track surface still being a little slippery after the early incident. This led to the Dynojet driver losing places as a result, with Plato now tackling a feisty Collard – who was now sitting in a MG sandwich – for second. A lock-up from Collard saw Plato take the position, who was now holding a KX Momentum 1-2 with five laps remaining.
     Whilst Shedden was fighting at the bottom end of the top ten with pole sitter Nick Foster, Aron Smith came into the Redstone Racing pits to retire his Ford Focus, with team mate Mat Jackson now up into twelfth.
     Despite running so well throughout the duration of the race, Andy Neate went wide at the chicane, allowing Plato to get up close and personal with the MG6’s gearbox, before finally making his move at Tower to take the lead of the race, with Tom Onslow-Cole in the eBay BMW also taking advantage to get into second. A whole gaggle of cars battle through the chicane, with Andrew Jordan coming through the pack to take third place. Rob Austin was running well in the top ten with the BMW of Nick Foster.
     Andy Neate went wide again at Tower on the following lap, this time unable to hold on to his position – and lost a number of places down the field. Chris James was out of the race after a double whammy of contact with Ollie Jackson heading onto the final lap. A less chaotic final lap saw Jason Plato take the chequered flag ahead of Tom Onslow-Cole in the eBay BMW and Andrew Jordan, who had a great drive in the Pirtek Racing Honda Civic. Andy Neate ended up ninth having led the race early on, whilst Dan Welch also drove well to finish in the top ten.
     Paul O’Neill finally had some luck in the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis, and finished in a point scoring thirteenth place on his return to the championship.

O'Neill overcame technical gremlins to get his first points scoring position of the weekend.
Picture Credit: Anthony Keenan.

One point now separates the two Honda drivers Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden in the standings, as the championship heads into the seven week summer break. It’s all to play for in the second half of the season – you won’t want to miss it.

Final Results:

1) Jason Plato

2) Tom Onslow-Cole

3) Andrew Jordan

4) Matt Neal

5) Rob Collard

6) Gordon Shedden

7) Rob Austin

8) Nick Foster

9) Andy Neate

10) Dan Welch

11) Jeff Smith

12) Mat Jackson

13) Paul O'Neill

14) Adam Morgan

15) Frank Wrathall

Fastest Lap: Jason Plato - Lap 6 - 1:26:026

Croft Race Two: Shedden leads a Honda 1-2 in the second race of the day

Gordon Shedden has won the second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race of the day, holding off from his team mate Matt Neal, making it another Honda 1-2. Rob Austin drove to the limits and beyond to achieve his first podium of the season, finishing the race in third. Mat Jackson didn’t start the race after his team had not yet finished installing another engine to his Redstone Racing Ford Focus.

     Rob Collard led the way at the start from Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, whilst behind them; Rob Austin in the Audi A4 was up into fourth, whilst Tom Onslow-Cole had a moment into the first corner resulting in a slight spin.
     It wasn’t long before Matt Neal retook his lead, with team mate Shedden following suit to take second place. Andrew Jordan was lying in fourth behind Collard, but looked to be eyeing up the place going into the second lap.
     Midfield, Lea Wood and Will Bratt were battling for position, whilst Adam Morgan was in the pits due to a problem with his Toyota Avensis. Andrew Jordan soon took third from the eBay Motors BMW – the NGTC Honda Civic looking quick on the Croft Circuit.
     Gordon Shedden was looking racy in second – the Scot was looking to take the lead from his team mate to take his Honda Racing Civic to the top step of the podium for the first time today – and soon took the lead of the race.
     Contact between Aron Smith and Nick Foster left Dan Welch taking advantage, making up track position after his race one dilemmas. Jason Plato, who was running in this race having not been able to start race one, was running down the pack, and hadn’t yet entered the points finishing points. With twelve laps left to run, could Plato turn this race to his advantage?
     Paul O’Neill was running well again in race two, and was no in eleventh ahead of Will Bratt in the second RAR Audi, whilst team mate Rob Austin was fighting with eBay Motors’ driver Rob Collard on the start finish straight. Another move on Lea Wood through the chicane saw O’Neill move up into tenth, but ended up pulling off the side of the track after yet another problem in the Speedworks Toyota.
     Will Bratt, who was running well in the top fifteen, skated off the track at the complex due to a puncture, whilst Aron Smith also suffered from car failure and ended his race at Hawthorne.
     Whilst Tony Gilham was going wide coming out of the final hairpin, Jason Plato had made up four places in one lap to put him into seventh place and into the points having started from the back of the pack. Neate followed his team mate in ninth, with the Toyota of Frank Wrathall splitting the two MGs with just over five laps remaining.
     Dan Welch was running well in the Proton to hold off from Nick Foster in the BMW, however couldn’t take on the eBay Motors driver’s speed over the start finish straight, whilst a battle was breaking out between eBay team mate Rob Collard and Tony Gilham for tenth.
     Andrew Jordan, who was having another quiet race, seemed to be struggling with his Pirtek Racing Honda, as Rob Austin was closing in with his Audi A4. Ducking and diving for position, Austin took third over the start-finish straight on the second to last lap, whilst the two BMWs of Rob Collard and Tom Onslow-Cole were now battling with Andrew Jordan for position.
     Nothing could stop Gordon Shedden’s and Honda in their domination of Croft, as he crossed the line to take his first win of the day. Matt Neal, who’d been suffering from a misfire and then a oil pressure warning light, came over the line in second, but was told by the team to park the car on track soon after. A feisty drive from Rob Austin sees him score his first podium of the year – a much deserved result for the privateer team, who have had their fair share of bad luck throughout the season.

Austin took the RAR Audi to it's first podium of the season.
Photo Credit: Anthony Keenan.

Gordon Shedden leads the championship to Matt Neal with just two points separating the two Honda drivers, whilst Jason Plato – despite finishing this race in the points – was now lying forty points down in third.

Shedden increases his championship lead with a win at Croft.
Picture Credit: Anthony Keenan.

Final Results:

1) Gordon Shedden

2) Matt Neal

3) Rob Austin

4) Andrew Jordan

5) Rob Collard

6) Tom Onslow-Cole

7) Jason Plato

8) Frank Wrathall

9) Andy Neate

10) Nick Foster

11) Tony Gilham

12) Dave Newsham

13) Jeff Smith

14) Liam Griffin

15) Ollie Jackson

Fastest Lap: Andrew Jordan - Lap 3 - 1:26:098

Croft Circuit: Race One - Matt Neal wins a chaotic race one at Croft

Matt Neal has won the first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race of the day at Croft Circuit after a somewhat chaotic start to the day. Neal hung on from Rob Collard and team mate Gordon Shedden to take his fourth win of the 2012 season.

     Jason Plato, who stopped out on track during the end of qualifying yesterday, again stopped his KX Momentum MG on track whilst making his way to the grid. The MG was returned to the pits, and the Triple Eight team tried to find the issue.
     The start of the race saw Andrew Jordan make a fantastic start off the line, however couldn’t hold on to Shedden’s start, as the Scot went into the lead ahead of Jordan and team mate Neal – making it a Honda 1-2-3  going into the first lap.
     Further down the field, slight contact between Dan Welch and Dave Newsham, saw the ES racing Vectra hit the start-finish start wall hard – with Nick Foster in the eBay Motors BMW also becoming tangled up in the incident. The safety car was called out whilst the track was cleared.

Newsham retired early on in the race - the ES Vectra suffering heavy damage from the start-line incident.
Photo Credit: Anthony Keenan.

After a lengthy safety car period, the race was restarted on lap five. With Gordon Shedden leading, it was Matt Neal in the second Honda Yuasa Racing Civic in third, and was battling to keep the position from fourth place man Rob Collard as they headed through the chicane.
     Redstone Racing driver Liam Griffin was issued with a drive through penalty, whilst the third eBay Motors BMW of Tom Onslow-Cole was having a great on track battle with MG’s Andy Neate, who was having his most successful race of the year so far.
     Matt Neal was starting to close on the Pirtek Racing Honda of Andrew Jordan, who gets pushed wide by Neal at the final hairpin. Neal takes the place, and Rob Collard takes advantage of this manoeuvre to take third.
     One lap later and Tom Onslow-Cole makes a similar move at the hairpin on Mat Jackson’s Redstone Racing Ford, whilst behind them, Frank Wrathall has a bit of a moment and ends up on the grass.
     Adam Morgan was rejoining the field, having had to pay a visit to the pits after getting on the grass and blocking up his radiator. Having made the move on Jackson, Tom Onslow-Cole spins at Tower and loses a lot of places. Race leader Gordon Shedden was now falling into the clutches of Matt Neal, with Rob Collard sticking to the back of the two Hondas in his eBay BMW.
     On his return to the British Touring Car Championship, Paul O’Neill had had a great start to his race and was up into tenth position on track – however soon stopped out on turn one with another issue with the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis. Rob Austin was also running well in his RAR Audi A4, and was battling with Aron Smith for seventh place.
     Frank Wrathall was running well, despite his early excursion, and was running in tenth position, whilst down at the complex, Pirtek Racing’s Jeff Smith had a spin and had a big impact with the safety barrier. Honda team mates Neal and Shedden were still fighting with each other for the lead of the race; however Rob Collard was not giving up his chances of a top step podium.
     With Jason Plato out of the race, it was up to Andy Neate to bring home a strong finish for the Triple Eight team, and he wasn’t disappointing – he was up into fifth position and running well.
     Matt Neal made a feisty move on Shedden for the lead, with Collard yet again taking advantage, leaving Shedden in third after the Jim Clark Esses. Tom Onslow-Cole was up into eighth position after his early spin at Tower cost him dearly. Although running well, Andy Neate couldn’t hold on to his fifth place, and soon lost out to Rob Austin at the final hairpin, who took the position in the Audi. RAR team mate Will Bratt was also having a fantastic race, and was up into tenth having started twenty-first.
     Four laps left to run, and Frank Wrathall was off again in his Dynojet Toyota – forcing him to retire - whilst the top three were separated by less than a second heading into the final stages. Tony Gilham was now under pressure from the AmD Tuning VW Golf of Ollie Jackson, who was closing on the HARD Honda for eleventh. The Redstone Racing boys were also running well. Griffin was in the points in fifteenth after his early drive through penalty, Aron Smith was up in ninth and Mat Jackson seventh, although had lost some ground early on the race to the leaders.
     Back to the leaders, and Rob Collard was really pushing hard for the race win, and was 0.6 seconds behind Matt Neal with two laps left to go – a two car race for the finish looked set to be on the cards.
     Rob Collard couldn’t quite get past the Honda, as Matt Neal crossed the line to take his fourth race win of the season to Rob Collard and team mate Gordon Shedden in third – with Andrew Jordan having a quiet race after the start to finish fourth. A great first race for the Rob Austin Racing team saw both of their cars finish in the top ten, finishing fifth and ninth respectively. Andy Neate also had his best race of the season, finishing in sixth ahead of Tom Onslow-Cole – who finished the race with significant damage to his eBay BMW. Aron Smith had a moment on the final lap, which saw him take a trip across the gravel. He recovered from this to finish in tenth.
    Paul O’Neill and Nick Foster finished a lap down from the rest of the field, after their race dilemmas.

Winning streak: Matt Neal continued the success from Oulton Park to take his fourth win of the season.
Picture Credit: Anthony Keenan.

Final Results:

1) Matt Neal

2) Rob Collard

3) Gordon Shedden

4) Andrew Jordan

5) Rob Austin

6) Andy Neate

7) Tom Onslow-Cole

8) Mat Jackson

9) Will Bratt

10) Aron Smith

11) Ollie Jackson

12) Tony Gilham

13) Lea Wood

14) Liam Griffin

15) Adam Morgan

Fastest Lap: Tom Onslow-Cole - Lap 6 - 1:25:927

Qualifying Update: Matt Neal takes pole position at Croft

Matt Neal has taken pole position for the first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car race of the day at Croft Circuit. The action gets underway at 11:30am on ITV4 with round thirteen starting at midday. Here is the line up for race one...

1) Matt Neal

2) Andrew Jordan

3) Gordon Shedden

4) Frank Wrathall

5) Jason Plato

6) Rob Collard

7) Rob Austin

8) Mat Jackson

9) Andy Neate

10) Tom Onslow-Cole

11) Adam Morgan

12) Jeff Smith

13) Aron Smith

14) Dan Welch

15) Dave Newsham

16) Nick Foster

17) Lea Wood

18) Paul O'Neill

19) Tony Gilham

20) Ollie Jackson

21) Will Bratt

22) Liam Griffin

23) Chris James

Fans favourite O'Neill to drive at Croft

It was announced this morning, that Paul O'Neill will race alongside Adam Morgan in the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis at Croft in two weeks time.
     O'Neill - who last raced in the British Touring Car Championship back in October - will take to the wheel of Tony Hughes' car for the weekend. Having recently been working with ITV4 and their coverage of the championship, the weekend's unfoldings will be seen my avid viewers in the weeks to come.
     A proven race winner within the championship, Paul will be looking to race the Toyota up in the midfield, with the goal of getting into the top ten.
     With the new NGTC regulations, plus a turbo engine, this experience will be a learning curve for O'Neill, but will, as ever, be pushing as hard as possible for some good results.

Tony Hughes' Speedworks Toyota Avensis in action last weekend at Oulton Park.
Picture Credit: Anthony Keenan.