Recovery Buffoons
Discussion
Now that the season is over I'm musing on the recovery people that attend UK circuits.
I've had two incidents this year that have cost me quite a bit and I'm still quietly seething.
Firstly, after stacking my car in qually into a barrier at Snetterton, a recovery lorry arrived and decided to lift the car onto the back. The recovery chap then cheerfully dropped the steel boom onto the roof and effectively wrote the car off - the front end damage was repairable but a new roof skin and four new doors tipped the rebuild costs into the 'start again' category.
Secondly, in the penultimate race of the season I was punted off into the gravel at turn one at Silverstone - only a foot or so into the trap but I was stuck. The first recovery chap rocked up, attached the tow line to the front (fabric) tow strap, and then drove off at lightning speed (rather than taking up the slack first) and promptly snapped the tow strap. I stayed in the car to steer it out and the second recovery chap ignored the fully-functioning rear strap and attached the tow line to the rear link arm, bending it like a boomerang.
First incident effectively cost me over £1,000, and the second about £150.
Has anyone else had this kind of stuff? I feel some education for the recovery people might be useful.......
I've had two incidents this year that have cost me quite a bit and I'm still quietly seething.
Firstly, after stacking my car in qually into a barrier at Snetterton, a recovery lorry arrived and decided to lift the car onto the back. The recovery chap then cheerfully dropped the steel boom onto the roof and effectively wrote the car off - the front end damage was repairable but a new roof skin and four new doors tipped the rebuild costs into the 'start again' category.
Secondly, in the penultimate race of the season I was punted off into the gravel at turn one at Silverstone - only a foot or so into the trap but I was stuck. The first recovery chap rocked up, attached the tow line to the front (fabric) tow strap, and then drove off at lightning speed (rather than taking up the slack first) and promptly snapped the tow strap. I stayed in the car to steer it out and the second recovery chap ignored the fully-functioning rear strap and attached the tow line to the rear link arm, bending it like a boomerang.
First incident effectively cost me over £1,000, and the second about £150.
Has anyone else had this kind of stuff? I feel some education for the recovery people might be useful.......
while I don't condone any extra damage caused to cars when recovering them, and don't know of the circumstances of the incidents you were involved in, I should imagine they are rare ish occuranced...ive been marshalling for 14 years and take extra care when recovering cars...I think only once I have had a car leave me in worse condition than when it hit the barrier, simply because the tow straps had both broken on the front and back, so it was a necessity to rip what was left of the front bumper off to try and attach a strap to the chassis.
I think calling the recovery guys 'buffoons' is a bit harsh...ok, the first seemed unnecessary, but we are all human and make mistakes when rushed in situations....the second, maybe not as clear cut...it depends on what direction the car was pointing to whether it was easy to get at the rear strap and whether the recovery would be going against the flow of traffic etc.
a few years back touring car teams were allowed to go out on track to help recover their own cars because they complained about the same thing....they ended up causing more damage to the cars, getting a truck stuck in a gravel trap at donington and getting a broken ankle of a mechanic in the process....its never as easy as it seems I suppose
and in terms of education, they do it for a living and attend training days every year...you could always come and join them to lend your expertise?
I think calling the recovery guys 'buffoons' is a bit harsh...ok, the first seemed unnecessary, but we are all human and make mistakes when rushed in situations....the second, maybe not as clear cut...it depends on what direction the car was pointing to whether it was easy to get at the rear strap and whether the recovery would be going against the flow of traffic etc.
a few years back touring car teams were allowed to go out on track to help recover their own cars because they complained about the same thing....they ended up causing more damage to the cars, getting a truck stuck in a gravel trap at donington and getting a broken ankle of a mechanic in the process....its never as easy as it seems I suppose
and in terms of education, they do it for a living and attend training days every year...you could always come and join them to lend your expertise?
A year or so back I asked for a tow out of the pit lane at Brands Hatch back into the paddock area behind the pit lane garages following an electrical issue whilst testing there. It’s almost a hairpin like turn from the end of the pit lane down a small but steep'ish hill and sharp right back around into the paddock area. I was towed with little thought of the consequences of such a manoeuvre without sufficient care whilst using a long tow strap. It was pulled around at such an angle that it snagged under the car’s grp body and severely damaged the front end which ended my day prematurely. I was yelling at the recovery driver to stop but he was oblivious as he was wearing ear defenders and couldn’t hear a bl**dy thing! There were plenty of witnesses in the paddock café that heard the sickening cracking as the body work was slowly being destroyed as he kept driving on regardless before eventually stopping! After a prompt protest to the organisers, an accident report, statements and all the photos I’d taken of the damage they settled the matter in full via their insurance company with all repairs paid for and a credit note for the days testing too! It goes to show that if there’s clearly negligence then you do have some recourse as there must be reasonable care and attention exercised when a vehicle is recovered. 
Our car got reversed in to at the Birkett while being recovered with a tractor on Saturday. New bumper. £180 plus paint.
I think it's probably a case of the operators only drive these vehicles at weekends, so it isn't second nature like somebody who uses them all the time.
I think it needs mentioning and hopefully it gets back to the operator. At least it might make them a little more careful next time, hopefully...
I think it's probably a case of the operators only drive these vehicles at weekends, so it isn't second nature like somebody who uses them all the time.
I think it needs mentioning and hopefully it gets back to the operator. At least it might make them a little more careful next time, hopefully...
Just to be clear, I've no beef whatsoever with the marshals, they're excellent and indeed told the recovery driver in the second instance to take up the slack carefully 
It's the recovery chaps. They get paid to do it and should really know better. Imagine if a recovery driver dropped a boom onto your road car....you'd be extremely angry I expect...but because it's on circuit it seems like we are just supposed to accept it.
I don't know what training days recovery drivers go on....I suspect it's none though.
It's the recovery chaps. They get paid to do it and should really know better. Imagine if a recovery driver dropped a boom onto your road car....you'd be extremely angry I expect...but because it's on circuit it seems like we are just supposed to accept it.
I don't know what training days recovery drivers go on....I suspect it's none though.
I had the front of my car ripped off at silverstone a few years ago. The driver didn't even attempt to take up the slack and there was just a loud bang as the tow hook and a good section of the front of the car detached themselves. I'd spun into the gravel and not hit anything on the way in so had an undamaged car until the recovery guys got involved.
Edited by SmartVenom on Friday 31st October 15:42
the recovery operators used are full time operators, so they are not new to it at the weekend or whatever. essentially the independent recovery operators tender for the work, which pays quite well as fuel cost are just about limited to the trip to the circuit and back to depot. most of the operators do shift work, sometimes they volunteer for weekend work sometimes they don't and sometimes they are motorsport fans and sometimes not.
as a previous poster has said, if there is negligence you can sue ( the operators have to be covered). one of my old dealers was a recovery operator who supplied a truck to the thruxton btcc event in 2012 - it was the one that got stuck in mud. the piss taking the driver got the following day at the depot was enough to cause him to quit.
as a previous poster has said, if there is negligence you can sue ( the operators have to be covered). one of my old dealers was a recovery operator who supplied a truck to the thruxton btcc event in 2012 - it was the one that got stuck in mud. the piss taking the driver got the following day at the depot was enough to cause him to quit.
i think a lot depends on the crews, at knockhill the guys are really good. The hiab is owned by the circuit and the guys do a lot of training, we also have the legendary fred henderson from croft, now fred has been recovering cars since moss was a racer and he knows his stuff. the guys we use for straight tows (piper 1 recovery) again have the experience and try and treat cars with total respect, these lads spend a lot of time doing rallys so they are used to awkward situations
I did observe a rather sad incident at Brands Hatch last year. The Elise Trophy - chap had spun his car on the exit of Paddock (usual story) and very lightly brushed the barriers. Come the end of the race, a Ford Ranger pick up is hooked up to the front, and they set off to pull the car from the front, going back down the hill toward the paddock (you may see where this is going...)
Stupidly, no-one got into the car to steer it - or more importantly, brake. For some reason the recovery vehicle stopped, and thanks to gravity the Elise keeps on going, right into the back of the Ranger, totaling the front clamshell - a very difficult and expensive item to get hold of. I really felt sorry for the driver - a minor off turned into a major repair job due to incompetent recovery. I do hope they footed the bill for that one.
Experienced they may be but it seems like far too many mistakes made simply by being unnecessarily careless. There are no excuses.
Stupidly, no-one got into the car to steer it - or more importantly, brake. For some reason the recovery vehicle stopped, and thanks to gravity the Elise keeps on going, right into the back of the Ranger, totaling the front clamshell - a very difficult and expensive item to get hold of. I really felt sorry for the driver - a minor off turned into a major repair job due to incompetent recovery. I do hope they footed the bill for that one.
Experienced they may be but it seems like far too many mistakes made simply by being unnecessarily careless. There are no excuses.
I've see it 3 times at Silverstone
1. Caterham stuck in the gravel at the end of the race they went to drag it out with a tractor and went back so fast that as the car moved from the gravel and hit the tractor damaging the rear panel lights etc. car had no damage prior to this
2. Porsche cup car involved in at accident at copse when recovered they lifted it with a single strap though the cockpit and bet the roof etc. needing a new shell if it had been lifted with the wheels if would have been a simple repair
3. Radical with a minor mechanical failure lifted by a single strap on the roll car cracking beyond repair the fibre glass shell round the roll ba which is a single piece round the cockpit.
To make things worse the last 2 were owned by the same person, unless we criticise then things will never improve, we all know the equipment is there to do it properly so is it too much to ask that it's used in the right situations to minimise damage to cars
1. Caterham stuck in the gravel at the end of the race they went to drag it out with a tractor and went back so fast that as the car moved from the gravel and hit the tractor damaging the rear panel lights etc. car had no damage prior to this
2. Porsche cup car involved in at accident at copse when recovered they lifted it with a single strap though the cockpit and bet the roof etc. needing a new shell if it had been lifted with the wheels if would have been a simple repair
3. Radical with a minor mechanical failure lifted by a single strap on the roll car cracking beyond repair the fibre glass shell round the roll ba which is a single piece round the cockpit.
To make things worse the last 2 were owned by the same person, unless we criticise then things will never improve, we all know the equipment is there to do it properly so is it too much to ask that it's used in the right situations to minimise damage to cars
"...unless we criticise"
Seconded.
If someone wrote my car off by recovering it I would firstly be furious and secondly be unable to continue racing as I have a strict budget. They would be shooting themselves in the foot.
We're not all loaded and out for a 'jolly'. Some of us save for a lifetime to be able to do this stuff.
Seconded.
If someone wrote my car off by recovering it I would firstly be furious and secondly be unable to continue racing as I have a strict budget. They would be shooting themselves in the foot.
We're not all loaded and out for a 'jolly'. Some of us save for a lifetime to be able to do this stuff.
Edited by Oilchange on Sunday 2nd November 15:24
Interesting, even though I have been recovered quite a lot I've not had any issues. Although I do try and supervise any lifting or low loading (visits to the medical centre not withstanding).
I did manage to intervene once when the boys wanted to lift on the middle of the roll bar that has a fibreglass surround.
It's a tricky area.
Bert
I've not had any issues. Although I do try and supervise any lifting or low loading (visits to the medical centre not withstanding).I did manage to intervene once when the boys wanted to lift on the middle of the roll bar that has a fibreglass surround.
It's a tricky area.
Bert
I saw a VD Formula Ford being brought back into the scrutineering area at Oulton, suspended by its roll hoop. Absolutely no problem. However as the truck swung through the gates, the car swung even further and wrote off a £500 nosecone and crash box.
My son was at Snetterton testing a new Formula Renault. He spun the car at the first corner, but allowed it to roll back onto the grass. It dug in and ever so gently rolled. There was minimal damage. The marshalls came over tipped the car onto its side.No problem, my son popped out, only to watch in horror as they then just pushed it further and dropped it onto its wheels.
That wrote off all four corners, snapped the lugs on the block for the gearbox bolts and cracked the gearbox casing.
That cost £19,000 to fix. Scandalous and utterly preventable and inexcusable.
Don't get me started.
My son was at Snetterton testing a new Formula Renault. He spun the car at the first corner, but allowed it to roll back onto the grass. It dug in and ever so gently rolled. There was minimal damage. The marshalls came over tipped the car onto its side.No problem, my son popped out, only to watch in horror as they then just pushed it further and dropped it onto its wheels.
That wrote off all four corners, snapped the lugs on the block for the gearbox bolts and cracked the gearbox casing.
That cost £19,000 to fix. Scandalous and utterly preventable and inexcusable.
Don't get me started.
Edited by andygo on Tuesday 4th November 16:37
Although I'm horrified at some of the bills, I'm reassured in a way that I'm not alone.
These people are paid professionals and should do a better job. If my road car was being lifted and the boom dropped onto it, because the operator didn't attach it correctly, I'd be apoplectic with rage.
It's not right.
These people are paid professionals and should do a better job. If my road car was being lifted and the boom dropped onto it, because the operator didn't attach it correctly, I'd be apoplectic with rage.
It's not right.
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