Paddock Thefts - Be Careful

[turbotim43]

ch37 said:

cashmax said:

Oulton was the only circuit I raced at this year where there was no effort to separate paddock from spectators.

Interesting, off topic - but I was under the impression that a strict requirement from Motorsport UK was keeping the paddock and spectators separate at the moment. Castle Combe (for example) has a significant buffer between the two and have said it's the only reason they were allowed to welcome spectators back.

I've been to Oulton twice this year for the bike meetings and they were stopping people on the paddock gate?

Had a chat to the guy on the gate at Thundersport as he lives near me so I definitely know the main gate was manned

[andrewcliffe]

Yes, when I went to Oulton all the minor paddock gates were locked so the only way in/out was via the main paddock gate near Chequers, and that was manned.

[TimCrighton]

Further theft of tools from the Oulton round of JSCC apparently yesterday (according to competitor) . This time from the pits.

[BertBert]

I'm not sure this is really news. Oulton is renown for it.

[andygo]

BertBert said:

I'm not sure this is really news. Oulton is renown for it.

Oulton is too near Liverpool..

We had our engineers Laptop stolen a few years ago.

What do you you do with all your kit when you are in a pit garage?

Laptops, tools, corner weight scales etc. You can't take them all onto thepit wall with you!

I had a new pitboard and numbers nicked from Brands.

I repatriated them from the Anglesey pit wall 1/2 way through a FunCup race later that year. I hope they were inconvenienced as much as we were at the time...

[astonman]

At an Oulton Park VSCC meeting( some years ago)a competitor had his Range Rover tow car stolen, whilst he was on the track.I have never heard of anything like that at any other venue.

[Altrezia]

TimCrighton said:

I've been fortunate to be on the receiving end of incredible generosity in paddocks and I've always tried to give it back. Lending kit and tools to help out.

For sure! Won't forget you helping us change wheels for the (wrong) dry tyres before a horrible wet race at Brands..

I hate these sorts of threads. Total reminders that there are scum everywhere. As someone who goes racing alone, or with just his wife as a helper, this is really worrying. There's no way we can 'man' our stuff at all times, especially as our kit is just a tow-car and trailer. We can't hide the spare wheels, or tools in a nice locked up van, so our stuff remains ours simply by luck.

Luckily, MOST people who race are fantastic. Keep vigilant everyone.

[TimCrighton]

Altrezia said:

For sure! Won't forget you helping us change wheels for the (wrong) dry tyres before a horrible wet race at Brands..

I hate these sorts of threads. Total reminders that there are scum everywhere. As someone who goes racing alone, or with just his wife as a helper, this is really worrying. There's no way we can 'man' our stuff at all times, especially as our kit is just a tow-car and trailer. We can't hide the spare wheels, or tools in a nice locked up van, so our stuff remains ours simply by luck.

Luckily, MOST people who race are fantastic. Keep vigilant everyone.

Thanks Alex - hopefully in 2021 we will see you back on track!

[RobM77]

mat205125 said:

DoubleD said:

You should always lock away your valuables, you cant really blame the track if you dont.

Nice sentiment that I kinda agree with, however a level of trust and security of the entry and exit from the paddock is also expected

Not unusual to use wheels and tyres or fuel cans to weight down a tent, for example.

If like me you're normally on your own, it can also be onerous to lock absolutely everything in the tow car before you head out on track. I do normally lock away almost everything, but getting absolutely everything I need rammed into my car takes ages, and there's normally enough to do between sessions without having to re-pack it every time you go on track. I'm thinking of trailer straps, spare wheels and tyres, cans of fuel etc.

[BertBert]

We had a Radical rear wheel nicked out of a pile of 4 out the back of the garage at Silverstone after they had been washed. Very hard to keep an eye on all ones stuff

[Willhire89]

I was one of a line of people who appeared together at Race Control at Silverstone enquiring if their wallet had been handed in after the last test - this was VSCC Pomeroy Trophy - collectively we had an 'aah' moment. I was told later that at least one card was tried in the cashpoint at the café (not mine)

I'm convinced in retrospect it was 'cleaners' - there were a couple milling around the pit boxes with the dustpans on sticks and a brush.

[QuadCamCapri]

Safety Car & Medical Vehicle stolen from Cadwell..

https://www.autosport.com/national/news/154757/msv...

[bucksmanuk]

This is extremely annoying. I never heard of stuff being stolen at the circuits in decades. If you heard of something being nicked, it was probably misplaced.

I’ve heard of this happening at all the circuits now in the last 2 years, with everything else going on under the awning that’s necessary to get a car out on the circuit, competitors really don’t need this as well.

I was scrutineering at Silverstone for a VSCC meeting some years ago, and a well-known Bentley specialist was caught trying to help himself to others FIA papers (or some such) in the scrutineering bay side office. His excuses didn’t cut any mustard with the chief and he was told to go forth and multiply in no uncertain terms… so it’s not only cars and equipment that need looking after.

[Oilchange]

" a BMW M240i safety car (above) and BMW X5 medical car (below) with a combined value believed to be more than £100,000"


And here I was thinking the circuits are always a hairs breadth away from bankruptcy...

[Drumroll]

Drumroll said:

Oilchange said:

" a BMW M240i safety car (above) and BMW X5 medical car (below) with a combined value believed to be more than £100,000"


And here I was thinking the circuits are always a hairs breadth away from bankruptcy...

Doubt if they were actually owned by MSV. Or any other company in the Palmer group.

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

Drumroll said:

Drumroll said:

Oilchange said:

" a BMW M240i safety car (above) and BMW X5 medical car (below) with a combined value believed to be more than £100,000"


And here I was thinking the circuits are always a hairs breadth away from bankruptcy...

Doubt if they were actually owned by MSV. Or any other company in the Palmer group.

they are owned by BMW GB. It's a long standing deal, possibly 10 years plus, whereby MSV get a handful of BMW vehicles of differing types for each venue, and BMW get advertising and subsidised use of the circuit for manufacturer days. If you look all the BMW vehicles are registered which helps BMW towards its target. It wouldn't surprise me if Palmer himself gets a 7er or something to smoke around in.

[bucksmanuk]

Update!!!
Someone was spotted in the Silverstone paddock in a competitor’s motor-home/caravan at the weekend trying to help themselves to items of value.
Their photo was taken and is over the appropriate Facebook groups. I can’t post it here; I imagine there would be legal concerns…
Be vigilant!

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

fesuvious said:

Fancy giving a steer on what to search for on Facebook?

I found it using the search Silverstone thefts

[liner33]

Used to be fairly common at Santa pod, tool boxes, generators and paddock bikes were commonly stolen as well