Britain leads the world in one aspect of motor sport, at least.

THE South Coast is the usual place to get away from it all at the weekends. Vicky Farrant, however, prefers to park her caravan alongside the fastest stretch of windswept Tarmac in Britain. From dawn to dusk, there's little escape from the scream of speeding cars and squealing tyres. Even the sizzle of bacon and eggs fails to erase the smell of burning rubber, and as if that's not bad enough, Vicky's ex-husband also chooses to camp within a tent-peg's throw of her caravan door.

It might sound like holiday hell but 32-year-old Vicky isn't complaining.

She claims she has one of the best unpaid jobs around - as a marshal at Silver-stone Circuit in Northamptonshire. She was one of 350 motor racing enthusiasts who recently assembled at the circuit for the biggest gathering of fire and course marshals ever held in the UK. Novice and experienced marshals from all over the country were invited to the massive training exercise to sort the heroes from the also-rans at the home of the British Grand Prix, now a world- renowned centre of excellence for marshal training. The exercise involved simulated rescue incidents and the wearing of several layers of fire-resistant jackets, for the preseason workout. It was a chance to learn how to cut a person from a mangled car and tackle a blazing wreck with hose reels and extinguishers. Marshals are often the driver's direct lifeline and there have been few major incidents at Silverstone to blot a virtually unblemished copy book. VICKY holds a special position at the circuit, where she is the only woman experienced enough to ride as part of a fire tender "snatch team", ready and fully trained to tackle the very worst motor racing scenario. "Last month I had to run for cover when a Caterham 7 rolled 13 times and came crashing towards me. The driver was fine but people shouldn't be under any illusions about this being a safe hobby," she said. When Vicky's not getting oil under her fingernails she works as a district council assistant in her home town, Aylesbury. She and her ex-husband were motor sport enthusiasts who decided to go one step further and sign up for marshal training eight years ago. "We thought we'd commit to 14 races in a year and ended up attending double that. You get such a buzz from being involved it takes hours to come down afterwards." Not surprisingly, when her marriage failed, Vicky ended up with another marshal. They now spend most of their weekends track-side after romance blossomed in a bed of gravel. The British Grand Prix on 11 July requires meticulous planning, with 11 race teams, 5,000 staff and 250,000 spectators descending on the famous circuit. Silverstone will be patrolled by 1,200 volunteer marshals - many of whom aim one day to join the track elite. The three-mile circuit requires 325 fire and course marshals, 108 flag marshals and 30 incident officers, most of whom avoid the 35,000-vehicle traffic jams by camping within the circuit itself. Gary Dearn, 35, probably has every motor racing fan's dream job. As Circuit Safety Manager he is employed fulltime to make sure Silverstone's track marshals maintain their reputation as the world's best. "Anyone who thinks being a marshal is the best way to get tickets for a Grand Prix is sadly mistaken. It can take years of training before you get anywhere near the Tarmac and you have to be committed." However, you can get the green light to be a marshal from the age of 16. Current members of the squad include a barrister, road-sweeper, several bricklayers and plenty of frustrated racing drivers. Many consider snatch teams have the plum job. They are expected to be at the scene of an incident within seconds of the car stopping. In less than two minutes, the time it would take for the Formula One field to appear on the next lap, evacuation of the driver and car has to be completed. "Our biggest danger is from other vehicles running into us. Formula One drivers are superb at judging the situation, but other enthusiasts don't always see the risks," said Gary. Marshals are generally reluctant to talk about their worst experiences, as Gary explained. "People aren't in it for the glory - they want to put something back into the sport they love." THAT said, marshals are generally regarded as the unsung heroes of motor racing, who receive instant respect from watching spectators. Printer Stephen Coyte, aged 33, from Andover, is currently training to be an Incident Officer. "The stands always applaud when we finish a job - I've had to take a bow before now. Helping out at the Grand Prix is like taking part in the FA Cup Final. It's four days of hard slog and there's a lot of standing around, but if you help one person it is well worth it." BEHIND THE SCENES 21 remote-control TV cameras and 21 video recorders monitor every part of the Silverstone circuit at all times. Marshals rarely use fireproof balaclavas because they restrict the peripheral field of vision. The position of every tracked marshal is logged and regularly checked by Race Control. If you think you have got what it takes to be a marshal, telephone the Motor Sport Association on 01753 681736 for information. Tough lessons in the marshal arts

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