Former FAA pilot receives International motorsport marshal’s trophy

Andy Holley attended the Motor Sports Association’s prestigious Night of Champions ceremony on Saturday 19 January at the Royal Automobile Club in London, where he collected the Federation Internationale De L’Automobile (FIA) Best Marshal of the Year trophy for 2012.

Lord Rooker, chair of the British Motor Sport Training Trust and formerly MP for Birmingham (Perry Barr) from 1974 to 2001, presented Holley with his award in front of a 150-strong audience of distinguished guests, including all of the 2012 British motor sport champions.
The FIA’s Marshal of the Year award is designed to acknowledge excellence amongst the hundreds of thousands of volunteer officials and marshals who work within motor sport across the world.

A previous winner of the UK’s MSA Marshal of the Year award in 2011, Holley has undertaken all race marshalling disciplines over the years and has become firmly established as a most trusted and valued Examining Post Chief, and Rescue Unit crew chief, at many circuits across the UK, including Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, as well as other international events. He has also found time to race nationally in a VW Golf GTI.
The crowning achievement of his marshalling career has been to take responsibility for, and transform radically the British Motorsport Marshals Club North Region’s training programme, in his capacity as its Regional Training Manager. An ex Royal Navy helicopter pilot instructor at RAF Shawbury, now working for FB Heliservices as Chief Pilot, the creation and management of an operational matrix for the training programmes that is both complex and yet simple to follow is almost second nature to him and is undertaken in a highly professional manner - a great testament to Holley’s skill and dedication.

Holley is now the National Training Officer for the British Motorsport Marshals Club, as well as being part of the MSA’s International Training Team. His efforts to promote and develop marshalling standards and safety are worthy of the highest recognition.
Holley said: “To be honest, I was very humbled and honoured. To receive such an award from the FIA, when there are so many worthy marshals and volunteers officials doing their thing across the world, and when the BMMC’s marshal training in the North West is so very much a team effort, was very special.”