Locals trade sidelines for frontlines in Las Vegas Grand Prix’s marshal program

An intervention marshal trained in the 2024 locals’ marshal program uses a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher during a Formula One race safety demonstration Sept. 19 at the Grand Prix Plaza. Photo by: Grace Da Rocha

Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

Logan Ponce will never forget his first time watching Ferraris thunder past just feet away as he stood marshaling turn one at the Las Vegas Grand Prix Plaza.

The Las Vegas resident had always been interested in racing, but discovered Formula 1 just before the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as casual curiosity about the sport deepened into genuine passion with the 2019 Netflix series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” which chronicled the experiences of drivers like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

In 2024, Ponce volunteered for the Las Vegas Grand Prix’s Locals’ Marshal Program to “get closer to the action.” And he was hooked.

“This is the center of engineering of racing, so it’s just an incredible sport and to bring it into the backyard of Las Vegas is just incredible. Seeing the popularity of the sport grow as more people become excited about the race and this opportunity in Vegas, I think that’s what I’m excited about,” Ponce said. “If you’re a fan of racing, if you’re a fan of Formula 1, this is the best seat in the house by far.”

Marshals help keep the track safe for drivers and fans alike. They’re easily spotted in orange jumpsuits and brightly colored vests, wearing headsets and positioned at yellow-marked access points along the racetrack.

The program was created in 2024 to encourage residents to get involved with the race week while expanding the local pool of trained marshals for the three-day race.

It was the first program of its kind for a U.S. race, developed through a collaboration between the Las Vegas Grand Prix and U.S. Race Management, the national authority that oversees race events and licenses marshals.

Of the more than 3,100 applications received this year, 1,252 came from Southern Nevada residents, said Silvia Bellot, vice president of sporting and race operations at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The race returns for its third installment Nov. 20-22.

Of the 580 marshals they selected, 120 are Southern Nevada residents, race officials said. About 50 are new to the program. It’s a volunteer, unpaid position.

Race marshal positions include flagging and communication marshals who use colored flags to indicate track conditions; intervention marshals who help clear incidents on the racetrack; pit lane and grid marshals who maintain safety in the pits; and support marshals who handle hospitality, registration and equipment management.

Marshals don’t need previous experience, but Bellot explained that certain skills can help applicants stand out during the selection process.

For example, a firefighter with fire suppression knowledge would already have applicable skills for intervention marshal work, while someone from the restaurant industry might be well-suited for hospitality roles in marshal support. Ponce noted that he had worked as a race marshal locally a few times before applying to the Locals’ Marshal Program in 2024.

Some positions do have specific requirements. The intervention marshal role states in the application that candidates “Must be able to carry a 20-pound fire extinguisher, run long distances and feel comfortable on a hot track with cars and safety equipment.”

The program curriculum teaches everything needed to prepare marshals to earn certification, including learning about race flag colors and their meanings, as well as how to safely remove damaged cars from the track.

There’s a full day of on-site training that begins with classroom instruction, then moves to hands-on practice in flagging, intervention and recovery and fire suppression using portions of the Grand Prix Plaza track for simulation. Marshals must also complete an online course covering flagging practices and signals.

Race marshals “are the unseen heroes of this sport,” Bellot said. “(We’re) very happy with the result of this Locals’ Marshal Program, but also we want to keep making sure that we’ve got more locals … so that our marshals, our local team, is actually 17% of our total pool of marshals, and that’s a big difference compared with our first race in 2023. Then, hopefully one day, most of our marshals would be here from Southern Nevada.”

The window for the marshal program for next month’s Las Vegas Grand Prix closed in June. Race officials will seek workers for the 2026 race through social media next year.