Wear Sunscreen.

An essay titled "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" was written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997. It was then recorded by Australian film director Baz Luhrmann as "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)", released in 1998. The idea of poetic advice has been taken up by new contributor Abi Stander who gives advice to anybody helping at a Monopsto race.

Wear Sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now.

The driver gets the glory. The team gets the achy muscles and joints. However, the whole weekend can be rewarding, particularly when adversity is overcome.

You will at times be wet, cold, tired, in pain and therefore miserable.

You will certainly sleep well on Sunday night once you get back to your own bed.

Wear scruffy clothes or overalls (if you go for overalls, you may get mocked for it initially, but be much cleaner as result).

Take plenty of layers of different types – most circuits are old airfields and airfields are picked for reasons such as how the wind cuts across them.

Wear comfy shoes that you don’t mind getting scuffed or spoilt by fluids that stain and preferably bring 2 pairs so you have a dry pair for Sunday.

Bring waterproofs. In fact, some races, bring a dinghy!

Focus on the good times – sometimes it seems like they’ll never come. Other times you’ll wonder when the bad luck will start.

Eat when you’re peckish, drink when you have a dry mouth, don’t wait until you’re hungry or thirsty as there may be no time to stop to consume things.

Use knee pads.

Don’t pitch your tent too close to the Scrutineering bay, or you’ll have a rude awakening.

If you want to be able to drink a cup of tea within 10 minutes of getting it, leave the lid off the thermal mug.Leave the lid on the thermal mug if you’re not sure when you’ll drink it.

Enjoy yourself.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

Abi Stander