An Interview with Bangerstox driver 26 Robin Ash
(interview published January 13 2015 in the lead up to the opening round of the 2015 Bangerstox Points Championship)

Age: 24
Home Town: Sittingbourne
Occupation: Customer services rep
Family: Fiancé Sara and children Riley and Lewis
Racing career: First raced in Ministox at Dover aged 14

You are expected in action for the Winter Series date for the Bangerstox at Mildenhall on January 25, are you looking forward to this meeting?
Yes, I can’t wait to be honest, the break between the season at Dover finishing and starting really is to long for me so I’m excited about racing again and I love racing at Mildenhall, it’s my favourite track and any opportunity to race there is one I will try and take advantage of so I’m really looking forward to this one.

Although you have raced in the Bangerstox at Mildenhall before this is set to be your first appearance at the winter meeting, given track and weather conditions are often difficult at these meetings, is that something you are concerned about?
Not really, you have to expect it in January but the truth is the weather can be bad any weekend of the year can’t it! (laughs). Don’t get me wrong I prefer racing in the dry when the weather is good and I suppose it makes the day a bit better but I don’t mind racing in the wet when things are a little tricky and slippery, I just seem to go well in those conditions so I’m hoping I can have a good day at Mildenhall this time and have a good start to the season.

As you mentioned, you’ve raced Bangerstox at Mildenhall in the past, most recently in the Suffolk Championship last summer, was that a good weekend for you?
It started really well but it didn’t last unfortunately. I got a third in my first race and was starting to think I might be in for a really good weekend and then the car started to have problems and I started to struggle and the rest of the weekend was nowhere near a successful which was a pity but I still enjoyed it because again I like the track so much and we only have a couple of meetings there each in year in the Bangerstox. I wasn’t able to do the winter meeting last year so that was the only time I raced at Mildenhall (in 2014) so it will be good to go back again.

Is the Suffolk Championship a season highlight for you and if so are you looking forward to this year’ weekend event?
Absolutely, I love that weekend, especially because my whole family come and we have a weekend away together which is brilliant, the hotel is already booked for this year (laughs).

You finished in the top 20 in the Bangerstox points championship in 2014, were you pleased with that result?
Yes and no if I’m honest as I had hoped to do a little better and if the second half of the season had been as good as the first I might have done but given how many problems I had at the end of the year I should probably be pleased with where I came (laughs). I started the season with a Vauxhall Nova which was proving to be a really good car and then the sump plugs fell out in a race and that was the end of that. Then I got a Civic, I’d had one on the road and it was a really quick car so I thought it would be a good car to race but it just wasn’t the case and it didn’t go too well at all so I’m hoping to do a bit better this season.

Have you any targets or goals for 2015?
My big target is that I really want to try and get up to the red grade. Obviously it won’t be easy but it won’t stop me trying (laughs). Other than that I would love to win a championship, I think that’s the same with every driver but to do that I need to win a race first, any race will do really (laughs).

Have you been frustrated at all by your lack of race wins in the formula so far?
Not especially, there are lots of drivers in the formula now so you can hardly expect to win, that’s not how it works and I’ve had lots of good results, seconds and thirds which I’m really pleased about, it’s now just about trying to go one better and taking a win. The only time I was frustrated at all was when the sump plugs went in my Nova because I was leading the race at the time and I think I was looking good to win that one so that was disappointing but that’s how it goes sometimes. I’ve a couple of cars for the Bangerstox this season and I’ve a Fiesta first which I think will be a good car. They usually go well in the formula and are a popular car so I’m looking forward to giving it a go and seeing how I get on with it and it’s painted pink like the Nova because my son insisted it was pink again (laughs).

Have you any other plans for this season?
I’m hoping to do a couple of National Banger meetings. I’ve done some before and I really enjoy the bangers but it’s just not practical for me to race them all the time, I simply don’t have the time and the means but I’ve got a couple of Mondeos with the idea to do a couple of meetings at Mildenhall. It would be pretty hard for me to get a banger and a Bangerstox to Dover for a meeting and I want to give the Bangerstox a good go at Dover this year so I plan to race the Bangers at Mildenhall which will also give me a chance to race a bit more at Mildenhall which will be great.

What is the appeal of the Bangerstox formula to you?
There are a lot really but I suppose the biggest is that you don’t need to build a car for each meeting and with a bit of luck a couple of cars will get you through an entire season and you don’t have to spend a fortune on the racing as well. I think most people will spend a little money to try and get an advantage but it’s nothing like you would in other formulas and it’s a lot of fun, especially with the amount of cars we were getting last year, when you race in big fields of cars it’s always more exciting and fun and I think we’ve a pretty good bunch of people racing at the moment and everyone seems to be quite friendly which is great. And I’ve been going to Dover Raceway pretty much my whole life now. My granddad raced there first and I’ve had aunts and uncles race there and can’t remember a time when I wasn’t going there so it’s almost part of my life now. It’s a very tricky track and an unusual one I guess but I still think it is a lot of fun to race round and it’s quite challenging too. It’s different, but good different (laughs)

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My mum and dad for letting me build my cars on their driveway and Sara for all her support.