An Interview with 2015 Bangerstox Points Championship contender 70 David Leaton
(interview published May 13 2015 in the lead up to the Bangerstox Southern Championship on May 25)

Age: 52
Home Town: Sheerness
Occupation: Car breaker
Family: Wife Paula and four children
Started racing: In the early 1990s in Bangers at Iwade

You’ve enjoyed a great start to the season and are currently third in the Bangerstox points championship, are you pleased with how things are going so far?
Absolutely, I’m really, really pleased, it would be almost impossible to not be pleased at how things have been going so far and I’m really enjoying the season so far as well which is great although I guess it is a little more enjoyable when things are going well isn’t it (laughs).

The last meeting saw you race from the red grade for the first time in the Bangerstox, how pleased were you to get to the red grade and how did you find the racing from there?
It was great to get into the red grade. My target for the year really was to try and get at least into the yellow grade because I’ve found I much prefer the racing with the graded drivers rather than the white grade races. It’s a little hard to explain but I think the white grade races tend to be a little more hectic and manic and the other heats are a little more settled and that just seems to be more my kind of racing if that makes sense. I think it comes from the graded drivers maybe having a little more experience and perhaps those in the white grade being a bit more eager to score the points and move up the grades. But whatever the reason I’ve found that I enjoy the graded races more and so I was keen to try and spend as much of the season in the higher grades as I could so I could do the races I enjoy the most and so to get to the red grade so quickly was a huge plus for me and I hope it will help me stay up in the grades for the whole season. It was different starting at the back. There are some really good drivers in the formula right now and it’s tough when you are starting alongside them rather than a few cars in front but I scored some decent points (on May 4) which was excellent and I was pleased with that especially as I had a few things not go my way. I had some problems with the car in one heat and something which shouldn’t have got burned (laughs) but that was completely my fault and that was another lesson learned that hopefully I won’t make again. The other thing I have learned from starting closer to the back is the importance of patience. Sometimes it’s not all about going as fast as you can all the time, sometimes you have to take a step back and think ahead and I’m really starting to learn that now, especially in the finals where the races are longer and you have a bit more time to make your moves. It was also good to score some good points (on May 4) because I’ve also found that I tend to do better when the track is dry and just by luck all my races (on May 4) were either after the track had been watered or when it was raining which was just my luck (laughs). I find those conditions a little trickier so again I was pleased that it still didn’t stop me scoring some good points.

We are now looking forward to the Southern Championship, how do you feel about your chances?
Well I would like to think that with how the year has gone so far that I would have a reasonable chance of doing well, I think you need to be positive about your chances at least to stand any chance really but if things go like they have been then hopefully I can have a good go at it. It should be an interesting race though because of the (random draw) for grid positions which means no-one will have any advantage until the grid is set. I think I’ll need to be in the first few rows to have a good chance of being able to try and win, I’ll obviously give it my best from wherever I start but if I’m drawn at the back it’s hard to imagine all the top drivers will be at the back as well and it will be hard to catch one of the other top guys if they are at the front and you are at the back but it should be a good race and I’m looking forward to it, but then I always look forward to racing (laughs).

You are also among the early entry of drivers expected in action for the Suffolk Championship at Mildenhall at the end of May, are you looking forward to this?
Yes, I am and what’s really great is that the whole family are planning on coming and we having a weekend of camping so it should be a lot of fun across the whole weekend and not just the racing itself so it should be great. I raced at Mildenhall for the first time in January where the track conditions were pretty wet. I learned a lot about being patient that day as well (laughs) but a lot of people have said the conditions are usually a lot better for this meeting so I’m really hoping the weather is kind and I can race my Bangerstox on the track when it’s at its best like it was for the Micro Banger meeting the other week which I also really enjoyed. It’s hard to say what my chances could be for the Suffolk (Championship), especially as I’ve never done the meeting before but I hope it goes ok, I’m sure it will be a good weekend regardless.

Your racing career started over 20 years ago in bangers at Iwade, what attracted you to the Bangerstox formula?
Well a lot of it was down to Martin (Lewis) who also raced at Iwade with me back then. He got into the Bangerstox and I guess it just kind of sucked me in. I absolutely love the racing, I always have, the thrill of being out there and racing is like nothing else I have ever experienced but unfortunately Bangers aren’t really an option for me right now. It’s a shame because as a car breaker I could actually get the cars which wasn’t always the way when I was racing bangers full time (laughs). I love the banger racing but I just don’t have the time for it now, the work that goes into those cars is incredible and I have so much admiration for those guys who do it week in and week out. But the Bangerstox formula is ideal for me, it still gives me that great thrill from racing but I can get it without having to put a massive amount of work in which leaves me time for work and family so it’s great for me. It’s also good because I think the formula is quite an affordable one. The cars we race are fairly easy to come by and we don’t need to do too much work to them to get them ready to race and be competitive and I think that is a big reason why it is so popular because you can have a good car and a good day without spending a small fortune and then the racing itself I find to be really enjoyable, the buzz of battling through a pack of cars and swapping places with your rivals is just excellent (laughs).

You mentioned the National Banger racing and we’ve seen you in action in the Micro Bangers at Mildenhall in December and in April, did you enjoy those meetings?
Yes, very much. That was again down to Martin (Lewis) in a way. I’m not completely sure where the idea came from but I’m sure he had something to do with it (laughs). Anyway we got the cars and decided to have a go and because the cars were still ok after the first meeting we went back in April and I had a great time each time. I’ve always loved the banger racing but it’s just not possible for me to do it all the time these days so to have another go was a great buzz and I really enjoyed it.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
Martin Lewis for all the inspiration and motivation he’s give me to get racing again, Neil Parker for all his help and all my family for their support.