An Interview with 2015 King of the Peak winner 25 Joe Parsons
(interview published March 1 2016 in the lead up to the 2016 Unlimited Banger BBA Supreme Championship)

Age: 17
Home Town: Stockport
Occupation: College/mechanic apprenticeship
Family: Single
Racing career: Started racing Junior Bangers at Buxton in 2009

Before we start talking about racing, can we talk about what you are doing later tonight as we had to arrange this interview around your driving lesson this evening! It’s quite unusual for driver who cannot legally drive on the road to be set to compete in one of the sports biggest events but how are your lessons going?
They are going ok. I was 17 about a month ago (January 19) and I think tonight is my seventh or eighth lesson, I’ve been cramming them in as I’m keen to try and pass (the test) as soon as possible. I’ve passed my theory test but I have to confess it took three go’s to pass it so hopefully the (practical) one won’t be as bad (laughs). If tonight goes well my instructor is on about possibly booking my test so I’m hoping I might have passed when the Supreme comes around, not that I think having a driving license will help me in that race (laughs).

Is your instructor aware of your racing?
Yeah, he’s often telling me that I’m not on the track when I’m with him but I think being able to drive a car has helped me a lot and is why I’m hoping to take the test so soon. I learned to drive when I was nine so it’s nice to finally be driving a car on the road at last!

You are set to make your debut in the Supreme Championship this year, is it something you are looking forward to?
Yes I am. It’s really cool to have qualified as last year was my first season in National Bangers so this is the first time I could have been in the race and have qualified is really cool. It’s one of the biggest races of the year and probably the biggest thing I’ve been in so far so I’m looking forward to having a go and hopefully it will be the first of more big races like this.

Are you happier the event is an Unlimited one now rather than the National meeting it used to be?
Yes, that is better for me as I tend to only do Unlimited and Micro meetings as I don’t really enjoy the other stuff, especially the Mondeos, I just don’t enjoy them so I’ve been sticking to the things I enjoy as I think that’s the best. I find unlimited bangers to be the most fun, especially on shale because it’s great just throwing a rear wheel drive car round and that is especially the case on a shale track. I also find that on the shale tracks you tend to get more action as well. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy tarmac meetings but I just find them to be a bit more racey and not quite as crashy as the shale meetings tend to be so unlimiteds on shale is a good mix for me. I also enjoy the Micro Bangers, I guess because it’s the same cars I was racing in the Juniors, but the cars are easy to get and to build and they are also a lot of fun because people are usually keen to get stuck in at those meetings.

You mention unlimited meetings on shale sometimes being lively that tarmac ones, do you expect the Supreme Championship to be the same?
I think so. The race is usually a lively one from what I’ve seen and when I came to Mildenhall last year for the (unlimited) Suffolk Open, that was a proper crashing meeting with track blockages and all that kind of stuff. I can see the (Supreme) championship being the same myself if there is a big grid of cars which should be the case. Even though I would think most people will be trying to race, at least at first, it won’t take much for there to be a pile-up, at somewhere like Mildenhall you only need one thing to happen and that will be it (laughs) and I think there is a good chance of that happening.

Do you think a race like that will help your chances?
Probably now (laughs)! I do like those races but I always seem to get wrecked when there is a track blockage. I’ll see the pile-up, go crashing in and usually that is the end of it because the next thing, someone has blitzed me (laughs). You get these guys who are able to always slip through the cracks and find the gaps and that is something I seem to struggle with, I don’t know if it’s because I’ve not got the experience or the luck but pile-ups seems to spell the end of the race for me! So I’ll be hoping I don’t see a blockage myself but I can’t see it happening, on the plus side if there is a blockage at least it gives you a good chance to have a good crash!

Have you any targets for the race?
Not really, I’m just happy to be in it and that really is enough for me, it’s just cool to be in something as big as this, especially when I’ve barely been racing bangers a whole year. Anything else would be a bonus for me, I would love to finish the race, that would be really great as I don’t think that will be very easy at all and I don’t think very many drivers will finish it so to do that would be brilliant but as long as I enjoy it, that’s the most important thing.

Have you decided what car you are going to race?
Yes, I have a Volvo 240 which I raced at Stoke (in February) and the car is absolutely fine so I’m going to bring that. The problem with Volvos is there are only really any good on shale and there aren’t too many unlimited meetings at Stoke so if I don’t take it to Mildenhall, I’ll be stuck with it for a while which I don’t want to do. The car went well at Stoke so hopefully it will be the same at the Supreme as Stoke and Mildenhall are fairly similar in size. I think it will be a good car for the meeting, the last couple of years there have been some top drivers using Volvos who you wouldn’t usually see in them, guys like (331 Boxer) Jack and Chubby (382 Jack Foster Jnr) which tells you something. On tarmac the Volvos just aren’t quick enough but on shale they are as fast as anything else and they are also strong which I think will be important in a race like this because whatever happens it’s going to be a lively one.

You raced a Volvo 240 when we last saw you at Mildenhall for the unlimited Suffolk Open when you won an entertainer award in the highly destructive consolation, was that a night you enjoyed?
Yes, it was great fun that night. Again it was all about crashing which I don’t usually do, typically I more try and race and only crash at the end but I decided to go with it that night and really enjoyed it. The consolation was brilliant, there was a blockage and everyone just kept piling in and thankfully that night I did get lucky as I either avoided getting hit or was able to carry on for another hit so it was cool. I just can’t see me being so lucky in the Supreme (laughs)!

Do you think there are any leading contenders for this year’s championship?
It’s hard to say isn’t it because I think the race will be so unpredictable, you just don’t know what’s going to happen but that is always the case yet if you look at whose won it the last few years they have always been top drivers so I think that will be the case again. Not that there is anyone in the race who isn’t good but the guys who tend to win it are often the best drivers in the sport because I think you need to be very good to win a race like this. I think Dave Vincent is a good bet again, he drove brilliantly to win it last year and the race is right up his street, unlimited, shale and lively all the things he is good at. If he qualifies from the last chance race, which I think he will, I’d say Shayn Winsor is another (favourite).

You qualified for the champion by winning the King of the Peak at Buxton, has that been a highlight of your career so far?
Yes it is. I know there wasn’t many cars in the race but there was some very fast drivers in it and I had to beat Jack Tuffen and Richie Ahern to win it and that is never easy as they are two of the fastest guys out there so to beat them was especially cool.

Have you any plans for this season?
I’m hoping to do as much racing as I can which will be hard as there never seems to be as much time as you want to build all the cars (laughs). I would love to qualify for the Spedeworth World Final. I did the meeting last year and it was an amazing experience. I didn’t do very well but to race in front of so many people was very, very cool so I would love to experience being in the championship. I’m hoping to have a good go at the Startrax points to try and qualify but my plan is to stick mostly to the unlimited and Micro meetings so I’ll have to see how I get on with it.

On the subject of debuts, you raced in your first Civil War in January, was that something you enjoyed?
Absolutely, it was a great meeting to do. Admittedly (the Northern team) were beaten quite badly but that didn’t spoil it for me, there always has to be a losing team and I still loved the meeting regardless of the outcome. I understand why people are saying (the North) needs a stronger team next year and it would be great if we can but you can only do the best with what you have and it’s not as easy job to put something like that together.

A big talking point this season has been the announcement from the ORCi that drivers can no longer exit their cars while a race is in progress, what are your thoughts on this rule?
I think it’s a good idea myself and to be honest I’m surprised it has taken this long for it to happen given how many accidents and close calls there have been lately. It doesn’t affect me to much because it was very rare I would get out of my car while on track as my dad has always said the safest place is in your car and I’ve stuck with that.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
My mum and dad, dad does a lot on my cars while I’m not here and I couldn’t do all these without that help and also Dave who helps out a lot as well.