An Interview with National Banger driver Top Gun 76 Terry Mansfield
(interview published June 4 2014 in the lead up to the Unlimited Van Banger meeting at Mildenhall on June 21)

Age: 33
Home Town: Mildenhall
Occupation: Crane driver
Family: Single
Racing career: Started racing bangers 12 years ago at Mildenhall

You have become something of a regular at the unlimited van meeting at Mildenhall now, is this a meeting you especially looking forward to in a season?
It is, it’s one of the best ones for me and I always seem to have a great time. I’ve cut back on my racing over the last few years and I tend to stick to the meetings which I know I will enjoy which are mainly the more fun meetings and the vans is definitely one of those, the last few years have been especially good because I’ve been lucky enough to find some pretty big vans and it’s definitely more fun when you have one of those.

With that in mind, what have you got lined up for this year’s meeting?
I’ve got a Mercedes bus, it’s pretty similar to the first Mercedes I had but obviously being a bus it’s a bit bigger and I’m really looking forward to racing it. The big Mercs I’ve had before have always done pretty well and I’m hoping this one will be the same but it’s been a fair bit of work stripping it out. Having a few seats to take out was hard enough but actually the hardest thing was taking the windows out because there is so many of them and they weigh so much so you need a few of you to do that but once we got it stripped it was a bit more straight forward. Because I do the meeting every year it makes it a little easier because I’ve got a rollcage which goes straight in the build process is fairly easy once you’ve stripped it and that helps add to the fun I think.

There has been many comments recently about the standard of preparation at meetings like this and there has been a recent clampdown on over building at the Mildenhall meeting, do you think that is the right move, especially as it appears to have coincided with a drop in numbers at the meeting?
I think it’s right to clamp down on the bigger vans because they don’t need all the stuff you get with over building, they are more than strong enough on their own but I don’t mind more being allowed on the stuff like Transits because it gives them a fairer chance against bigger vans. I don’t think over building has anything to do with the numbers, I think it’s simply than vans are not the easiest thing to come by, let alone the cheapest. I’ve been pretty lucky but because it’s a meeting I really enjoy I have an eye out for a van all the time and am willing to perhaps spend a little more than normal and some people can’t do that so I think that’s more what it’s to do with. The bigger vans do tend to be a bit more expensive but I’ve been quite lucky in getting some of my money back, especially if the price of scrap is good at the time, that can make a big difference but for me, the bigger vans are just a lot more fun and so it’s well worth the time and effort for me.

Last year, you won the destruction derby, was that among the highlights of the season for you?
I suppose it was really. I had a pretty good DD really and then it got down to me and Gavin (Barnes) and he put up a brilliant fight in his Transit. I kept hitting him and he kept on going so it was really good at the end and I enjoyed that a lot. I suppose at that meeting winning the DD is one of the bigger things of the night so it was nice to win it, it’s almost always a good DD anyway at the van meeting and one you tend to enjoy.

Among those who’ve shown early intention of doing the meeting is new running mate (187) Andy Marshall and regular team mate (26) Daniel Holmes. Will having those guys racing as well make the evening more enjoyable?
I think it will, it certainly has helped building them a bit more fun because we’re all at it. Andy will definitely be there and he’s really looking forward to it because it’s his first and all being well we’ll getting Hacker’s (Holmes) done as well and it would be good to have all three of out there.

Have you any other plans laid out for the season?
Just to do the meetings which appeal to me really. I don’t like racing the Mondeos anymore really but it’s not a bad think really because doing all the other meetings is more than enough for me now. I enjoy the rear wheel drive and unlimited meetings more now and so that is what I tend to stick to and some novelty stuff like the vans and caravan race, and I already have my caravan ready for the Halloween meeting this season.

You played a starring role in one of the moments of 2013 in the caravan race when you perched yourself on top of Craig Osborne for a few laps before crashing off with a rollover, was that a standout moment for you?
Yeah, it was pretty good. I had no idea whose car I was on top off. I just saw the pile of caravans on the top bend and thought ‘that’s where I’m going’ and just crashed into the vans that were there. I had no idea whose van it was or that I would win up coming out the other side on top of Craig’s car. It was a pretty weird feeling going round for a couple of laps on his roof because I had no control whatsoever and I didn’t even really know if (Craig) knew I was there so it was just a matter of sitting tight and waiting to fall off which inevitably happened but it was a good crash.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My mum for everything she does to help and support me, Colin who helps out a lot, especially with stripping the cars and everyone else who lends a hand