An Interview with National Banger driver No Luck Nat 116 Nat Cohn
(interview published September 9 2014 in the lead up to the National Banger Old Skool Team Championship at Mildenhall on September 20)

Age: 29
Home Town: Mildenhall
Occupation: Digger driver
Family: Single
Racing career: Started raced in Bangerstox (now 1500cc Bangers) at King’s Lynn aged 19

You are once again set to race with the Dover Boys as they look to defend this year’s Old Skool team championship, is this a meeting of the year you particularly look forward too?
It is but then I look forward to all of the team meetings and prefer them to normal meetings to be honest. I really enjoy the social side of a team meeting where you have a group of guys pulling together and working as a team both on track and in between the races and I love that side of it, it’s always good fun. But I hurt my neck a couple of years ago at this meeting and it still bothers me a little now so for that reason I don’t look forward to this one as much as maybe the other team meetings because you know it’s good to be a hard meeting with lots of crashing and the chances are I’m going to feel it the next day (laughs). But on the other hand one of the reasons you look forward to it is because you know it’s going to be a savage meeting with lots of hard hits, that’s the big buzz about it, it’s just a shame I suppose that I hurt my neck before but it makes me look forward to it a little less than maybe I would otherwise.

Was winning the team championship last year a highlight for you?
Definitely but again I think anytime you win a team event, it’s a highlight because they are never easy to win and I suppose it’s a bigger buzz for me winning as a team than on my own. Winning the unlimited team meeting last year was also a huge highlight but I think a big reason for that was because we weren’t favourites on that occasion and I think we were probably as surprised to win as anyone (laughs). The highlight of the meeting though for me is always the head to head (heats) at the start though, much more than the final and even winning it, honestly I think winning your heat is a bigger buzz than winning the actual championship itself and I think there are a lot of people that think that way. The head to heads are probably the best thing about the meeting and I’d say it’s the main reason why teams and drivers do it. You can’t beat that rush of being on the grid knowing it’s basically you verses them, it’s just an awesome feeling.

The championship final was a real cracker last year, is that a race you enjoy?
Yes, it is and last year’s in particular was excellent. I think the Old Skool final is usually a great example of a proper banger race. It starts off a bit racy and a bit fast and then, usually about half way, it gets messy (laughs). When teams and drivers realise they need to start stopping people and it just becomes carnage and you have to start smashing your way through or if you are one of the guys crashing, that’s great stuff. For me that is what banger racing should be, it should be about racing and being fast but at the same time it should also be about getting through and smashing your way through blockages and taking out other drivers as well and you usually get that in the Old Skool final.

What do you think of the teams chances this year?
I think we have a good team again and I know everyone will give it their best which is all you can ask for really. It’s always having guys like Victor (188 John Reeves) and (898) Andy (Battle) because they always seem to get better at team meetings and Andy has the amazing ability to get battered from pillar to post at times and just keep on going. I also always enjoying having (53 Dave) Palmer as a team mate. He really doesn’t get the credit he deserves I don’t think. He’s such a quiet guy and then when he gets behind the wheel he is an absolute animal and when he has his crashing head on it’s even more so, so he’s a great guy to have in your team. We’ve got (673) Darren Fendley in the team as well this year and I think he will be very useful because he’s so quick. The only trouble with someone like Darren is he is likely to be a target because people will know he’s one to stop but he’s used to that so I’m sure he’ll do well again.

Have you had a look at the line up and is there any team out there you think will be favourites or any team you would especially like to avoid in the head to head heats?
For me the Gladiators are the team I would always want to avoid. Again I don’t think they get enough credit but they really are a fantastic team in that they work so well as a team. From the meeting their race starts they have a plan and they stick to it, they have their crashers, their racers and they just work so well together that I think they would be very hard to beat so I wouldn’t fancy taking them on but then again I don’t think there is any team this year that would be easy to beat in the heats and if you get to the final, it doesn’t matter who you are, anyone can win because it’s that kind of race.

Speaking of ‘that kind of race’ you recently took part in the unlimited Suffolk Open which was a particularly lively affair, was that a meeting you enjoyed?
Yes I had a great night. I’ve started to do a bit more unlimited and rear wheel drive racing mainly because I’ve now got a good set up for racing Omegas. They are ideal for me because the cars are available and not too expensive and I can build them pretty quickly and while they are maybe not the best car for unlimited meetings especially but I still think they are a decent car and you saw that at the Suffolk Open where I had a good night in one. I did really enjoy that meeting, I’m usually more of a racer than a crasher I think but again I like the races where you have to use your head and be a bit aggressive and get stuck in to get through and that was certainly the case in my heat where I lead for a good while, that was a proper race.

You also turned some heads at the 2litre RWD meeting with a fine crashing display which included one of the hits of the year on 237 Gary Nash.
(laughs) Yeah that was a brilliant night as well. I kept saying to people that I had to smash that Omega up because I’d had it for so long and people kept winding me up saying I wouldn’t smash it up and keep it for another meeting so I suppose I felt the need to show I was serious and I had a great time in the heat with a couple of good follow-ins. The hit on (Nash) wasn’t completely intended. Originally I planned to just fire him out of the way and it was only at the last second I decided to stay on him and go for the follow-in. It wasn’t premeditated at all, very much spur of the moment but it was a cool hit and I never expected it to go that big or for me to rollover (laughs). I think that’s one of the good things about our racing because you really never know what’s going to happen, even when you think it’s you who has the upper hand!

Have you many more plans for the rest of the year and have you given any thought to next season?
To be honest the rest of this year looks like it will be pretty busy for me. I’ve got the Old Skool meeting, I want to do the RWD meeting at King’s Lynn and I’m now doing the World Final meeting at Ipswich but I’ve also qualified for the Accumulator Championship which is always a good race and I’m looking forward to that. There is also the His and Her meeting and the team meeting at the end of November so there is plenty to do before the year is over (laughs). As for next year I have given it a bit of thought, I want to do all the team meetings if I can and beyond that I want to try and do the non Mondeo type meetings and also some more rear wheel drive and unlimited meetings because I’m finding I’m enjoying them more now and I might try and do some more unlimited meetings at King’s Lynn if I can.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
The main person is Terry Mansfield for putting up with me and all my cars in his yard, Carlos for all his help on the cars, he’s basically our bitch down the yard bless him, Sparrow for all the equipment he’s made for me, AS Car Spares for helping me with plenty of cars, Pretty Boy and crew, Martin Brinkworth whose been a huge help over the years, my dad who is my personal withdrawal service (laughs) and everyone else whose helped out.