An Interview with National Banger driver 138 Jay Smy
(interview published October 7 2015 in the lead up to the 2015 Accumulator Championship and White and Yellow Grade Series Final)

Age: 29
Home Town: Woodbridge
Occupation: Welder
Family: Girlfriend Milly and son Finn
Racing career: Aged Mildenhall on New Year’s Day 2007

You are among a number of drivers to have successfully qualified for both the White and Yellow Grade Series Final and Accumulator Championship at Mildenhall on October 17, are you looking forward to the evening?
Yes, very much and it’s really nice to be in both races as I’ve never qualified for the Accumulator Championship before so that should be good as it will be one of the bigger races I’ve been in and there are a lot of good drivers who are set to be in that one so it will be great to race against them. Qualifying for the White and Yellow Grade Series Final was a target of mine this year when I started racing at Mildenhall more regularly a few months into the season and so I was pleased to get in as well and especially to qualify so comfortably, I was quite surprised and pleased with myself at how well I did in the points given that I missed so many meetings earlier in the year.

What is the appeal of the White and Yellow Grade Series Final for you?
There are a few reasons really but I think the main reason is that quite a bit of effort is made for the race with the parade and driver introduction and the qualifiers and smart car trophies and all that stuff, it’s made out to be special and I can only speak for myself but I really appreciate that and I would guess a lot of drivers would think the same because I’m not the kind of driver who gets to race in championships very often and there are plenty of people like me so to have a championship that I can go for and more importantly for it to feel special on the night and not just like another race means it is a race that you want to be a part of. And this year, hopefully I get to do it twice because I’m in the Accumulator as well.

You say hopefully, is that to suggest you only have one car for the meeting and if so how confident are you that you will be able to race in both championships?
I do have only one car but I do have a plan B as Jake Stewart is also racing and he’s already told me that if things go really badly in the White and Yellow Grade Final and my car gets wrecked that he will give me his car so I can race in the Accumulator. Hopefully it won’t come to that but it’s nice to have that security if you like and hopefully that will allow me to go for it a bit more in the White and Yellow Grade Final and take a few more chances rather than being completely consumed with making sure the car survives. The good thing about Mondeos though is they are very strong cars and almost always last at least one race and with a couple of stockcar races between the two (championships) we should be able to fix it in time unless something really bad happens.

Many comment on having the two races on the same night, especially as so many drivers now qualify for both races, would you prefer them to be on separate nights or do you think it’s better having them together?
I guess it would be easier if the races were on different nights for people like me who have qualified for both but I think having the two together does make the one meeting a lot better and makes it feel a bit more special, if you had them on separate nights I’m not sure either meeting would be anywhere near as good so it probably is better having them together because it does make for a really good meeting at least.

How do you fancy your chances in each race?
Well you’ve got to be in it to win it haven’t you (laughs). I never really think too much about that, I certainly never make plans but I think it is safe to say that when the races start I will be trying my best to get up near the front and do the best I can and then it will go from there. Typically if I get taken out or something in a race I would maybe look for a crash instead but I will probably try and resist that urge in the White and Yellow Grade Final because I want to be ok for the Accumulator so we’ll see how it goes. As long as I enjoy myself, that’s the most important thing but it would be good to finish both races and a top 10 would be wonderful. I’d like to think I might have a chance if things go my way, especially in the White and Yellow Grade Series Final because of course that race doesn’t have all the big star names so it’s a great chance for one of the lower graded drivers to have a really good result. I’d imagine most of the people in the race will be thinking that as well and almost everyone will be going for it, it’s another reason why people want to qualify for it, because it’s a big race where you have a real chance of doing well. But to be fair, you could always say that about any race at Mildenhall because the track itself gives everyone such a level playing field and gives everyone the opportunity to compete. I honestly cannot think of another track where you can race a Mondeo as standard and be pretty much on the pace with everyone else and again that is a big part of the appeal of racing at Mildenhall right now.

You qualified for the Accumulator Championship by winning an entertainer award (at the Siamese meeting), this is a unique characteristic of this championship that all DD and entertainer award winners from the last 12 months qualify, is that something you agree with?
Yes, I think it’s good because again it gives all the drivers a chance to qualify, not just those who are good at winning races but also those who get stuck in and I think it is especially good that DD winners get in as well because it’s like an extra reward for doing well, even if it is only in one race. Also I think it helps produce a good mixture of drivers for the championship which I think will make the race a lot more exciting. If all the drivers were racers then the championship might be a little dull but when you’ve a load of proven crashers out there is makes things a lot more unpredictable and exciting and as a driver, that’s what you want, the races where you don’t know what’s going to happen and everything does, those are the best ones.

Having said that, at the moment almost 50 of the Accumulator Championship qualifiers have confirmed their intention to race on October 17, how do you feel about the prospect of such a big grid of cars?
Again I think that’s good because it makes the racing exciting and unpredictable. For me, I love the races where there is loads going on and you have to fight your way through and pick your spots and take people out and really get stuck in. For me, that is what banger racing is supposed to be about and whenever you have a big grid of cars at Mildenhall you are probably going to have a proper banger race. It’s another part of why everyone can compete at Mildenhall I think, because when the races are lively, which they usually are, you never know what’s going to happen and anyone can win and that’s brilliant.

Speaking of action, you’ve had some highlights this year on that front with some big hits at the all Granada meeting and the Unlimited Suffolk Open, were these among your highlights and what else has stood out for you in 2015?
Yeah, they were both really good. The heat at the Granada meeting wasn’t going very well at all as I got taken out at the start and then got stuck and it took a while for me to get going again but when I did I saw (517 Sid Cooper) in the back of my mates (218 John Carr) hearse and there was only one place I was going and it was a good hit so I was quite chuffed with that and I was amazed that no-one blitzed me as I was stuck there for a while too. Eventually I got going again and had a really good night in the end. The Suffolk Open was a funny one as the car was Jake (Steward’s) and he was going to scrap it and I said I’d have it and pulled it straight thinking it would be good for one more crash. Again I didn’t have much luck in my heat but got back out for the consolation and there was the pile-up so there was only one thing to do and there was this Volvo at the back so in I went, it was pretty cool (laughs). I’ve had a really good season to be honest, those meetings were great, I had a really good night at the British Qualifier on the two day meeting (Dirty Weekend) and the Siamese meeting again, but then that is always a highlight for me.

You are one the drivers who regularly races Mondeos at Mildenhall, a car many in the sport are not so keen on, what are the reasons you enjoy racing them?
Basically because they are cheaper and easier to build and race. I love unlimited and rwd cars as much as anyone but it’s not possible for me to race them all the time because of the costs and time involved in racing them. And again the fantastic thing about Mondeos is that at Mildenhall you can compete with one without having to do very much to them and that appeals to me a lot because I’m not in a position to do that. Unfortunately because the price of scrap is quite low at the moment the cars aren’t quite as cheap as they usually are because you don’t get too much for them back when you scrap them but you can still get some money back in other ways, I’m lucky because my uncle is good at that kind of thing and that helps keep the costs a little lower.

As you mentioned we didn’t see much of you at Mildenhall in the early months of the season where you were racing more regularly in the (Rookie) Bangers at Ipswich, what were the reasons behind the switch in your racing activities and what are your thoughts on why the numbers have dropped in the (Rookie) Bangers so dramatically at Ipswich in recent months which has been a recent talking point?
I think the answers are the same and it goes back to wanting that ability to compete. Unfortunately in the (Rookie) Bangers at Ipswich, it has become a lot like the National Bangers there and at a lot of other places where you really need the right stuff to compete. It’s not so much the engines as a lot of the modern engines are quick as they come, especially the Hondas, but people are using certain tyres and setting cars up and stuff like that and without it, it’s hard to compete and suddenly it’s no fun, so that was a big reason why I started doing more National meetings at Mildenhall and I think it’s a big part why the numbers have dropped at Ipswich. I don’t really know what the answer is, they tried the Back to Basic rules meetings which have worked ok elsewhere but not so well at Ipswich, personally I think it’s just because it’s not quite what people there want.

Have you any plans for the remainder of 2015 and for 2016?
To be honest I think (October 17) might be one of my last meetings this season. Although I’m lucky to be able to build my cars inside, it’s not as much fun trying to build them in the winter, so I think after this one I will have a bit of a break although I am hoping to do the Winter Series meetings, just for a little fun. I’ve got cars for January but I’ve not found a Micro yet but hopefully I will and I’ll try and do all three as I’ve enjoyed these before, they are just a bit of fun and nothing too serious. Next year I would like to try and do a little more if I can at Mildenhall but the trouble I have is finding the cars for the meetings I really want to do (laughs). I’d love to do the pre 70 meeting again but finding suitable cars for that is really not easy and I fancy doing the Unlimited Vans again because that has really picked up in the last couple of years and a lot of the overbuilding has been stamped out which I think was starting to spoil it and I think that’s a big reason why it’s improved.

Mentioning the Winter Series, it’s just been announced that the final round, traditionally a non-Mondeo meeting, is now also non-Focus and Vectra, what are your thoughts on that?
I think it’s a good move myself because a Focus and Vectra is not far off being as good as Mondeo so hopefully by not having them out there will encourage people to try something different and again it goes back to the thing about being competitive because by not having the Focus’ and Vectras I think it will give everyone a better chance to compete regardless of what car they have.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My uncle for everything he does, Jake, especially for letting me use his hi-ab, Craig Thurlow who lends a hand a lot and N&A Engineering for letting me build my cars after hours at work.