An Interview with 2015 Odd Job Memorial trophy winner Kingy 206 Dave King
(interview published May 18 2016 in the lead up to the 2016 Mildenhall pre 70 meeting)

Age: 50
Home Town: Burgess Hill
Occupation: General dealer
Family: Wife Claire, five children and eight grandchildren
Racing career: Started racing aged 18 in bangers at Hot Wheels Raceway, ‘ended up on my roof on nearly every bend’

We are now looking forward to the annual pre 70 meeting at Mildenhall, is this one you are looking forward to?
Yes, very much, I really love this meeting, it’s definitely one of my favourite meetings of the year so I’m really looking forward to doing it again and hopefully I can have another good meeting although I doubt I will be able to top what I did last year because that was pretty special (laughs).

What makes this meeting so special?
It’s a lot of things I think but mostly it’s the drivers I think, everyone just behaves differently to a normal meeting. I know you get a lot of guys who don’t do other meetings, just this kind of thing but there are also a lot of drivers who are there every meeting and I think even they are a little different. It’s just a totally different atmosphere, especially in the pits, it’s hard to explain it really but it is definitely different and it seems to be a lot more fun which I guess is why I enjoy it so much because everyone seems even more friendly that usual, I think part of it is that most drivers will spend more time at this meeting looking at the other cars so I guess everyone spends more time chatting with each other, maybe that is what it is. The racing is very different as well, especially now because it’s more about banger racing, than just destroying each other at the first opportunity and I really like that as well. And of course the cars are great, it’s also cool because you see people in completely different cars to what they usually race and so everyone is on a very even playing field. Most of the cars are hard enough to just get built, let alone making them extra competitive so on this meeting it’s a lot more down to the driver and whether they are lucky enough to have just picked up a decent car, that to me is how banger racing should be.

You had a great night at this meeting last year, did it stand out for you?
It did, I had a fantastic night, it was easily one of my best last year and I think one of the best I’ve had in the last few years. What stood out for me was that it was the first time I’d won three trophies at Mildenhall. Admittedly one was the (Odd Job Memorial trophy) which I guess wasn’t the same as winning a race but it was still a hat trick for me and something I was so pleased about because I’ve had hat tricks elsewhere but never at Mildenhall and to be honest I never really thought I would. What helped make the night really cool was that it was so unexpected because I’d had nothing but trouble with that car in the lead up to the meeting and even when we got to the track with it. It was just a nightmare, with problem after problem and I just assumed it would continue when I started racing but instead it was brilliant. I think I did all five races and did well in them all, I won two and nearly won the final. That was a great race but in the end I crashed out with (841 Phil Jennings) when we were fighting for the lead. That is actually something which really sticks out for me because I remember us having such a laugh after the race when we’d taken each other out and I think that kind of sums up how this meeting is and why it’s so special.

You won the Odd Job Memorial trophy last year, was that special for you?
It was. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not sure I ever met Dan but I’ve certainly heard of him and spoken to people who knew him and he sounds like he was a great bloke so to win his trophy is really nice, it’s always nice to win anything special like that and memorial trophies are a very special thing to win, that one is no different.

What car have you got lined up for this year’s meeting?
I’ve got a Rover P6 for this year’s meeting. It’s pretty rotten and they aren’t usually the best of cars but I think it will do ok, I’ve had them before and they’ve been pretty good. For me they are ideal because they are a bit of an all-round car, they’re not the fastest or the strongest but also not the slowest or weakest, they are somewhere in the middle which is ideal for me and they usually back off when you do a hit with one so that’s good (laughs).

Your sons Mike and Charlie are also booked in to race at the meeting, are you looking forward to racing with them?
No, because they both get in the way (laughs). Yeah, it should be good us all racing again together, it’s something I think we need to make the most of now because I doubt there will be many more times when all three of will race at the same meeting together and it will be cool to do it at a meeting like this in the old cars, which is always special anyway. The boys are so different, Charlie is so laid back and Mike is usually the fired up one so when we race together it’s always interesting because we’re so different and there is also no better feeling that seeing someone in the back of one of them and being the guy to deliver the revenge hit. I had that at the Winter Series meeting where there was the wrecking train and someone had done Charlie and I got to him next to deliver a revenge hit. That is such an awesome buzz, and it also means you get to remind them about how you helped them out all the way home (laughs). We all raced together for the first time at the Good Friday team meeting and it was a lot of fun so I would expect this to be the same.

Speaking of the way home, living in Burgess Hill you are far from local to Mildenhall but this is your second season as an RDC driver, what is the appeal?
I was a Spedeworth driver through and through for so many years and I really loved it but the sport changed so much and in the end it changed to a point that I just wasn’t enjoying it like I needed to and I needed to do something different or call it a day. The last (Spedeworth) World Final I did, I built what I thought was a really good car for it and I just went backwards and that was when I realised that my time there was done. I’d always enjoyed coming to Mildenhall so I decided to try doing that more often and it worked because I’ve really enjoyed the meetings I’ve done. A big thing for me is that I just find everyone so friendly and that makes a huge difference but also the shale and being a small track suits me a lot better now and I can still have a good day’s racing as I have managed to do a few times the last couple of years. I also like having the shale boogies after a meeting as well (laughs)

You have threatened to retire from the sport several times in the past, what does the future hold for you?
(laughs) Yeah I have said that a few times but I’m 50 now and I always said when I hit 50 it would be time to stop so this will certainly be my last season of racing regularly but I hope to still do a couple of things after this year, I’ve two more pre 70 cars so I’ll be at the pre 70 meeting at Mildenhall for a couple more years at least.

Despite your claims of retiring, you have continued to race, what has kept you on track?
It’s one of those things where you have a bad day and you start to question everything you are doing, especially the time and money you spend on it and just think you’d be better of not doing it. But then the following day the sun is shining and everything feels different and you get over it and move on. I’m fortunate that I’ve had my racing the last few years really because I’ve had a real battle with depression and truth be told I’ve been in quite a dark place and had it not been for the racing I would have been in a much darker place. It’s amazing really what the racing can do for you and the pleasure and enjoyment it can bring and when I was struggling it was a big thing in keeping me going. Thankfully in the end I accepted that I had a problem and got the help I needed and now I’m in a much better place, the pills help a lot as well (laughs), but having my racing in my life did help a lot as well so I’m grateful to have had that. And there is no better buzz than racing, trust me I’ve had sex with some lovely woman in my life and banger racing is always better (laughs)!

Have you any plans for the rest of the season?
Nothing really special I don’t think. I’m doing the van meeting (at Mildenhall) this year, I was meant to do it last year but Charlie nicked my Transit but seeing the state it ended up in he might have done me a favour by racing it (laughs). I’ve got this big bus thing so I’m looking forward to that and we also we are all doing the Bears meeting at Eastbourne, there should be me, Charlie, Mike and Oliver for that one and the plan is for us to all race in my (Ramrod) colours so that will be pretty cool and probably the only time that will ever happen. Apart from that we should do the weekend meeting at Mildenhall again, we love that, the social and the weekend away is just as great as the racing itself and I’ll probably squeeze a few more things in that I enjoy but I don’t intend on doing too much different to what I usually do.

Is there anyone you would like to mention or thank?
All the boys down the yard, especially Bum because he is the man for everything he does for us. Charlie and Wingnut and my good lady as well for letting me squeeze her boobs every morning (laughs)!