An Interview with National Banger driver Nasha 237 Gary Nash
(interview published September 2 2015 ahead of the National Banger Masters championship)

Age: 34
Home Town: Hemel Hempsted
Occupation: Self-employed Painter
Family: Sons Owen and Jamie
Started racing: At Henham in 2004 in RWD Hot Rods, first raced bangers in 2005 also at Henham and first raced at Mildenhall in 2006

You are among those set for action at the forthcoming all Granada Banger meeting, is this a meeting you look forward to?
It is, because I love Mk2 Granadas. I just think they are great cars, probably the best car for bangers there ever was and they just look right, don’t they and they bend the right way as well so I think they are a brilliant car but unfortunately now they are pretty useless against the more modern cars out there so really the only time you can use one and expect to have even half a chance is at a meeting like this or a pre 85 meeting or something similar, something where everyone is out in the same kind of car really, I’m not even sure if a pre 85 meeting would be the best for a Granada now but it would definitely be a better choice than a normal unlimited meeting. I’ve switched over to the Scorpios as well now and while they are a good car for racing they just aren’t as good in my opinion as a Mk2 Granada, again I don’t think you can do better than one of them but unless you are only racing against a field of Granadas, you’re pretty much fodder these days so this meeting is not only a good one but it’s one of the few times I get to race one in the season now and that is something to look forward to. Having said that I’ve not actually started building the car yet (laughs), so I better pull my finger out!

The meeting is just over a week away (this interview was conducted just before the bank holiday weekend), are you confident the car will be ready in time?
Yeah it’ll be fine and there is no way I’m missing this one so it’ll get done one way or another (laughs). The car is at least stripped so I’ve just got to build it and that’s another reason why I love these cars so much, because they are pretty easy to build and where you’ve done so many over the years you kind of know exactly what to do by now as well. Stripping them is probably the worst bit, just because of the mess it makes and the crap you then have to get rid of so the fact that this one is already stripped is a brilliant thing for me and will save me loads of time. I think the only hard bit is probably going to be the engine because this is the first time I’ll be using a Frog Eye engine in a (Mk2) Granada. I’ve always used a V6 before but I’ve finally smashed my last one and I’ve been using the more modern ones in the Frog Eyes I’ve been racing so it made sense to try one in this Granada and see how it goes, at least if I break this one it won’t be quite as bad to replace (laughs). Personally I think I would prefer to still be using a V6, if nothing else I think they are more reliable and you can have a crash with one and have a better chance of being able to carry on in the race but it’s like everything, things have moved on and it’s no good using the same stuff all the time, you have to move on as well and try new things and plenty of others are using these engines all the time and doing pretty well with them.

Last year’s Granada meeting saw you on the receiving end of one of the biggest hits of the night when Kingy (206 Dave King) followed you in and wrecked your car, was it disappointing to have your evening ended as early as that?
It was a little. It’s always disappointing when you don’t do very many laps and your night is over but that’s racing isn’t it, sometimes it goes like that and other nights you get a full meeting from your car, you just never know but it was a good hit at least (laughs). I think it is better that if your night is going to be over early that at least your car is wrecked properly, rather than doing something mechanical and spending the rest of the night trying to fix it and still not getting back out. At least last year, I could look at it, know it was finished and then at least watch the rest of the racing (laughs). But it was a little disappointing, again because I love the Granadas so much so it would have been nice to have done a few laps first. It’s weird because when I had the other big hits last year (the 2Litre RWD and Unlimited Suffolk Open) I’d already had some good races before so it didn’t matter very much at all that my night was over at that point. But I think any driver would be a little gutted to be out of any meeting after a few laps, it’s only natural. I’ve seen Kingy is racing this year so maybe I can get him back this time (laughs).

When you’ve had a disappointing meeting the last time, does it play on your mind for the next meeting or does it fire you up to try and do better?
I don’t think it makes that much difference really, well not to me anyway. If I let having a bad meeting bother me I probably wouldn’t race at all given the kind of luck I’ve had (laughs) but at the same time it doesn’t really make you want to do better the next time, I think if you think like that you just set yourself up to be disappointed you know, it’s just racing isn’t it. Sometime you do a full meeting, others you do one race and some just one lap! But I am hoping to get a few laps from the car this, if only because it’s been a long time now since I’ve raced (a Mk2 Granada).

You mentioned your other big crashes last year, the big follow-in from 116 Nat Cohn at the 2litre RWD meeting and the massive hit from 196 Ben Harrison at the Suffolk Open, which one stands out the most to you?
I guess the one from (Harrison) at the Suffolk Open, just because of how spectacular it was. I had a rough idea it was a big one because I felt the cars going up in the air and when you look across to the crowd you could see the reaction and there was a big reaction so that’s when you know it’s a big one, then it’s just a matter of holding on tight and seeing where you end up (laughs).

You are known more for your rwd meetings but we have seen you a couple of FWD based National meetings this year, did you enjoy them?
They were ok to be honest. The plan this year was actually to do a bit more racing but it’s not the way it’s turned out. I’ve got my own business now and I thought that would allow me to do a bit more racing but instead I seem to have less time than ever (laughs) but I suppose it’s a good position to be in really. I’ve always been more keen on the rwd cars and meetings, it’s just what I enjoy more I guess but I wanted to do a bit more this year and really the only way to do that was to try a few Mondeo meetings as I’m already doing most of the RWD meetings as it is. I built a Cougar and it was pretty good, it was easy to build which helps and because they are so strong it lasted me a couple of meetings so it got me out for a few more meetings which was the idea. I think I’ll probably do it again next year, just build one and hopefully it will get me out a few more times during the season.

You mention doing most of the rwd based meetings this season at Mildenhall and this that included the unlimited van meeting, was that one you enjoyed?
It was as it goes, I really enjoyed that one. It just felt like a lot more fun than usual and there seemed to be a really different atmosphere that night because I think most of the drivers there were there more to have a laugh and some fun. I’m not saying driver’s don’t normally enjoy themselves but there is also a competitive side isn’t there and people always want to do well but at the van meeting that didn’t seem quite the case as normal, it was a lot more laid back and everyone seemed more intent on having fun than usual and it was a good meeting. I was surprised there was so many vans racing, I thought the turnout was really good and the racing was great fun so hopefully I’ll find another for next year.

That said have you any plans for the rest of 2015 and 2016?
I don’t think I will be doing too much more this year. I might try and do the RWD Championship. I’ve got a Frog Eye ready to go and the changes to the rules for the engines this year means I can race it as it is. I think the rule change (limiting Ford Granadas and Ultimas to four cylinder engines rather than 2litre) makes a bit of sense because it might make it easier for people to do the meeting, it’s the reason I’m hoping to race and I don’t think there is much between the engines anyway. As for next year, I think I will just try and do the same meetings really, most of the RWD ones and a couple of Nationals as well. The pre 70 is still probably my favourite. I love the older cars but just like the Granadas, the older stuff is no good now against the modern cars so you have to make the most of meetings like the pre 70 and all Granada meetings. I also really enjoy the unlimited team meeting, I don’t know why, maybe because there are a few less cars at that one, I don’t know but I’ve had a good night at that one the last couple of years racing with different people which has been nice so hopefully I’ll find a team again for next year. My son is old enough to start racing Junior Bangers next year so we’ll have to see how much time that leaves me, hopefully he might get really keen and start helping build my cars, that would be brilliant (laughs).

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
All the people who help me, especially my brother and my kids for putting up with me.