An Interview with National Banger driver Helm 311 Lee Bradbury
(interview published April 1 2014 in the lead up to the 1400cc Banger Suffolk Open team championship at Mildenhall on April 18)

Age: 42
Home Town: Hemel Hempsted
Occupation: Garage owner
Family: Wife Julieand two children
Racing career: Started racing bangers aged 16 at Bovingdon

The Motley Krew have been long supporters of the 1400cc Suffolk Open team championship, even appearing at the first event back in 1995. What is it about this meeting that keeps attracting you back year after year?
I think we’ve only ever missed one or two in all the years it’s been going and I’m pretty sure I’ve done every one that the team has raced at which is pretty cool. It’s a meeting I always look to and there are a few reasons why I enjoy it so much. Firstly it’s such a big meeting with so many teams and cars and that in itself is a great buzz, being in the pits with that many other drivers creates a very special atmosphere and you don’t get that very often so it’s great to be a part of that. In turn this usually means the racing is pretty good, at least with plenty of cars you have half a chance of it being good and that’s the most important thing, being a part of a good meeting which I think it all most drivers want from their racing. But there are other reasons for me. One of them is that everyone is in pretty similar cars and equipment. It’s maybe not quite as even as it was a few years ago with the way things have evolved but it’s a lot more even than a lot of meetings you have during the year and I love that because that means everyone starts out on pretty much the same footing and I think that’s one of the reasons the meeting is still so popular. It’s also good for us because this meeting usually sees a few of the old faces in the team come out who we don’t have racing very often and that’s always nice. My brother (Dave) is racing again this season and it’s always special for me when he races and I look forward to the times we race together as it doesn’t happen very often now. To be fair, it’s rare that you see the Motley Krew at a team meeting these days so it’s always a buzz to get the boys back together and have a few cars in red, white and orange out there.

You’ve two teams set for action this year, do you think the team is capable of a good showing again?
I hope so. We’ve only got two teams this year where as we’ve had three the last couple of years but I knew it would be a struggle to get enough for three and that proved to be a good move because it’s not been the easiest getting enough for two but we’re there now and I think it’s a pretty good line up myself and I’m sure we’ll have a good day. I think it would have been possible to have put in a really strong team with the drivers we’ve had, either to go for a place in the final or even the most entertaining team award but I don’t think that is fair on everyone so we’ve mixed everyone up across the teams. It might reduce our chances of any great success but I think it will increase our chances of everyone having a good day and enjoying themselves and that is the most important thing. My attitude is that if someone wants to race in the team and is willing to race in the spirit of the team they should be treated the same as everyone, regardless of how good they are or how long they’ve been racing or in the team. We’ve some good drivers again though, it’s nice to have Smiler (320 Paul Seymour) back out in a banger as he’s been mainly racing his stockcar lately and I think he was always a very underrated driver and the same for (316) James Cushion who I think is really underrated. The great thing I think about our team is the vibe in it. No one takes it too seriously, everyone just wants to have fun, enjoy themselves and help each other out which is brilliant.

You mentioned qualifying for the final, could that be your target on Good Friday?
It’d be brilliant to get a team into the final and there’s no reason why it couldn’t happen. It’s such an unpredictable day with that many teams and cars you never know what’s going to happen. And you can’t plan anything until you get there because that’s when you know what groups you are in and what teams you will be racing against. That’s another thing I like about the meeting, not really knowing what you are doing until you get there and there is a little buzz from getting the programme and going through and seeing what you are going to be up against and which top teams or rivals are in your races. We’ve had some good years at this meeting and been up there before, we even came second once but I can’t see that happening again, either way we’ll be enjoying the meeting, that is always the most important thing. An entertainer trophy would be great, I think they are the best trophies to win anyway, especially at a meeting like this one.

Moving away from Good Friday, have you made any plans for the rest of 2014?
There are a few meetings that are on my list. I’ve a car again for the Granada meeting at Mildenhall and it’s another good one. That was a top meeting last season so I really wanted to make the effort to make sure I could do that one again and I’m looking forward to that. I’ve also something a bit cool hopefully for the Steamer Memorial (unlimited Suffolk Open) which I know (Steamer) would have liked. The problem is it’s currently in kit form really and is going to need an awful lot of work to put back together so hopefully we will have it all ready in time for the meeting. It’s still a fair way away at the moment so a bit early to be panicking about that one just yet. The Pre 70 at Mildenhall is another meeting I’ll be doing. I won the Odd Job Memorial Trophy last year which was a real treat so I’ve got to make the effort to do that meeting again and see if maybe I can win it another time. Another meeting I’m hoping to do is the Granada meeting at Arena. I didn’t have the best of times last year and didn’t last very long so it would be nice to go back and have another go at it. I don’t make too many plans because I’m always so busy at work which is why I don’t race as often as I would like to but those meetings are the priorities for me this year and hopefully we’ll fit some other stuff in as well.

You raced an awful lot of impressive cars during the course of 2013 which led to you receiving the Mr Material award at the Mildenhall Presentation Night, was there any car in particular which stood out for you?
I think it would have been the Studebaker I raced at King’s Lynn (at Axe-tinction). Again it was almost in kit form when I first got it and it was an awful lot of work to put it all back together and get it racing and I had a lot of help from some of the old boys in the team to get it done. My brother, Trevor Salvage and even Goldie helped out on that so it was a good experience building it and I was so pleased with how it looked in the end, it just looked the business and I had a good night with it and even won an entertainer award so that was pretty special.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
Everyone who helps out, especially Ginge and Jason who do so much, Julie for all her support and putting up with all the late nights and all the boys in the team.