An Interview with former National Banger BBA British Champion 370 John Cobbold
(interview published June 18 in the lead up to round four of the 2014 National Banger BBA British Championship on June 28)

Age: 26
Home Town: Sudbury
Occupation: Welder and fabricator
Family: Girlfriend Hayley and new born baby Ollie
Racing career: First meeting was Mini and Metro meeting at Mildenhall, aged 18

Congratulations on qualifying for this year’s British Championship, was that a target for yourself this season?
Yes it was, especially after having such a bad time in the qualifying rounds last year when I was champion. Had I not been defending I would have not been in the race last year and the British is one of the highlights of the year for me. I think it’s always an achievement to qualify for one of the big races at Mildenhall because it’s never easy to do that. This year’s qualifying rounds had some good turnouts and the weather conditions were much better than last year so it made it really tough and I think anyone who has qualified has done well and I don’t make it easy for myself by only doing the Mildenhall rounds. The thing for me now is that I’m not able to race as much as I used to. Not only have we got our baby now but I don’t have quite as much help as before so I do a lot of it myself with my dad and a couple of others but it’s harder than before and that is a big reason why I stick to racing Mondeos. I’ve got plenty of them stocked up to race to start with but they are so much easier for me to build. You can strip and build one in a day if you put your mind to it but things like unlimited cars take so much longer, you need to change engines and have special kit for anything if you are going to have a decent chance and that just isn’t practical for me right now. At Mildenhall I see the Supreme and British as the two main races of the year and as unlimited racing really isn’t for me right now, the British is the biggest race of the season so I’m a lot more interested in that and pleased to have qualified.

Mondeo based National Banger racing, often gets a rough press from some, but you clearly enjoy racing these cars?
Yes I do. The problem if they don’t bend too much and they are hard but on the other side you can usually get a full meeting from one because of their strength. I’m not one for doing two laps and turning round and smashing my car up, it’s not the kind of driver I am, I prefer to race in the races and smash it up at the end and racing Mondeos does give you a chance to do that I think and because the cars are fairly available and relatively easy to build you can smash one up at the end and then go about building another. (the last British qualifier) was a great example of that, I had a brilliant race with George Goodall in the heat and then a good crash in the last race, the hit on (Mark Levett) was a good one, I enjoyed that.

Your British Championship win in 2012 came in slightly controversial circumstance with some questioning the legality of your tyres although these were later confirmed as legal, does this leave you with any lingering desire to win the championship again?
No, not really, I know I won that race and I know that my car was ok. It was a hard race and a great one to win and it’s definitely a highlight of my career and I don’t feel I have a point to prove, to be honest I’m just pleased to be in it again because like I said that’s not an easy thing to do and that race truly is the best in the business so it will be great to be in it again.

How do you rate your chances?
Not very highly if I’m honest. A few years ago when the Mondeos came in I think I was a lot more competitive in them. I was racing all the time and on the cars all the time and trying new things and pushing and I think I got to grips with the car a bit quicker than some and that gave me an edge but over time, I’ve stopped pushing and trying so hard and others have not only caught up but they’ve moved on as well and some of the drivers are so fast now that I can’t really see me winning it, but you never know, there could be a chance if things go my way but I doubt it. I’m hoping to try and be in a position to go for the top five or something like that, that would be a great result for me.

Who do you consider the main danger men?
I think you have to say Chubby (382 Jack Foster Jnr) right now, he’s on a real winning streak and he is so fast and good at everything he does so anytime he is in a race you would have to consider him a threat. I also think Darren Fendley could be one to watch if he qualifies on the night, he’s very quick and really good at getting through the traffic and I think even the last chance qualifiers will have a chance, winning those races are not easy either and I think if you are in the championship you will have a chance.

Recent meetings have seen you not in your usual Team Green colours, can you explain?
I’m just doing my own thing now. Again things have changed with the baby and not having the help I used to and so it’s hard for me to race all the time and I cannot commit to being in a team so I don’t think I should be in one. At the moment I’m just doing the things I want to do and when I want to do them.

Looking further ahead you are booked in for the Siamese meeting again on July 19 although this time you are set to race with Spedeworth (Rookie) Banger World Champion Michael Lane, are you looking forward to this?
Yes I am, it’s always a great meeting, just all about having fun which is what the racing is all about but this meeting in particular is a great laugh and it will be interesting to do it with someone different. I’ve been given Michael plenty of stick and trying to scare him, especially because he is going in the top car!

Have you any other plans for the rest of the season?
I’ve a few things I want to do. I know I said I don’t really do unlimited meetings but I have a Jaguar to race and so I plan to do the Suffolk Open and hopefully I’ll enjoy that one, I don’t like the work involved in preparing unlimited bangers to race but I usually do ok racing them but I think that is because I concentrate so hard (laughs). I’m also planning to do the 1800cc Suffolk Open, that’s one that I’ve come close to winning before and it’s just not gone my way so I would like to have a crack at that and the Accumulator Championship as well. I nearly won it a couple of years ago and a drive shaft broke and that’s still a big Mondeo race at Mildenhall so I would love to try and win that, having said that I need to qualify first (laughs). I’ve not had any luck yet this year, again I’ve come close, I nearly won on Saturday (June 7) and got stuffed on the last bend!

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My dad and Paul (Stiff) for everything they do to help me and also my mum and Hayley for all their support.