An Interview with National Banger racer 411 Matt Franklin
(interview published on October 14 2015 ahead of the ahead of the National Banger 2015 Allstar Dash for Cash and Caravan DD)

Age: 25
Home Town: Elmswell
Occupation: Commercial car fitter
Family: Fiancé Jasmine
Racing career: Started racing in Ministox at Mildenhall aged 14

You are set to compete in the caravan race and DD at Mildenhall at Halloweeen Havoc on October 25, are you looking forward to this?
Definitely! It’s my first time doing the caravan race but my brother Stu has done it the last three years and he’s always raved about how much fun it is and that’s a big reason why I’ve wanted to have a go myself but all the while he was doing it, it really wasn’t practical for me to do it as well, it just wouldn’t been possible to get two cars and two caravans to the meeting and I suppose it was kind of ‘his thing’ really and I was quite happy to just help him out all the while he wanted to do it. But this year my dad found another caravan and this time Stu wasn’t so keen to do the race so I jumped at the chance and took it for myself now I can’t wait, I think it’s going to be great.

What is it that appeals to you about this race?
I think it’s simply making a big of a mess as you can (laughs). One of the things Stu has always said about the buzz from smashing through a caravan and all the mess and debris coming through the car and just how unreal that is so I’m hoping I will get to experience that during the race because I’d like to see what that’s like and I would imagine it’s an awesome feeling. It’s always a buzz smashing things up, usually you are just smashing up other cars, so to destroy a caravan I guess will be a real rush.

Is that your goal for the race?
I think it probably will be but you can never tell, don’t get me wrong if by chance I happen to be at the front and have a chance of winning I would probably go for it and see how that turns out but I’m not sure I’ll be able to resist the temptation to blitz a caravan if it comes up, that’s the thing I really want to try and experience, most because of how Stu has described it but again we’ll have to see how it goes, you can never predict things at the best of times and especially in a race like this, you’ve no idea what is going to happen.

October 25 is set to be a busy afternoon for you as you have also qualified for the Allstar Dash for Cash, are you planning to do that race as well?
Yes I am. My hope is that I will have a car survive from the Accumulator and White and Yellow Grade Final meeting (on October 17) and I will use that for the caravan race. I am building a new car (for October 25) and if one can come back from (October 17) then I will use the new one for the Dash and hopefully a bit more of the meeting.

Is the Allstar Dash for Cash a race where you fancy your chances?
I think everyone in it will fancy their chances. Again it’s a pretty unpredictable one to be honest and everyone in the race is good because they’ve had a good finish in a final at Mildenhall so everyone out there is capable of winning, it’s just about how has a bit of luck on the day and who has things go their way and again you can never predict that but I have every intention of getting my head down and going for it and seeing what happens. It’s why I’m hoping that a car lasts (on October 17) so I can use a new one in the Dash which I think might help as I’ve made the mistake of using a used car this year when I should have built a new one and I’ve struggled as a result.

Are you hopeful of doing more racing at Halloween Havoc (on October 25) beyond the Dash and caravan race?
I really hope so but again it depends how things go (on October 17) as to whether I have one or two cars and then it will depend on how I get on in the Dash because obviously that and the caravan race are the main priorities at the meeting but hopefully I will be able to do some more racing at the meeting, even just another DD would be great as I really enjoy DDs when I get to do them as I do love a crash (laughs). The Halloween meeting is always a good one so it’s good to try and be a part of it, there is usually a good crowd for it but I think you get a lot of different people and that makes the atmosphere really cool so hopefully I will be able to do a bit more than just the Dash and Caravan Race but we will have to see.

Having mentioned October 17, let’s talk about the Accumulator Championship and White and Yellow Grade Series Final as you have qualified for both title races, are you looking forward to this meeting?
I am, it’s been pretty incredible really as I was never meant to do very much this season and here I am now in all three championships in October having also been in the British Championship earlier in the year so it’s all be amazing really and I’m really looking forward to the championships (on October 17). I qualified for the Accumulator when I won the qualifier at the (second British qualifier in March) so I’ve been looking forward to it ever since. At the time I really didn’t expect to qualify for the British and never really thought I would get in the White and Yellow Grade Series Final either as I wasn’t planning on doing so much racing so back in March I figured the Accumulator was going to be as good as it would get for me but now to have been and be in all these races is just amazing and I’m really looking forward to (the October 17 meeting) and the two big races.

You qualified for the Accumulator Championship by winning an Accumulator qualifier but many have qualified by winning a DD or an entertainer award during the season, how do you feel about this form of qualification?
I think it’s a good idea myself, usually I would have said that would have been a better chance for me to qualify than actually winning a race (laughs) and I think it makes the race a little different. It also gives different drivers a chance to get into a big championship because sometimes those who win entertainer awards aren’t the same guys winning races so it’s good for them and nice that they have a chance to qualify for something special and I also think having a big mix of drivers makes for a better race, it’s always more fun when people are doing different things compared to when everyone is just racing round and round.

It’s often been said about having both the Accumulator Championship and White and Yellow Grade Series Final on the same programme creates issues for several drivers, especially with so many now qualifying for both, how do you feel about this?
I think it is better but I can understand why it’s not ideal for some. I think by having both races on the same meeting makes for a much better much than what you would have if you ran them on different nights and I also think if you ran them on different meetings you would probably get mostly just the drivers for each race at those meetings rather than the mix of people you get when you run them together so while I appreciate it is harder I think it does make for a better meeting for everyone.

As you’ve already mentioned you also qualified for the British Championship this season, how big of a deal was that for you?
It meant a hell of a lot and I was really chuffed to get in it to be honest especially as I was the first in our family to qualify which made it all the more special. Again it was strange how the season how gone because I never set out to do so much. It was all because Stu gave me the car he’s used for the Siamese meeting as he didn’t want to race it and so I did the first two British qualifiers in March and won the final and Accumulator at the second one and everything just went from there. I admit I’ve got the bug quite bad for racing at the moment but it’s difficult because I simply don’t have the time to do it like I would like to and it’s hard to find the time to do the little I am doing but when you have some good results it makes you want to race more and more. Thankfully I’ve got a lot of help which is a massive reason why I’ve been able to do so much this season. The British Championship was cool but looking back I really wish I had built a fresh car because using an old one didn’t really give me any kind of chance before it had started but again I just didn’t have the time and had to do the best I could. It was a shame but to qualify was still great.

You’ve enjoyed some recent success in team events as a part of the winning Norfolk team at the Inter Counties team challenge and MotorBitz at the Old Skool teams, were these meetings you enjoyed?
Yeah, I did and not just because we won but team meetings are always great fun and so different to a normal meeting, just because of that extra bit of racing in a team and especially helping each other in the pits. I was quite chuffed Dan (Lathan) asked me to do both meetings as he was captain and there were both great and to win them both was incredible really.

You were involved in a big moment at the Inter Counties team race when you helped wreck 141 Gary Lee in spectacular fashion, what were your thoughts on that?
I couldn’t believe the damage it did really and it was only afterwards when he said the car had already taken some hits which is why it folded like it did. I fenced him and didn’t really think much about it and I went to carry on but I’d wrecked my steering and I looked over and saw the state of his car so when the race was stopped I jumped over to make sure he was ok and thankfully he was because it was a huge mess.

Have you any plans for the remainder of 2015 or 2016?
I suspect the October meetings will probably be among my last ones for this year but there is talk of doing the (Mildenhall Team Championship on November 22) so we’ll have to see how that goes, I’ve enjoyed the team meetings I have done lately so it would be nice to do that one if I can. As for 2016, we’ll just have to see how things go. Again time is my issue and I just have so little to put into the racing but it’s hard because I’m enjoying the racing I’m doing so I would love to try and least do as much as I have done this year again but we’ll have to see.

It is safe to say we might see you at the Siamese meeting next year having become a regular after you and Steve Old performed the biggest Siamese rollover yet in 2014?
Yeah I’m sure we will do that one. I absolutely love that meeting, it’s just so much fun and that is exactly what our sport is meant to be so I think we will always try and do that one. The rollover with Steve was just amazing and I’d love to try and top it (laughs). Although I don’t remember too much about it now, it went by so far and I think I shut my eyes after the first roll!

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My dad and Stu for everything they do to help me with my racing and Shane and Steve for letting me share their yard and the help they give me as well and my misses for all her support, she’s even been helping lately with the stripping and building and making plasters from electrical tape!