An Interview with National Banger driver 483 Mark Salisbury
(interview published November 11 2014 in the lead up to the Mildenhall Team Championship on November 23)

Age: 31
Home Town: Sudbury
Occupation: Industrial software controls engineer
Family: Wife Anna
Racing career: Started racing in Rookie Bangers at Ipswich in 2008 and first National Banger meeting was at Mildenhall in 2010

We’ve the National Banger Mildenhall Team Championship coming up very soon and team Wilko are once again set for action with yourself among the ranks, is this a meeting you are looking forward to?
Yes, I’m really looking forward to this one because I really enjoy teams meetings as a whole anyway and find them a lot more enjoyable than your normal banger meeting.

Why is that?
There are a few reasons but for me the biggest is that I think team meetings tend to be a bit livelier and have a lot more crashing than normal meetings. I don’t know why, maybe because team racing brings that out of people or people are more up for having a bit more fun than when they race by themselves I don’t know but I always find the team meetings to be some of the best meetings when it comes to people getting stuck in and I love that so that’s the main reason I enjoy them so much. I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not the best banger driver out there and I probably never will be so it’s usually the crashing side of the racing which I enjoy and at a meeting like this there is usually plenty of opportunity for that.

You’ve done this meeting before, have you enjoyed it in the past?
Very much, I think it’s always been really lively with loads going on and everyone getting stuck in which is how it should be. It also helps me a little at this time of the year that the track conditions might not be completely perfect. It’s been good the last couple of years because it’s been wet but not so wet that it completely ruins the racing and those conditions seem to suit me quite well.

Other drivers we have interviewed for team meetings have spoken of a different atmosphere in the pits compared to normal meetings, is that something you have noticed?
I have and they are right it’s totally different in the pits at a team meeting, especially I think in a team like ours (Team Wilko). When I race at a normal meeting there might only be one or two of racing but at a team meeting everyone is there and those who aren’t racing often come as well. Team Wilko is very much a group of friends racing together so a team meeting is almost like a big social gathering for us and everyone comes out and those who aren’t racing come along and help out as well and that adds so much to the day when you are in the pits because it all adds to the fun which is very important for me.

Having mentioned the fun element of the sport, have you guys any targets or goals at this meeting?
Not really, no, I don’t think we are that kind of team. Don’t get me wrong it would be fantastic to get further than the heats and qualify for the final and I think everyone in the team would agree with that but it’s not what we go racing for. I certainly go just to enjoy myself and have as much fun as I can and I think the same can be said for the entire team which is why we all get on so well (laughs). Having fun is the priority and as long as we go home with smiles on our faces we will be happy but it would be brilliant to get some points and maybe a win as well but I’m not too sure that will happen for me.

You say that but you had a race win in your last team meeting when you won a race at the Inter Counties team challenge when you raced for Suffolk, was that a highpoint of the season for you?
Absolutely, that was absolutely brilliant and I was so chuffed and really proud that I did it on that day when I was racing for my county. I was pleased enough just to be asked to do the meeting and it was a fantastic experience just being in the team and racing with some really good drivers who I have a lot of respect for so just being in the team was fantastic enough but then to go and get a win against some really top drivers was just brilliant. I had no idea I was even in contention, there was so much going on in the race so I just kept plugging away and it wasn’t until the end that one of the team came over and said he thought I’d won and a marshal then confirmed it. It was a shame we (Suffolk) didn’t score enough to qualify for the final but secretly I was so happy to have won a race I wasn’t too worries (laughs).

Looking back at 2014 as a whole, have you been pleased with your season?
Before this season I had never finished a race at Mildenhall (laughs) and at the start of the year I had a couple of meetings where I was finishing races and then I scored a couple of points and qualified for a final which, for me, was brilliant and I was really pleased with that and then to go and have a win at the Inter Counties meant a lot so for me, it’s been a great year. I’ve enjoyed all the meetings I’ve done which is the main part but to have a little success is really special. Again I know I’m not the best and I’m racing against a lot of very talented drivers who also put a great deal of time and effort into their racing which I simply cannot do so anytime you have a bit of a result against them, it’s always special.

You made a rare unlimited banger appearance at the Supreme Championship in March, was that something you enjoyed?
(laughs) Well, not exactly. I didn’t do very well in that and spent most of the time spinning myself out. I still had fun but maybe not in the conventional sense! I think I need to do some work with racing rear wheel drive cars and will probably stick more to the front wheel drive ones but I’ve haven’t ruled out doing an unlimited meeting again if a suitable car came my way but I think it might pay me to take a Volvo or something to one of the track days at Mildenhall and spend a day practising to try and get the hang of it before doing another meeting like that one!

Have you given any thoughts as to your plans for 2015?
I’m thinking about getting a 1300cc Stockcar because I quite fancy a go in one of those but I would only race it on shale because that is what I prefer. I think National Bangers is very much a young man’s game and even at my age I’m a little old for it so I’m hoping having a stockcar would allow me to do a bit more racing that I am able to right now. But I certainly will still do as many bangers as I can and the meeting I really want to do in particular is the pre 70. I’ve not found a car yet but I am hoping to because I would love to have a go at that meeting, there is something about the idea of racing a car which my granddad might have driven that interests me so I’m hoping to do that one.

You did the Winter Series last year, were those meetings you enjoyed and might we see you there again this year?
I plan to. I’ve got a Micro Banger already and I should be racing at least once in January as well. I like the winter meetings, again they are a lot of fun and most people seem to be there for that. I think at that time of the year these meetings are just a good excuse to get out and do something, both building the car and racing it because there isn’t too much going on is there so it gives you something to do (laughs). And I like the small car meetings because they remind me a bit of my Rookie Banger roots so I do try and make an effort to do those meetings again.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
The person I need to thank above anyone is Honey who got me into the racing in the first place. I met him through work and found out he went racing and he took me to my first meeting was at Mildenhall on Good Friday 2004 and when I raced a Rookie Banger for the first time the car and gear came from him and he’s helped me a lot since so I have to thank him so much as without him it’s unlikely I wouldn’t be racing myself now.