An Interview with current National Banger RDC National Points leader Dino Jnr 570 Jordan Cumming
(interview published June 17 in the lead up to the 2015 National Banger BBA British Championship on July 18)

Age: 20
Home Town: Canterbury
Occupation: Technician for Volkswagen and part time barman
Family: Girlfriend Chelsea
Racing career: Starting racing in Ministox aged 12 at Dover

We’ve not long had the final British Championship qualifying round and you have successfully qualified for the second time, is this something you are especially pleased about?
I am, it’s a pretty important race for me personally because it has some pretty strong family links. Obviously my dad (Stu) won it the first year it was at Mildenhall (1993) and then Andy Gates won it not long after and he and dad were very close so the race is a really special one for me and my family and the first time I did it, it meant a lot. It was also one of my first big National Banger races so that made it extra special and it’s great to be in it again. It’s especially good this year because I feel that I’ve improved a lot since the first time I qualified and I feel like I might have a better chance to do well in it. Another reason I like the race so much is because it’s at Mildenhall which has always been one of my favourite tracks and at the moment it’s the track I think I am enjoying the most and it’s still one of the biggest races of the year there so it’s always good to be a part of a big race at your favourite track and home promotion.

Having failed to get a top 10 in your first British Championship, is that a target this time?
It would be nice to get a good result but I’m certainly not expecting that. You can never expect anything like that in a race like this which is always going to have some of the best drivers in I, really it’s just good enough to be in the race to start with but of course it would be fantastic to have a good result. Last time I started quite near the back and I had a really good race and worked my way to about sixth or seventh but then the head gasket went so I was pretty unlucky and there isn’t much you can do about that. It’d be brilliant to get in the top five and of course to finish on the podium is what everyone wants. I do feel like I might have a chance though. I certainly feel a lot more confident this time than the first, a bit more like I deserve to be in race like this and during (Dirty Weekend) we tried some different things with the cars I raced to try and make them go a bit quicker and again while I didn’t have too much luck we did see some improvements so hopefully that will make a difference. I’ve also been a bit fortunate with my meetings I have coming up as a lot of the cars I need are ready or almost ready so hopefully I will be able to concentrate a bit more on my British Championship car to make sure it’s as good as it can be for the race.

You mentioned starting near the back in your British Championship debut, how important is a good starting place in this race?
It totally depends on the race I think. The year I was in you had guys like Shane Davies and Kieran Greenway who started at the front and stayed there for the whole race and if you have a race where that happens then yes you will probably need a good starting place to be in with a chance of doing well. But then you get a race like last year where it all ends with a big pile-up and the winner takes the flag in reverse and in a race like that it’s a lot less important where you start so it’s all down to what happens on the night. I should think it will be a good race. There is always plenty of cars and you always have plenty of good drivers so straight away you know it’s going to be a fast and hard race and there is always a good chance of some people being out with the sole intention of spoiling things for some people which keeps you on your toes.

Mentioning last year’s British Championship, this was the first National Banger race at RDC to feature a lap sheet order restart where the cars were lined up double file. What do you think of that and also RDC’s unique lap sheet order restart system where all drivers restart on the lead lap?
It’s one of those things where if you are doing well and it happens you are not going to think it’s a good idea but if it helps you out then it’s the best idea ever (laughs) and I suppose the odds are it will help you more than it won’t so I’m quite happy with it. I do think it’s a lot fairer that the back markers start at the back though, I’ve been in races where I’ve restart fourth or something but been the 15th car on the track because of all the back markers so I think this way is fairer myself, again maybe not if you’re leading (laughs) and the double file thing is good and makes the racing a bit more lively and exciting.

You are no stranger to big races and have had some success in recent weeks, does second in the English Championship rank as a highlight of the year so far?
It really does. One of the big reasons was because I’d never even been to the track to watch so to go somewhere completely new and have a good result like that meant a lot to me. I was also pleased to do well because even though it wasn’t the biggest of grids there was again a lot of good drivers in the race so to be competitive against them, especially at somewhere I’d never raced at before, was brilliant. It also made up for the disappointment from the week before at the 2Litre World Final at Hednesford. I was about fourth I think and I got a puncture which was a huge disappointment so to come back and get that result at Mendips was a little extra special.

A big part of your commitment to the RDC scene in 2015 is your ambition to qualify for the Spedeworth World Final for a second year. What is the appeal of that race and how would it compared qualifying via the RDC points to last year as a Spedeworth driver?
I’ve done the meeting for a few years but always in the last chance race and there is a completely unique buzz about the meeting which I think purely comes from racing in front of that many people and that is just something which you cannot replicate, it’s an amazing atmosphere. I appreciate it doesn’t compare to when the meeting was at Wimbledon but nothing stays the same and in its own right it’s an amazing feeling being out there. I always wanted to be in the race, even if it was just the once to experience it and again it was an incredible buzz being on the track with arguably the best drivers in the sport and in front of so many people and so I wanted to try and get into the race again. Things are a little different though this year and I’m really enjoying the challenge of trying to qualify via the RDC points which is so different to last year. Qualifying via the Spedeworth meetings is a lot more about making sure you do all the meetings you need to and getting the attendance points because a lot of meetings are just attendance points rather than race points whereas at RDC it’s all race points. So it’s been a bit about making sure you commit to the meetings you think you can get the most from because I’m not able to do every one of them. It’s a very different challenge but I’m really enjoying my season which makes it easier and if I do qualify via the RDC points that would mean a lot to me.

This year’s meeting will be shown live on Motors TV, what are your thoughts of that?
I think as a driver it won’t make too much difference to us but I think afterwards it will be kind of cool to know it was shown on tele and I think it’s great news for the people who are unable to go. My big concern is that I hope it doesn’t stop people who would or might have gone from going because the size of the crowd is one of the big draws of the meeting and part of what makes it special so I hope it doesn’t impact that in any way.

You are currently leading the RDC National Points Championship, is the target still to just qualify for the Spedeworth World Final or is that points title now in your thoughts?
I can’t lie and say it isn’t but I think it is still too early to commit to it just yet but we will see how it goes, qualifying for the World Final is still the main goal. But I will say I’m really pleased with how well I am, especially with the meetings I’ve done because I have missed a few including two world qualifiers because I did Spedeworth meetings as I was still chasing their points at the time. So to miss a couple of key meetings and still be where I am is better than I could have ever hoped for and I’m really pleased about it.

Your result in the English Championship at Mendips has also secured you a place in the Supreme Championship next year, is that something you are pleased about?
Yes, very much. I’ve not been in that yet and was a little gutted I didn’t quite qualify this year. I love unlimited bangers on shale and at Mildenhall they are always good so that will be a great race to be in, also I think a race like that is more of a lottery and everyone has a chance so it will be good to have a go in that, it’s a bit soon to be looking forward to it but I’m sure I will nearer the time (laughs).

You’ve been involved in some tremendous National Banger races in recent times at RDC, can you tell us about some of them?
(laughs) Well I guess I have! The final at Dover (on April 19) in the British qualifier was a hard one. After the restart everyone was battling for their places and I was going up and down the order like a yo-yo and it was pretty tense because I was hoping for a good day for the points so when I finally got away it was a big relief and to be in the top three with (349 Lee Saunders and 188 John Reeves) meant a lot to me because they know every lump and bump at Dover and so to finish up there with them was brilliant. The first heat at the Micro meeting wasn’t the best for me. It was a good banger race and usually I enjoy races like that but I never really got going and was always struggling. We threw that car together in a couple of days and it showed really so I never got the best out of that race or meeting which was a bit of a shame. The final at the unlimited (EA) team meeting was better though. The races were a little similar in that they started as a race and then turned into a bit of a DD but I had a better time that time. I did a few laps, got in some hits and then when the track was completely blocked I just gave up and went wrecking and really that is a perfect banger race in many ways and I really enjoyed that one. The Hot Shots Championship was another good one. Again I didn’t really have the luck and didn’t finish but as most of the field started in front of me it was great to fight my way up and get near the front because I got taken out so I enjoyed that one as well.

It’s not just the British Championship you have coming up in the next few weeks, what other plans have you got?
It’s pretty busy but I have been fortunate in some ways. May was always going to be hard work but we’ve not a couple of weeks off and I’m only doing the Unlimited at Dover in June and I have a car for that which just needs repairing. Lee (Gower) has given me his van from Dover for me to race at Mildenhall which is a big bonus. I wasn’t planning on doing that so anything I get from there is a bonus, it will be my first big van meeting as well so that will be something different. I’m sure I will be at the Dover team meeting, I’ve just got to sort a team out (laughs). Then we have the British which is the priority at the moment and the car I’m working on now and if everything goes well I hope to do at least one day of the weekend at the end of July at Mildenhall. It’s been tough but on the other hand it’s not so bad this year, it’s a massive help doing less travelling than I was last year and the drop in fuel is a huge help. It used to cost up to £120 in fuel to race at Mildenhall but now it is around £80 which is a massive help as that is one of the biggest expenses for a driver at the moment.

Is there anyone you would like to mention or thank?
My dad for everything he does for me, my mum, nan and girlfriend for all their support, Carl and Paul for their help with the cars, Gareth, Olly and Lee for what they do and Invicta Tyres as well.