An Interview with National Banger Martin Seex Memorial winner Matty 599 Matty Butcher
(interview published July 8 in the lead up to One Wild Weekend 2015 and the Unlimited Suffolk Open and Steamer Memorial Trophy)

Age: 22
Home Town: Braintree
Occupation: Science analysist
Family: Girlfriend Daniella
Racing career: Started racing Baby Bangers at Henham aged 12

You’ve been having a very busy season and this is set to continue this summer starting with the 2Litre (no Mondeo) Suffolk Open on the second day of One Wild Weekend at Mildenhall, is this a meeting you are looking forward to?
It is, I really like the non-Mondeo meetings to be fair. One of the big reasons is because you get the variety of cars out there which I like, I think it’s better when you have a track full of different types of cars and it just makes things a lot more interesting. It’s the one thing I really don’t like about a Mondeo meeting because everyone has one so it’s a little boring in that sense but the non-Mondeo meetings you get a bit of everything and people aren’t afraid to try something which might be complete junk. I’ve got a Zafari for this meeting and it’s the first time I’ve raced one and while I kind of like my people carriers I’ve never had much luck with Vauxhalls so it will be interesting to see how I get on with this but I’m looking forward to it and again it will be something different. The other great thing about these meetings is I think people are more willing to smash them up at the end and I find these meetings are a little more crashy because people are less worried about trying to save the car for another day and I like those kind of meetings.

Following that you are booked in for the Unlimited Suffolk Open and Steamer Memorial Trophy meeting on August 8, you were among the first to book in for that meeting, again is this one you are looking forward to?
Yes, very much, I love the unlimited racing and I think it is probably the best kind of banger racing right now. At Mildenhall we still only have a few unlimited meetings each year which works well because it usually means the ones we have are well attended and good meetings and people look forward to them each time. I think Mildenhall is a good track for unlimited meetings, to be fair I think it’s size makes it pretty ideal for all banger racing but it definitely works well for unlimiteds because it’s big enough that you can get some decent speed up but it’s still small enough to keep things pretty level which is great for me because my Previa’s aren’t the quickest but at Mildenhall they are still on the pace.

You’ve been a keen user of the Toyota Previa in recent times, this car was banned in the second half of last year but was allowed back by the ORCi in 2015, presumably you are pleased about that?
Yes I am because I think there are a lot of advantages of these cars. For me, they are ideal because they are pretty cheap and easy to get hold off and if I wans’t able to use them I don’t know if I would be able to do unlimited meetings because I find it really hard to find any other suitable cars at prices I’m willing to pay for a banger. Personally I don’t think they are any better than any other car, they are just the same and like all cars have their weak points because it’s just as easy to take a wheel or wreck the steering on one as is it with any other car but again the great thing for me is that I can race one without having to spend a lot of money or do a lot of work on them and so far I’ve had a pretty good night with most of the ones I’ve had, I had a brilliant meeting at the Supreme Championship. That was a great meeting for me, the hits just kept presenting themselves and I just kept going and going and had a great night, the best was the big hit I had on Craig (Osborne), it was just perfect that he was parked up at the end of the straight like that (laughs). I think he’s just about forgiven me for that one now (laughs). The only thing I would like with the Previas would be to be able to use water tanks again. The biggest issue with them is that they are prone to doing head gaskets which is a big reason why you can get them cheap. Of course they are mid-engine cars so you don’t change the engine and it’s hard to get a good look at the engine so I just run them how I find them but if the head gasket is iffy, having a water tank would be a massive help to keeping them running but I’m glad that I can just race one again.

The Suffolk Open also features the Steamer Memorial trophy which goes to the evening’s best entertainer, as one of RDC’s regular entertainers, could that be a trophy you will be going for?
It would be absolutely fantastic to win that it really would. I wouldn’t say I would be going for it as such but when I do an unlimited meeting and especially with a Previa you aren’t exactly going to start the evening thinking about winning races so it will be more about crashing for me, that’s for sure so we’ll just see how it goes. Like I said I had a brilliant night at the Supreme Championship so if I could get anywhere near that again that would be amazing but we’ll have to say, it’s not as easy as that is it but I’ll be trying my best (laughs).

While you are perhaps better known for your crashing antics we have also seen your racing side several times this season including winning the Martin Seex Memorial final in late May, was that a highlight of the year for you?
Absolutely. There is a funny story behind that but I probably should keep it to myself (laughs). It’s always cool to have a win every now and again and it does give you a big boost and that one did just that. It was a tough race because it was a long one (20 laps) and it just seemed to keep going and going and going and never seemed to end and I honestly thought I would eventually get taken out. That’s what usually happens when I lead races, I’ll hang onto until two or three laps to go and someone will get me but I obviously had a little luck that time and held on which was great. Like I said it’s always nice to win a race, a final is even better and being a memorial and having that big trophy was even better still. I had a great weekend that weekend as I went back out in the Accumulator and had a big crash to celebrate the win and we were still able to fix the car for the following day and race again.

Your success at that meeting saw you just miss out on qualifying for the British Championship, was you disappointed at coming so close to making the big race?
I guess in a way I was but to be honest I’m still not completely sure how these things work really (laughs) so I certainly never set out to qualify for the championship, I was just doing my racing. Don’t get me wrong it would have been fantastic to have qualified for one of the big races of the year but it’s not the end of the world that I didn’t but who knows, maybe I’ll have some luck in the last chance race and qualify on the night! It could happen now I’m a hot rodder (laughs).

Is it safe to say you are enjoying your season so far?
Yes mate, it’s been my best season to date. When things are going well it’s much easier to keep going and get ready for the next meeting and that’s what’s been happening for me, I’m just buzzing at the moment and enjoying it so much, especially because I’ve had a good few meetings, both crashing and having a couple of wins to, and it gives you that big push to keep going and I’m pretty lucky at the moment that I’ve got a good few cars for racing and that’s allowing me to do most of the meetings I want to. I’ve also just made it to the blue grade which is pretty cool and I’m really pleased about that. We’ll have to see how I get on with it, I guess starting that bit further back could be either really good or really bad and I won’t find out until I try it but it’s nice to see my number moving up the charts, that’s a great feeling.

You’ve already qualified for the Accumulator championship and are looking pretty good for a place in the White and Yellow Grade Series final too, are those races you look forward to?
I do as it goes. It’s always nice to get into the bigger races and have a go in them and they are both usually good ones with lots of cars and lots going on so it will be nice to be in them again and give it a good go. I’m not too sure how I will get on but again it’s just nice to be in them. I was starting to do really well in the white and yellow grade points but I’ve gone up to the blue grade now so I can’t score any more points at the moment which is pretty typical of me but again it was excellent to be doing so well in a points chart.

You are also a front runner in the Mildenhall DD Championship, is that something you might target for the rest of 2015?
Yeah I did notice that (laughs). I guess it means I might have to try and do a few more DDs now because that would be a brilliant thing to win. I do enjoy the DDs though and to be honest I tend to do them when I can, it’s not often I don’t do the last race if I can but I think now we might make a bit of an extra effort with them when it’s possible. It’s not a matter of fixing a wrecked car for the last race because we would always try and do that anyway, it’s more about taking out a good car for a DD that could be raced again but to be honest that doesn’t happen very often for me anyway so it should be ok (laughs).

Having said that can you tell us a little about how you balance your life between work, racing and family and social time?
(laughs) Well family time has long gone out the window, there is no time for that but I’m lucky because (girlfriend) Daniella is really supportive of my racing and often encourages me to go out and race more. I think sometimes she wishes you could race without building all the cars but she’s great and she understands which is obviously so important for my racing because I’m usually in the yard every night after I come home from work and have had dinner. There is always something to do but it’s ok at the moment because I’m enjoying my racing so much right now and that makes it all a lot easier.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
My brother for all his help with the cars and Daniella for her support.