An Interview with Babsy 988 Billy Dennison
(interview published March 9 2016 in the lead up to the 2016 Unlimited Banger BBA Supreme Championship)

Age: 28
Home Town:
Occupation: Self employed mechanic
Family: Girlfriend Elly who is expecting their first child in June
First race: Aged 10 in Ministox at Taunton, first National Banger meeting at St Columb (Westworld) aged 16

You are one of a number of drivers set to make their Supreme Championship debut this year, are you looking forward to the meeting?
I am, it’s nice to get a chance to do a race like this because I don’t qualify for that many championships but there are other reasons why I’m looking forward to it. The way it’s going it’s going to be my first meeting since the Christmas meeting at Taunton. I had hoped to do some in the meantime but work has been really busy and my girlfriend is pregnant with our first baby so we’ve been getting ready for that as well, there has been a lot of decorating and stuff going on (laughs). But that is all now well on track so hopefully that will give me a little more time for racing for a couple of months at least (laughs)! And I’m also looking forward to going back to Mildenhall, as it’s been a while. The last time I came was for the Granada meeting (in 2012) and I really enjoyed it, in fact I really like racing on shale but living where I do there aren’t any shale tracks locally so it will be nice to come back and have a go on (shale) again.

Despite everything going on in your life right now you were among the first to confirm your intention to race in the championship, is this an important meeting for you?
I’ve been saying about trying to get back to Mildenhall again for a while and the Supreme Championship is one of the meetings which people have been mentioning to me as a good one. I enjoy my unlimited racing now, probably more than anything else and quite a few people have said to me it’s a good (meeting) and quite a crashy one despite being a championship which usually gets lots of big pile-ups and stuff like that so it sounds like it could be a ‘bit of me’ so when I found out I’d qualified (from finishing sixth in the Autospeed World Final) I knew it was a meeting I had to do.

As you mentioned you’ve not been in the greatest number of championship races, is this likely to be your biggest race to date?
To be honest I don’t tend to look at races like that. Maybe it’s because I don’t do this kind of thing that often but I try not to look at any race as more important than another one, it’s just another race to me. Maybe it’s because I don’t fancy myself as a contender to win it so they all look the same to me (laughs) but it’s still a big deal to be in something like this.

Does that attitude help take pressure off on a race like this?
I guess it does. I wouldn’t really know because I don’t think I put that much pressure on myself really because again I never see myself as someone who is going to be in the running for winning any race really, let alone one like this so sometimes when you go into something with lower expectations it does take the pressure off. I think it also helps you avoid disappointment as well as there is nothing worse than getting your hopes up and expecting to do well and then only doing a lap (laughs)! I think what helps me a lot is that I enjoy the social side of the sport so much. When you have that the racing almost becomes secondary and as long as you have a good day out and a laugh with your friends, it doesn’t matter if you have a bad meeting.

Is that especially important when you come to somewhere like Mildenhall which is near 500 mile round trip for you?
Yeah it is really because that would be a long way to go on your own. Truth be told, if I didn’t have the guys around me I probably wouldn’t be able to do it. Thankfully I’m coming up with Nemesis (239 Steve Carter) again so there will be a crew cab full of us on the journey so it will be a good day even before we get to the track. We are doing the whole trip in a day so I guess we’ll be away from home for pretty much all of the day, leaving early in the morning and we’ll probably get home as the sun is coming up (laughs)! But again, when you are with your mates, you don’t mind as much as that is all part of the fun, thankfully Damien always drives us everywhere so we can just relax and enjoy the journey, although I can’t see us getting much sleep on the way home.

That must be a big help having someone to drive that distance rather than you driving to the track and then having to race?
Absolutely, it makes a massive difference and it would be a real struggle for me without it. Like I said I probably couldn’t race at tracks like Mildenhall without the people around me helping, they make such a huge difference to my racing and this is a big example. The thought of driving five odd hours in a lorry and then having to race, it would never happen and if it did I would be absolutely useless (laughs). Well worse than I any normally anyway! And then having to drive home afterwards, it doesn’t bear thinking about really so I’m lucky to have someone like Damien around helping and doing what he does.

Have you decided on what car you will be using in the race?
Just a (Ford Scorpio). To be honest I’m not sure it will be the best car as I don’t think they are the best cars for me anyway and if it is a really rough race like I’ve heard it can be then it might not be the way to go, but it’s nearly done now. I like them because they are pretty easy and straight forward to build, well as easy as you are likely to get with an unlimited car anyway (laughs) but the trouble I find with them is that they have a real habit of ripping wheels of easily, especially when you want to have a crash which I try to do so I’m not sure they are really the best cars for crashing these days. But I’ve done it because it was the easiest thing for me and I’ve a lot on right now so it’s made my life a lot easier.

As lot of people have commented on the price of unlimited banger racing these with the costs of some cars, especially the Ford Scorpio, being a big factor, is that something you have noticed?
Yeah that is definitely true. I was lucky because I was able to get a load in stock when the cars first became popular and that was before they became really expensive to buy but I’ve not bought one for at least a year now because I won’t spend what some people are asking for them, it’s just crazy. I’m gradually working my way through the ones I have and then I will start looking for something different. I’ve got a couple of the modern Mercedes that people are using and I think they could be the next thing. They seem fairly easy to get hold of at the moment and people are able to get them going really well so they seem a good car and hopefully I’ll build one of mine soon and if I like it I might think about getting some more but you find as a driver you are always looking for something new because there is always something which comes along.

You mentioned liking shale, why is that and is part of it because of the novelty factor and that you don’t race on it very often?
That probably is part of it but I always seem to find racing on shale to be more fun. I think a big reason for me is that I love being sideways, that is great fun but if you do that on tarmac you aren’t going as fast as you should be so on tarmac being sideways at any point is technically a bad thing while on shale that’s the whole point, I think that is why I enjoy it so much, it’s just so much fun.

Do you think a lack of shale and track experience could hinder you here, coupled with the fact this will be your first meeting in nearly three months?
I think that will all play a part. Any driver will tell you that the longer you spend out of a car, the longer it takes you to get back into it so I’m guessing it will take me a few laps to get back into the swing of it which isn’t ideal when those laps are going to be in the championship (laughs)! I went to Coventry last year but that is the last time I raced on shale and I’ve not done that much shale racing at all but thankfully it never seems to be a problem for me. Whenever I raced on a shale track I can usually get into it straight away so hopefully that will be the case here, especially as I’m bound to be a little rusty after my break!

Do you think the shale drivers will have an edge in the race?
I guess so but that’s the same anywhere whether it’s shale or tarmac, if you race at a track more than someone else you are going to have a bit of an advantage over the other guy, it’s the same everywhere I think.

What kind of race do you expect it to be?
I’m not sure really. People have told me it’s usually a very lively meeting and it’s hard to imagine 40 odd unlimited bangers round Mildenhall being anything but, but also I would have thought most people in the race will be wanting to do well in it and maybe save any crashing for after the big race. I’ve not looked at the entry list at all so I’ve no idea whose in the race or not so I’ve no idea what to expect but sometimes that’s a good thing, it makes it more exciting (laughs!).

Have you any plans for this season?
I really want to try and race at some different tracks that I’ve not been to. The problem is they are all miles away and with the baby due this might not be the best time for some massive road trips (laughs). We’ll have to see, I really enjoy racing on the shale so I’d like to try Sheffield and Belle Vue but I also want to try Ipswich and Yarmouth as I’ve not got there yet either.

Three of the four tracks you mentioned have post and rope fences, is that to say you don’t mind these tracks?
Not at all, I know some people are and I can understand why but I find tracks with those fences are quite interesting because it changes things a lot. You get drivers who can be wary of the fence and it changes how they race which makes things interesting and also you can’t afford to make a mistake which makes it exciting. It also helps that I’ve never hit (a post) that hard, maybe when I do I’ll have a different opinion (laughs).

What are your thoughts on the National Banger scene in the west country where the number of limited contact banger meetings far outweigh the National Banger dates?
It’s struggling to be honest. Not for drivers because there are plenty of drivers but sadly the majority don’t want to do full contact meetings and are happy just doing Rookie or Old School type meetings which is fine and totally their choice but it’s a shame for guys like me who want to do National meetings because we are now having to travel around me to do them. It’s not even a matter of just running more National meetings as if there were I’ve no doubt they would just struggle for cars because it’s not what the majority of drivers want. I appreciate as well that I’m part of the problem. For a long time there was a group of us and I can understand that us being there probably put people off coming. It’s hard because you make friends at racing and even though you shouldn’t there is always going to be a part of you that is reluctant to smash them up, unless it’s the very end of a DD. You’re always going to wreck someone whose not your mate before you smash up your friends, I think that’s just being human. But then that has also not helped things here, I get that but it’s not something anyone set out to do, it’s just how it happened.

What are your thoughts on the new ruling from the ORCi prohibiting drivers from exiting their cars while a race is in progress?
I think is an excellent rule and it should have been brought in sooner. Unfortunately we are seeing more and more people taking ridiculous chances when they are getting out and I think the majority of times people get hurt is from getting out (of their car) when they shouldn’t so hopefully it will keep people safer and reduce injuries. I’ve raced at Emmen a couple of times where they’ve had the rule a long time and it works really well. Admittedly it’s especially important there because you could never climb over the fence if you got out anyway but I’m not aware of that many injuries at Emmen and I think a big part of that is because of that rule.

Is there anyone you would to thank or mention?
Steve (Nemesis) and all the boys for everything they do to help me, my brother who’s a big help with the cars and my girlfriend for her support.