An Interview with BriSCA F2 Stockcar World Final rookie 26 Gary Ford
(interview published September 7 2016 in the lead up to the BriSCA F2 Stockcar World Championship weekend on September 10 and 11)

Age: 25
Home Town: Sheffield
Occupation: Warehouse supervisor
Family: Single
Racing career: Started racing in Ministox at Buxton aged 12

This will be your first time competing in the World Final, are you pleased?
Yes very, it’s a huge deal for me just to be in the race and I’m really looking forward to it. The goal this season was to at least try and qualify for a semi-final race because if I could get in one of those I would at least have a chance, either qualifying in the semi-final at King’s Lynn or even in the consolation semi-final at Mildenhall so that was the goal and to be honest I was pleased enough just to in the race but when I wound up on the same row as my dad (13 Andy Ford) that was a really cool. I was pretty fortunate to get into a semi-final because I broke my wrist at the Mildenhall (world) qualifying round and not only did I miss a few qualifying rounds as a result but I really wasn’t sure I would be fit enough to race in the semi-final so to get this far with all that has happened is really great.

How close were you to missing the semi-final due to your injury?
It was pretty close. I was signed off work for six weeks and that ended the day before the semi-final. I think what made it worse was it was such a pathetic crash that caused the injury but then how often is that the way (laughs). If it had been a massive crash I don’t think I would have been upset but all I did was clip a guy who was trying to get out of the fence and of course it snapped the wheel and I must have tried to hold on and that’s what broke the bones in my wrist. I even tried to carry on in the race but I only lasted around three or four more laps and the paint just got too much and I realised I’d done something a bit more serious and retired from the race. I did actually go to Stoke the week before the semi-finals just to see how I got on in the car having not been in it for a few weeks but that went terribly and I broke my gearbox after a few laps which ended my night so I didn’t really get much practise at all but it was a good thing in the end as had I not done those few laps, the gearbox probably would have broken at King’s Lynn instead. I spent a lot of time that week just sitting in the car and driving it round the yard to see if my wrist would be strong enough and it seemed ok so I figured I had to try and the semi-final meeting went brilliantly, not only did I qualify for the World Final but I then finished third in the Grand Final and won the Grand National so it put me on a proper high.

How important is a meeting like that for your confidence?
It is massive and coming at that meeting, my first proper one after getting hurt was all the more important really and it definitely got me back into the swing of it. It continued after that as well as we went to Belle Vue on that Tuesday and I won both my heats and the final and got a top 10 in the Grand National which was just fantastic and those two meetings really did help me get my season back on track and especially having those results after qualifying for the World Final have made a big difference, although I think having the result in the semi-final has probably played a big part in it anyway.

Having said that your Mildenhall form has not been the best this season, is that a concern?
It is a bit. I did win the consolation (on May 14) but that is pretty much all I’ve done although the only other meeting I’ve done at Mildenhall this season was the one where I got hurt. My dad has been struggling as well this year, we’ve just found it hard to find enough pace and have had other issues so of course it’s a little worrying but when the car is performing well elsewhere it does give you a boost. What will also help is the weekend before the World Final I’m not racing so I will spend the whole weekend on the car and a little more time that week and hopefully everything will be right for the World although I’m planning on trying something a little different to overcome the problems I’ve had at Mildenhall this week but I won’t know if they work or not until the World Final (laughs).

How much time on average do you spend working on your car and will extra time be spent on it in the days leading up to the World Final?
I work 12 hour evening shifts so it’s pretty hard for me to work on the car because I’m always tired (laughs). If the car hasn’t got a lot of damage I will usually spend two or three afternoons on the car but to do that usually means only having around four hours sleep, I was hoping to get some time off work the week leading up to the World Final but they said no because too many people have already booked holiday (laughs)! I guess I will still spend nearly every day doing something on the car, I doubt I will be able to help myself but I’ll probably be knackered by the time the World Final arrives (laughs). But what has helped is there being no shale racing the weekend before so I can spend that weekend on the car which is especially helpful as I got a load of damage at the bank holiday weekend at Belle Vue.

Talking about how the success at one meeting can boost confidence into the next one, does having a bad meeting have a bad impact on you heading into the World Final?
I think it would have done but I had such a good meeting the night before at Stoke that it’s not so bad. I got taken out in my heat at Stoke but came back to finish fourth in the consolation and second in the Grand National which is one of my best results from the blue grade. It was my first time being back to blue after winning the final at Belle Vue before and I’ve never won a race from the blue grade so to get a second was a great result for me and that made what happened at Belle Vue the next day easier to take although it’s a pain having a load of damage to repair before the World Final (laughs). But Mildenhall is a completely different track, all the tracks are different so I’m not sure what happens the week before anywhere really helps that much.

Not only have you qualified for the World Final this year but so has your dad, Andy, will that make it all the more special especially given it’s your debut and Andy has told us this well could be his last World Final?
It does make it more special. It was pretty brilliant being in the semi-finals together, not only being in the same race but also on the same row so he was right in front of me on the parade lap and that was a great feeling and I would imagine it will be just as good in the World Final, especially as he is just a few rows in front of me. I think it’s more sentimental than anything and I don’t know if it will be his last one, he’s always saying he’s retiring (laughs) but just to be in one together is very cool.

On that note, it has just been announced that next year’s World Final will be held at Coventry, are you pleased about that?
Of course. While I have got a tarmac car and hope to do more tarmac racing next year I do find it harder to compete on tarmac because it is more expensive to do so unfortunately so I’m always pleased to see more big races being held on shale and I think it will be good at Coventry.

The semi-finals have also been confirmed as taking place at Cowdenbeath, do you think having the semi-finals and World Final on different surfaces is an ideal mix?
I think it is good because not only do you get a good mix when it’s like that but whoever wins the World Championship has had to do well on both surfaces which they should have to do. It’s a shame when both are on tarmac, which happens a lot, because a lot of the shale drivers don’t take part and there are some excellent drivers who only race on shale so to not have them involved in those races is a real shame.

On the subject of championships, you are also currently on track for qualifying for the World of Shale Championship, is that a goal of yours?
It is and I’ve not been in that race yet either to so qualify for both the World and World of Shale Championship would be pretty amazing. It’s been a brilliant season so far, apart from getting hurt but that could have been a lot worse to be honest. Qualifying for a semi-final was good enough for me but now to be in the World and hopefully the World of Shale as well is just amazing.

As you mentioned your final win at Belle Vue in late August will see you start the World Final as a blue top, are you pleased about that?
I am but to be honest it is mainly because I think of how other people see you. I think some people judge a driver just by their roof grade and I think when they see a lower roof grade in a big race they automatically don’t see them as a contender which isn’t right but I think it’s just how it is so it will be nice to be out there with a blue wing and hopefully it means some people might give me a chance (laughs). We’ve even painted the wing for the night and put some new stickers on it to make it look good for the race!

You start on row 14, how do you feel about that grid position?
It’s a long way back and of course it would have been nice to have started a little further forward but I’m happy enough just to be in the race, I guess I’m just hoping the top guys at the front wipe each other out and help me move up (laughs).

What kind of race do you think we will see?
I honestly think there will be a pile-up on the first bend or maybe I’m just hoping there will be (laughs). With so many quick drivers and the front of the grid I think there will be some determined to not let certain people get away because if they do they will be hard to catch so I think that will lead to a manic start at the very least.

Have you got a target for the race?
I’d like to finish it and if I do that a top 10 would be brilliant. My dad has already been in 10 World Finals and I think he’s finished two so I understand finishing if not an easy thing to do at all so that’s my target although I reckon if you finish you’ll have a chance of being in the top 10 as I can’t see many more people finishing it to be honest.

Who do you think are the leading contenders?
There are a lot but I’d say Chris Burgoyne is going to be up there. He’s been going so well in his new shale car and he is clearly very determined to do well. You’ve also got Rob Mitchell who is always in the mix and always getting good places, I think Rob Speak will certainly be involved somehow in the race and Andrew Palmer has a great chance from the front given how quick he is. But hopefully it will someone from the back, someone like me (laughs)! I do think it could be someone who’s not expected to win it and we might see a surprise. Again I have a feeling the guys at the front will be so determined to not let any of them get away that there is a very good chance of that causing a big crash and I think it could easily open the door for others to sneak through.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
A massive thank you to my dad and Steve for everything they put into my racing, without those two especially I wouldn’t be able to race and I certainly wouldn’t be in the World Final but also to Dan, Emma and Lynne for all their help at the yard and at the track and everyone else who helps out and my sponsors and Laura who is helping with a set of new tyres for the race.