An Interview with BriSCA F2 Stockcar World Championship Semi Finalist 219 Chris Mitchell
(interview published August 6 2014 in the lead up to the World Championship Semi-Finals at Mildenhall on August 23)

Age: 34
Home Town: Colne
Occupation: Maintenance engineer
Family: Fiancé Faye
Racing career: Started racing BriSCA F2 Stockcars aged 18 at Barford, borrowing dad’s car

This is not the first time you have qualified for a World Championship semi-final but you are still yet to qualify for a World Final, is that a source of frustration for you at all?
Not really, because the semis have really never gone my way at all. With the exception of one I did at King’s Lynn, they have always been on tarmac and typically the year at King’s Lynn I had engine problems so I didn’t really have any chance at all and it was taken out of my hands so there isn’t any disappointment at all because the circumstances have never really favoured me but this year is different and I do believe I have a chance of qualifying and this could even be my best chance to get into a World Final. But having said that, racing is still just my hobby and so even if I don’t qualify it’s not the end of the world by any means, it’s just a bit of fun after all and I’m not going to lose any sleep over it but I won’t pretend it would be nice to qualify for the World Final.

Should you make it to the World Final, what would your intentions be for the big race at Cowdenbeath?
I think I would just make some modifications to my car and take that and do my best. I know that I was stand almost no chance at Cowdenbeath and again it’s my hobby so I wouldn’t want to shell out to hire a (tarmac) car for a race that I stand little chance in so I think I would just do my best with what I have. Again I’m realistic to know what my chances at a track like Cowdenbeath would be but at the same time it would be very cool to just be a part of it, be in the big race and experience it after all these year of racing.

Being at Mildenhall how do you rate your chances of qualifying for the World Final?
I think I’ve got a decent chance, especially if it’s a little wet because I think that would make the tarmac drivers really struggle. While I feel the tarmac regulars will be at some disadvantage to those who race on shale regularly at the end of the day every single driver on that grid is a good driver, you have to be to get this far in the series and being good drivers everyone will be out there to qualify and will have a chance. If it’s dry I think that will help those who aren’t regulars on shale but being Mildenhall it will be tougher than other shale tracks, just because of the size of the track. It’s not a track where you can ever take it easy, you have to be pushing the whole time so I do think those who know the track and go well there will have an edge but it still won’t be an easy task, especially because there are quite a few shale drivers who have qualified, so I will still need to have a bit of luck, especially as I’m a fair way down the grid.

Speaking of track conditions, how did you cope with the incredibly slick conditions caused by the high temperatures at One Wild Weekend?
It was very tricky. It was one of those situations where the slower you went the faster you went. The trick was to be as smooth as possible and I found that the slower I went into the bends the faster I was going and the quicker I was catching the car in front. But of course when you are in traffic you couldn’t go into the bends slow at all because you would get fired wide and at Mildenahall it’s not often you are out of traffic so it was very tricky. But I don’t think it will be as bad as that at the Semi-Final meeting, purely because the meeting is in the evening so it’s unlikely to be as hot as it was that weekend.

The Saturday night of One Wild Weekend saw you score your first nil point score of the season, was this a source of disappointment, especially coming so close to the Semi-Final meeting?
No, not really because the car had been going well during the meeting and I was on to qualify in the consolation and I got taken out by a back-marker which of can happen in stockcar racing and again the chances at Mildenhall are higher than most of that happening so it was just one of those things. I prefer to look at it that I went this long with scoring at every meeting I’ve done which I’m really pleased about (laughs) and knowing the car is going well is the most important thing, more often than not it’s down to luck and that’s something you don’t have a lot of control over.

Do you have a game plan going into the semi-final?
Not especially. I’ve not even looked at the grid for my race too much. I know where I am on the grid and that’s all I really know right now (laughs). I think you are going to have to push the whole race, again everyone out there is good, regardless of whether they are at a track or on a racing surface they like, they are all good drivers, so you are going to have to push hard and just see what happens.

One of the big talking points before the season was the reduction in prize money in BriSCA F2 Stockcars this season, what are your thoughts on that?
I was very disappointed by that, it just feels that over the last four or five years we have had more and more taken away from us, mechanic licenses went up recently, we lost one of our complimentary tickets and now this and it just feels we are going closer and closer to becoming a pay to race formula which I just think is wrong. While the prize money that was taken away was only a few quid it does make a difference. With us for example all the prize money we win goes into a fund so when any work is needed on our truck we use that money so it does make a big difference to us.

Speaking of travelling, despite being regulars at Mildenhall you are hardly local, can you tell us the distances involved for you to race at Mildenhall and why you make the trip so often?
It’s 230 miles for us and on a good run we can do it in four and a half hours. For me, it’s simply because I love the track. Obviously I like the shale but I much prefer Mildenhall, Stoke and Belle Vue to Coventry and King’s Lynn because of the size of the tracks and being that much smaller for me they are more what I consider proper stockcar tracks so we keep making the trip to Mildenhall because I like the track and the racing you get there.

On the subject of travelling the last couple of years has seen attendance points introduced to the World Qualifying rounds, is that something you agree with?
Yes I do because all drivers put a lot of effort in to race, whenever and wherever it is and I think they should get something for it. I don’t think it makes too much difference between who qualifies and who doesn’t but it does help someone improve their grid positions. Take Paul Moss for example, what he’s done this year doing every qualifying round is amazing and everyone has the ability to do that if they wish. He would have still qualified without attendance points but doing every round has pushed him right up the grid and so it should, why shouldn’t he be rewarded for doing what he’s done.

Another regular question we’ve been asking stockcar drivers has been about the use of red flags to stop races, do you think it is acceptable to stop races with red flags in certain situations or do you think it should be only waved yellow flags which are used?
I’m not too worried about what flags are used, I believe I slow down as quickly for a waved yellow as I do for a red flags and I think most drivers are the same so I don’t see the need for reds to be used but if they are that’s fine, but I totally disagree with the way cars are relined up after a red flag with back markers going to the back and staying a lap down. I think that is completely wrong and therefore a red flag can totally destroy someone’s race and you could argue that for some it would be pointless restarting a race after a red flag because you could go from being one lap down to two laps down through no fault of your own. I have no great issue with red flags being used if needed but the cars should restart the same as they do if it’s a waved yellow flag.

Before the World Semis, we have the World of Shale Championship at Coventry which you have qualified for, are you looking forward to this year’s race?
I am, it’s always a good race and good to be a part of it and even though Coventry is not one of my favourite tracks I’ll definitely be giving it my best and hopefully I’ll do ok.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
Faye for all her support, Rob for all his help with the car, Sid and Bert for all their help and my dad for all his help over the years.