An Interview with BriSCA F2 Stockcar White and Yellow Grade Series Final front row starter 431 Andy Gibbs
(interview published September 17 2014 in the lead up to the White and Yellow Grade Series Final at Mildenhall on September 27)

Age: 47
Home Town: Warwick
Occupation: Mechanic
Family: Partner Michelle
Racing career: Started raced in Ministox aged 14 at Long Eaton and then BriSCA F2 Stockcars aged 16 at Wolverhampton

You have not only qualified for this year’s White and Yellow Grade Series Final but you are set to start on the front row, are you pleased with your grid position and are you looking forward to the race?
Yes I am, it’s always one of the highlights of the year for me this race because it’s a great chance to race against drivers who I suppose are of a similar standard so to speak, whether it be their budget or how well they do but everyone in the race is of a similar level and most will go into the race fancying their chances which I think is why these races tend to be good ones because a lot of drivers kind of up their game and go for it. It’d a great chance for someone like me to have a really good result and having the tyres up for grabs to the first few finishers makes a big difference as well I think. I’ve had a few decent places in these races over the years and winning a tyre or two can make a huge difference for someone like me because I do consider myself a budget racer. My racing is done 100 per cent for fun and enjoyment, rather than having to be the fastest or more competitive driver out there and so things like winning a tyre can be a real help for me and lots of others like me. The Mildenhall race is also really good because there is usually a parade and qualifiers trophies and we don’t always get that elsewhere so on shale at least the Mildenhall (White and Yellow Grade Final) is a little extra special and for me it’s always a race I want to try and qualify for and I know I’m not alone because for some drivers this is their biggest race of the year and the only time they get to be part of a parade or qualifiers and that means a lot to them. As for my grid position, I’m pretty pleased with that. I never expected to qualify that far up the grid and it certainly wasn’t my intention to try and qualify so well. I wasn’t even meant to do the last qualifying round but because there were the extra prizes for the white grade drivers I decided to make an effort and I nearly took pole!

You missed topping the points by two points, were you disappointed about that?
I was a little gutted when I saw the final points to be honest but that was only because I hadn’t done the Grand National (on August 9). Because it was a two thirds format that night the final was already my third race and I’d had results in every race and then an excellent finish in the final so I decided to quit while I was ahead. We were going away shortly after the meeting and myself and the car was still in one piece so I figured I would make life easier for myself and finish the meeting with the final and then I found out I’d missed out by just a point (laughs). Obviously if I had known I would have done the Grand National to try and top the points but I had no idea and I was really surprised when I saw the final points standings. Had I done the Grand National I doubt I would have been as disappointed because if I’d done the race and not scored I’d know I tried and just come up a little short but to not do the race was annoying (laughs). I’m hoping starting on the outside might actually help me a little. I think on the outside you have a little more room to move at the start so hopefully it will work out ok but we will see.

Having topped the points and securing pole position 376 Darren Seneschall will control the start with both the pace of the rolling lap and when to go, do you think that gives him a big advantage?
It might do but I don’t think it will be too much of an advantage hopefully, at least when you know how it works you know who to watch for so I know to watch him and wait for him to go, he knows what he is doing and I’ll do my best to stick with him. I think if you can get through the first lap or so you will have a chance. One of the things I like the most about Mildenhall is that all the cars seem much more evenly matched round there. I don’t know what it is exactly because it is still a fast track but I think maybe because the straights are a little shorter it means the cars stay a bit more evenly matched and I think that will be the case especially in this race so it’s all about the guy behind the wheel rather than the car itself and I like that. I’m sure there will be plenty of others thinking the same and fancying their chances which is why I think it will be a good race.

How do you rate your own chances?
You never know do you really but the car has been going well at Mildenhall. My last meeting was (August 9) and that was probably my best meeting of the season and so that helps with the confidence to know that the last time everything was going so well, that makes a difference but you never know, it’s a stockcar race isn’t it and anything can happen (laughs). Again I think if I can survive the first couple of laps I will be in with some kind of chance of doing well but as long as I come off smiling that’s all that matters really!

You are currently 13th in the Mildenhall points, how special would it be to finish the season in the top 10?
That would be brilliant to be honest. Again I appreciate that I race for fun with the budget I can afford so you don’t go expecting to do well every time and again enjoying it is the most important thing and there are obviously a lot of top drivers out there who put much more into their racing than me who race regularly at Mildenhall and so to be able to compete with them and be up in the points with them is a great achievement for me so it would be brilliant to end the season in the top 10 but at the same time I won’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t happen, I’ve still had a brilliant year. The vast majority of my points this season have come from Mildenhall and I’ve now gone up to the yellow grade which I’m really pleased about but to have done all of that mostly from racing at Mildenhall is especially pleasing and shows what a good year I’ve had there. Again I think the size and shape of the track plays a big part. If you can get into a rhythm there then you can be as quick as anyone. I’ve only got a second hand engine which cost me around £1,000 and it’s as competitive as anything else which is brilliant for me. The other great thing about the racing at Mildenhall is that there is always action so you always have to be on your guard and looking ahead and that makes a big difference and can blow any race wide open, it’s not always about the fastest car which is what stockcar racing is all about.

A question we have asked many stockcar drivers this year has been about the use of red flags to stop races. At Mildenhall red flags are used much more frequently than probably any other circuit, do you agree with this practise or do you feel waved yellow flags are sufficient?
No I think red flags should be used if there is a driver in danger or something similar. Certainly for me if I am in trouble I want to see a red flags waved and the race stopped as quickly as possible and I do think drivers react faster to a red flag than a waved yellow one. At the end of the day the most important thing is all the drivers are ok to go back to work after the meeting and so keeping the drivers safe is the most important thing for me and not the kind of flag which is used. But I do disagree with the cars lining up differently for a (lap sheet order) restart after a red flag than after a yellow flag. I think it should be the same and that the back markers should stay in place (like they do with a waved yellow). Any kind of stoppage does take away a leader’s advantage but I think to put the second place car behind them, especially if there were back markers in between is unfair.

A topic we have been asking F2 drivers this season has been about the reduction in prize money this season, what are your feelings about this?
I was a bit shocked to be honest and I still think it is a bit disappointing because I feel it has devalued the formula and I feel a little short changed. What I can’t quite understand is that the money which has been taken away doesn’t seem that much but it can make a difference to a driver, for me getting a couple of minor places and winning a few quid might pay for some chips on the way home and that does make a little difference, if only for a bit of morale so to lose that money was disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the end of the world or anything because it is only a few quid but I do think it can make a difference.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
Michelle especially because she is a massive help to my racing and likes getting her hands dirty and mucking in and she is a huge support, also my dad who has helped me out a bit over the years and everyone else who lends a hand.