An Interview with Ministox driver 310 Harry Welham
(interview published November 11 2015 in the lead up to round two of the Mildenhall Winter Series)

Age: 15
Home Town: Ipswich
Family: Single
Occupation: Studying for GCSE exams
Started Racing: In Junior Rods at Arena Essex (Rolling Thunder Show) in 2010

It’s been something of an unusual season for you as we didn’t see you in action until May and then you’ve not been able to support every meeting since, can you explain a little as to what’s been going on behind the scenes with your racing?
Well basically it’s been a matter of not being able to do everything we want to do. We are very much a racing family and dad has got a Lightning Rod and my brother is now racing a 1300cc Stockcar and obviously we don’t have the time or the funds for all us to race all the time so there has to be a lot of compromising at home to try and fit in as much as we can and make it as even as possible so everyone gets a go and we try and make the more important meetings a priority where possible (laughs). But it’s not always very easy with three of us racing in different formulas at different tracks when we only have one trailer. My brother (Tom) has just passed his trailer test now and he’s looking to get a trailer soon so hopefully that will allow him to be a bit more independent which might help in the future. The start of the year was frustrating. We finished last season and decided to do some work on the car. I needed to move my seat as I’d obviously grown since the last time we’d done it and during that time we decided to go the whole way and do a complete refurbish on the car really and that included taking the engine out to have it all checked over and freshened up really but this revealed a lot of problems, especially with the gearbox. Unfortunately the money and time wasn’t really there to get it done straight away so we just had to do bits as and when we could really. It was frustrating, especially because this is my last season in the Ministox and we’d hoped to have a really good year but I understood what had happened and that we couldn’t do any more than we were doing, everyone was doing their best. It was just a shame to miss so many meetings at the start of the year and it was great to finally get back out there.

That said, you’ve had a good season since getting back into action, have you enjoyed your racing this year and have there been any highlights?
Yes, it’s been a great year which has kind of made it just a bigger shame that it started so late but again it couldn’t be helped but it’s been excellent since and I’ve had a great time, the car has been going well and I think I’ve been driving better than ever so that’s a great feeling, to know you are getting better and my confidence has grown a lot and that’s helped. I guess the best meeting for me was to get my first win from the blue grade. It’s a bit jump up moving to the blue grade, it’s so much harder than being in the yellow grade and you know you’ve the top drivers that bit closer to you and chasing you so it’s hard, it’s a big challenge and to win from there was fantastic, definitely the highlight of my year.

That win helped move you to the red grade, was that something you were particularly pleased with?
It was, to be honest I didn’t really think I would get there, especially after missing so much at the start of the year but I had a run of good meetings which built my confidence up and that made a massive difference and then I got the win from the blue grade and some other good results and I got moved up (to red) which was excellent. Unfortunately my first meeting from the reds wasn’t the best and the races that were in graded order I didn’t score but I still enjoyed it. I actually felt a lot more relaxed starting in the red grade than the blues, I think it’s because you start at the back and there is a bit of comfort in knowing no-one is behind you and it’s more a matter of catching and passing everyone in front of you rather than worrying about who is behind. But it’s a big challenge, starting that far back. Moving to the blue grade was a challenge and I had to learn to be a lot more aggressive at the start because there is no time to waste and it’s the same in the reds but you have to try and make even less mistakes as one mistake and you’ll struggle to get in contention so it’s hard but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

That challenge should come over the remaining Winter Series rounds, sadly you were unable to race at the first round which subsequently limits your chances of success in the series but are you still looking forward to the remaining rounds?
I am because these will be my final Ministox meetings before retiring in February. The plan is to go into 1300cc Stockcars and I’m hoping to do that as soon as I can after the Ministox so the hope was to make the most of the Winter Series and get myself in the best possible shape for the move to 1300s as I know that is going to be a massive step up for me, but again I’m looking forward to the challenge and excited about it, it should be good and I can’t wait. Sadly making the most of the Winter Series hasn’t had the best of starts with missing the first round but it can’t be helped so we’ll just have a go at the next few meetings and see how I get on.

As you mentioned, you are planning a move into 1300cc Stockcars next year, can you tell us what the attraction of the formula is?
One of the biggest I think is that they are almost like a big Ministox. The engines are not too much bigger and the cars are almost all FWD as well and I think the style of racing is quite similar to the Ministox. My plan is to race at TSR and King’s Lynn where I think the racing is quite similar to the Ministox at Mildenhall so I’m hoping that will help me make the switch. My brother is currently racing a 1300cc Stockcar as well but he is racing at Spedeworth and he is really enjoying it. He had his Saloon Stockcar but unfortunately it was proving a bit expensive for him and the 1300 is a cheaper option. I think he would prefer to still be in the Saloons but he is just happy to be racing and he’s doing well so having him in the formula as well will help me because I’m sure he will give me some advice and tips where he can and with me wanting to stick with the shale for the time being at least it should mean we won’t be doing all the same meetings which will hopefully help us all race a little more often.

Mentioning your brother’s time in the Saloon Stockcars, is that a formula you would like to try your hand at?
I would love to try one. I’m not sure I would want to race one all the time but I would definitely love to try one out.

During your Ministox career you have stuck mostly to the RDC tracks, is there a reason for that and are you looking forward to trying new tracks with your 1300cc Stockcar?
Again, it’s mainly because of me, my brother and my dad all racing so it was just trying to fit it all in and sticking to the RDC meetings worked quite well for us and allowed us all to get some meetings in the diary (laughs). But I seem to like racing on shale or dirt. I did a couple of meetings at Ipswich in the Ministox and as good as it was, I preferred the shale which is why I’m planning to race my 1300cc Stockcar at King’s Lynn and stick with the surface I know a little better for the time being at least. I am looking forward to trying some new tracks, especially King’s Lynn as I’ve never raced there before but hopefully when I get settled in the formula I’ll try some different places and hopefully I’ll get my head round tarmac in the end (laughs).

This season we also saw you visit Dover Raceway in your Ministox, did you enjoy your trips there?
Yes, they were a lot of fun. My brother had raced his Ministox there and I fancied a go so when we got the car sorted, being my last year we made the effort to go and I’m really glad we did because it was a lot of fun. It’s so different to anywhere else I’ve raced but I enjoyed all the races there, I think almost everyone who races there, enjoys it, I think it’s just because it’s such a different track to anywhere else we race at.

Going back to the 1300cc Stockcars and two of the last three World Champions have been teenage graduates from the Ministox at RDC with Ross Fisher and Will Morphey, does that encourage you as you prepare to move into the formula?
It does. I raced against Will and to see him doing so well, so soon does give you a big boost and a belief that you can do it. Maybe not World Champion in my first year, I can’t see that happening (laughs) but seeing the drivers you’ve raced against in the Ministox do well does give you the confidence that you can give it a go yourself.

You started your racing career in Junior Rods, what was the appeal of Ministox and with you about to move into 1300cc Stockcars, is it safe to assume you enjoy the contact element of the sport?
I think the plan was always to wind up in Ministox especially after my brother had done it and enjoyed it for so long but the Junior Rods was a good place to start and learn. Then I crashed and wrecked the car and that was obviously the big downside of the formula because one crash and the car is wrecked so when that happened we decided that rather than build a new one I’d move into Ministox and I’m glad I did because I’ve loved the formula and the contact is a big reason why. It’s why I want to carry on in stockcars, I enjoy that side of it and I think the Ministox will help me a lot when I start in 1300c

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
All of my family but especially my dad, brother and grandad who do so much to help me with my racing and all my friends who help and anyone else whose helped out at some point.