An Interview with former Saloon Stockcar driver Welly 6 Simon Welton
(interview published May 21 in the lead up to the 2014 European Championship at Mildenhall on June 7 and 8)

Age: 30
Home Town: Norwich
Occupation: Mechanic
Family: Wife Rachel
Racing career: Started racing Ministox aged 10

The European Championship is still a few weeks away (this interview was conducted on May 12) but are you thinking about the event at all?
No more than I was at the start of the season. I’ve been thinking about it ever since it was confirmed the European (Championship) would be at Mildenhall. Mildenhall is my favourite track at the moment and I think if I was to have a chance of winning a big race it would probably be at Mildenhall right now so when the fixtures were announced I kind of thought to myself that this would be my best chance to win a championship in 2014 and It’s been in the back of my mind like that ever since. I think once this weekend (referring to the British Championship at Cowdenbeath) is out of the way I’ll probably give it a bit more thought, I’m just hoping to come back from Scotland in one piece and then we can start getting ready for the European.

The European Championship weekend comes over a month after the last Saloon meeting at Mildenhall, does that bother you at all and would you have preferred a meeting closer to the championship or have you enough experience of the track to be confident despite the gap in dates?
I think by now I know the track well enough, well I should, I know sometimes it doesn’t show (laughs). I think what might not help me is the last Mildenhall meeting will actually be my last shale meeting before the European. One of the biggest disadvantages from only have one car and racing on both (tarmac and shale) is not changing the set ups between meetings but more than when you switch from one to the other you are never 100 per cent sure that the car is right. When you do a couple of shale or a couple of tarmac meetings in a row you usually feel a little better at the second meeting because by then you know the car is where you want it so with the European being my first shale meeting after a run of tarmac dates that could be a little problem but we should know what we’re doing by now for it not to be. Unfortunately I can’t do King’s Lynn (on May 24) as it’s the father-in-law’s birthday and we’ve already postponed the party so we can go to Cowdenbeath this weekend although to be fair he is coming with us (laughs).

You’ve been pretty consistent at Mildenhall this season, are you pleased with that or frustrated to not yet have a top result in 2014?
A bit of both really. I’ve been struggling a little with the reliability of the car, I think it’s after I was hit head-on by the pit car a couple of meetings ago, I’ve still got whiplash from that (laughs). But the reliability has been an issue and that’s been frustrating because without reliability you have nothing so that’s something we need to overcome for this weekend but when the car has been going it has been going well so I’m pleased about that, I just need more of it!

You’ve now been a red grade in the formula for some time, having initially struggled a little in the formula, you must be pleased with that?
I’m not sure pleased is the word, surprised more like! I honestly have no idea how I’ve managed it, clearly I’ve been giving back handers to the right people (laughs). But no, it is something I’m pleased about, I think it’s been over two years now I’ve been a red and that I think is pretty good going, especially because it was pretty hard when I first came into the formula.

As a former 1300cc Stockcar World Champion, is winning a championship in Saloons something of a holy grail to you?
Yes it is, definitely. I’m not even sure you can compare what I won the 1300s, it’s just a whole different world racing in the Saloons, it’s hard to explain but to win a championship in this formula would mean absolutely everything to me but at the same time I know it will not come easy, if it ever does and I think that is why winning one would be so special, because it’s such a tough thing to do.

The European Championship is being held under a two day format rather than a single day which is usually the case at Mildenhall, which format do you prefer?
I do like having a championship over the weekend because it makes the event feel special and different to any other meeting but I can see the advantages to running it over one day, especially in helping the travelling drivers get home for work so I do see both sides. I think it also adds to the challenge as well because you have to have a good car on two days rather than just one and that is not easy on shale because the track changes lap to lap let alone one day after the other.

Have you any picks for the championship?
You’ve got to say Dave Aldous right now, he really is at the top of his game and I think a lot of people will probably pick him but I also think Willie Skoyles Jnr is a good bet. He’s come so close to winning a championship so many times now that surely he’s going to win one at some point and I think when he does he’ll win a lot more. But I think you could say that about a lot of people. When you’ve not won one you are going to try that bit harder and sometimes that’s when it never happens, once you’ve won the first and the pressure goes a little, things start to come to you a bit more.

Can we ask your thoughts on race stoppages and the use of red flags in Saloon Stockcars, especially as this is more the case at Mildenhall. Are you happy for red flags to be used in certain situations or should it only be waved yellow flags?
It used to be the way that when waved yellow flags were used the cars closed up but kept rolling, the problem was moved and the race was back underway but now when we have waved yellow flags the cars stop and I think if the problem is such that we need to stop then a red flag should be used. Personally I don’t think yellow flags are used enough, it’s no good being stuck across the track and that is when a driver can get hurt when they don’t need to. We all know the risks but sometimes it can be avoided and so I would like to see more waved yellow flags when cars are stranded but the driver is ok but at the same time I would also like to see the cars keep rolling and the race restarted quicker, I think that way you can help keep the drivers as safe as possible but it can also help a race for the fans because no-one likes to see fields get spread out and a driver runaway with a win. It works very well in racing like NASCAR so I think it would work well with us too.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
All my family mainly, especially my wife for everything she does (including loading the dishwasher so Simon could do this interview) and everyone else who helps.