An Interview with 131 Timmy Barnes
(interview published August 25 2015 in the lead up to the 2015 Championship at Mildenhall on August 29)

Age: 22
Home Town: Dereham
Occupation: Export and vehicle dismantler
Family: Wife Karolina and two children
Racing career: First raced in Ministox aged 11 and Saloon Stockcars aged 16

You were the final driver to be confirmed for this World Final, making it to the grid as a result of Steve Webster being unable to take his place on the grid due to injury, was it a relief to find out you were a seeded entry rather than having to qualify via the last chance race?
It was definitely nice and I was really pleased to find I would be in the race as the previous two times I’ve qualified for the World Final has been through the last chance and this is the first time I’ve been seeded onto the grid before the race starts so that’s really great and I’m really pleased about. I’ve not been in the World since the last one at Mildenhall (2010) so I’ve not been too lucky in the last chance races really, I’ve had some bad luck and while I guess I would have at least started at the front of the grid this year which would have helped quite a bit, you still never know what’s going to happen so while I wouldn’t say it was a relief as such it was definitely really nice to get the message to say I was seeded into the race itself and I’m really looking forward to it now.

How do you think this will change things for you on the night, being seeded straight into the race rather than competing in the last chance, is there more or less pressure now?
I don’t know, I would have thought less in a way because before when I’ve gone to the World Final meeting the target and the goal has been to get in the World Final and that is where the pressure comes from, just trying to get a good enough result in the last chance race so I could take part in the World Final and after that the pressure has been lifted because I’d done what I set out to do so I guess if I try and look at it that way it will be better but this is completely different isn’t it (laughs). I can’t imagine going into a meeting knowing you are in the biggest race of the year and not feeling any pressure but as I’ve never been in this position I really don’t know how it will compare, I’ll let you know afterwards if you like (laughs). I think it will probably be better until the meeting starts or the World Final race is coming up, then it will probably hit me, I’m guessing it might not help that the World Final is now my first race because you are always most nervous at a meeting before the first race, after that you’re a bit more settled down, I guess that’s one advantage of the last chance race but that’s only any good if you qualify, I’d much sooner do it this way round and know that I’m in it.

Finishing 30th in the World Rankings means you start towards the rear of the field, how do you feel about your grid position and also what about potentially starting the race on the outside row?
I’m not worried about where I start, I think in a race like this as long as you are on the grid you have a chance. When you have 30 cars or more on a track the size of Mildenhall, the chances are pretty high that it’s going to be absolutely carnage when the race starts so you just don’t know and any place on the grid could be good or bad, the chances of getting taken out are just the same wherever you are. I guess the only big difference is if there is a pile-up, maybe being at the back could mean it happens in front of you but then as Mildenhall is so small, it will technically happen in front of everyone as if there is a pile-up it won’t be long before you have to deal with it wherever it happens and you are. It’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time and I think luck will play a huge part in the race myself. The one good thing for me I guess is that I seem to go well in races like that, the livelier they are the more they seem to suite me and I really enjoy races like that, it’s real stockcar racing in my opinion and I don’t know why, but they seem to be the ones which I do better in so I’m hoping for a proper lively race and hopefully I can do well again.

Much has been said about the start of the race with many expressing the importance of surviving the start, what do you expect to see and do you think drivers might be more cautious when the race begins?
I don’t know, I can’t see it (people being caution) myself. I think they might want to be because you are right it’s important to come through the first laps in one piece and I think if you can and do you’ll be in a pretty good position for the rest of the race. So I think there will be drivers who will go into it thinking that way but I suspect when the rolling laps start and the race begins it won’t be quite so easy to stick to that because it’s your instinct to just go for it and I think especially in a race like that, that’s what everyone will do. It’s tricky when you start near the back because again you cannot afford to be taken out because starting near the back if you do, then you are probably going to be a lap down and that will be hard to recover from, but at the same time the start is possibly a great chance to pass some cars, I think it will be for me because that’s the time of the race where I seem to go well, when it’s really busy and chaotic and all that, it just works well for me so I know I need to make the most of it so I guess I will have to go for it as best I can but at the same time you have to be a little defensive and make sure you don’t go out. It’s hard to predict it, most of it will depend on what happens on the night and you just can’t predict that can you, hopefully a load of drivers will take it a little easier at the start and I’ll be able to get through (laughs). That’d be a great!

As you are a seeded entry this year, will you be spending some extra time getting prepared for the big night?
(laughs) You should know better from our family by now, everything is last minute! I try and squeeze in the work on the car as much as I can but racing is and always be just a hobby for me and as much as I love it, it’s not as important as family and work is. Of course family is the most important and without work there would be no racing so I have to do my work when it’s needed and then the car and racing is fitted around my family which is why so much of our racing is always done at the last minute and we do struggle a little, but I wouldn’t change it because I can’t change work and I wouldn’t change the time with my family because that’s the most important thing and again racing is a hobby and I’ve always wanted to keep it that way, I think it helps it stay more fun as well. But at the same time it does make it hard because so many drivers are putting so much time and effort into their racing so it can be hard to keep up with that because that level of preparation does make a big difference and fair play to all those who make such an incredible effort, the dedication in the formula right now is amazing and those who make such an effort really deserve the results but also it makes your own results mean more when you get them because you know you are racing against such good drivers. As for the World Final, I’m sure we will try that week to put a bit more effort in. I’m lucky because I have such great support from all my family and they want to see me do well so I reckon that week will probably be different to a normal week and I will spend some more time on the car, hopefully I’ll have a bit of help as well which obviously makes a big difference and hopefully it will help on the night (laughs) but I’ve still a couple of meetings to do before then yet.

Mentioning that, August has been an incredibly busy month for the formula and several drivers who are in the World Final have been noticed by their absence from some meetings, some having a little time off to get ready for the World Final, do you think continuing to race regularly might help you?
Again it’s hard to say but the meetings I’m doing now, I’m not doing them because of the World Final, it’s just the meetings I want to do but assuming everything goes ok and you don’t get any major damage or anything, I think it does help because racing every weekend does keep you a little sharper I think and you will need all your wits about you in the World Final race but at the same time this race has the best drivers in the formula and I can’t see the fact that some have had a week or two off hurting them at all, they are so good at what they do and they will be good in the race whatever happens, I think it’s more doing what you need to do personally to make yourself feel better for the race and I feel better just doing my racing, I’d be a bit fed up if I wans’t (laughs).

Do you have a target going into the World Final?
My goal is always to go for the win, I think it’s the same for everyone in this formula, no-one wants to finish second. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to finish second most of the time but everyone wants to win, that’s the point of racing but a race like this, you can’t expect anything to happen, that’s not how it works (laughs). I’d like to get a top 10 as I’ve not finished in the top 10 in the World before so to do that would be really nice and I would be pleased with that but I’ll definitely be going for it like always.

Only eight of the seeded entries for this year’s race have won at Mildenhall this season and you are one of them, do you think this gives you any kind of advantage come August 29?
(laughs) No, I don’t think it does. At any other track it probably would but not at Mildenhall, just because of the kind of track it is, quite often luck is the biggest element of a win there, everything else is out of your control but the track changes all the time as well. It’s the same with any shale track, you can win heat one and then be terrible in heat two and this will be the same, just because someone hasn’t won at Mildenhall this year doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t win here.

The Barnes family is one of the best known in the sport and four members of the family have raced in Saloon Stockcar World Finals, the most of any family, is this something you are particularly proud off and do you think younger brother Harry has a chance of extending that a record breaking five members this year if he qualifies for the World?
Yeah it is a cool thing for all of us really, especially because I think we are such a racing family, me Tommy and Harry were all introduced to it at a very young age by our dad and grandad and it’s always been a part of my life so while none of our were ever pressured into it I do love the fact that we’ve all got into the racing like we have and to have that kind of statistic about us is really nice and it’s a nice thing to be able to say about our family. I don’t know about Harry this year, I do think one year he’ll be in the race but he’s not done so much racing this year which might not help him but you never know, again I think the last chance will be just as hectic as the World Final itself and anyone in it could easily qualify so who knows and of course it would be awesome if he did qualify.

This season has seen the introduction of Zetec engines to the sport, is this something you are in favour of?
I’m still using my Pinto at the moment but I don’t think you can argue that the Zetecs haven’t been a bad thing and I’m sure when I start having a problem with my Pinto I will switch but at the moment when everything is ok with it there isn’t any point in not using a perfectly good enough and the two engines are really close to each other so I don’t see an advantage in swapping for the sake of it but I will when I need to. At the end of the day the Zetecs have reduced the costs of the engine and that’s the most important thing, it’s definitely helping both existing drivers and new ones and that’s a great thing for the formula I think.

A question we often ask stockcar drivers in our interviews is about the use of red flags to stop a race, as a regular at Mildenhall you will be aware that reds flags are used more often that most tracks, are you happy for a red flag to be used or do you feel a waved yellow flag is always sufficient and how do you feel about the changes this year to lap sheet order restarts where back markers stay in position regardless of a red or waved yellow flag is used?
I do think if there is a bad accident it should be a red flag but if someone is in the wrong place at the wrong time then a waved yellow is ok. The restarts are better now that back markers always stay in position. I think that is fairest for everyone and especially the race leaders because if they have done the hard work in passing back markers and getting an advantage, it’s not fair that it’s taken away because the race has been stopped.

Another talking point in the sport in 2015 has been the unfortunate number of driver injuries, is there anything you would like to see changed or improved for the future and also do you use any personal safety equipment when racing as we are seeing more and more drivers doing?
I don’t, I’m still pretty much seat belts and crash helmet but I think at the end of the day drivers are doing what they feel they need to do to feel safe in the car and I think that’s how it should be. I feel confident with what I have right now and am happy to stick with that but unfortunately I just think injuries are an unfortunate part of our sport, it’s such a hard formula and accidents like that have always happened but I think the cars themselves are fine, to be honest if they weren’t then given how tough the racing can be we’d see more people getting hurt, the fact that it doesn’t happen very often is a really good thing about the formula.

Is there anyone you would like to mention or thank?
My dad for getting me into the racing in the first place and my grandad as well, my wife and all the family for her support and everyone else who helps me.