An Interview with Saloon Stockcar newcomer Stotty 157 Max Stott
(interview published April 14 2015 in the lead up to the Saloon Stockcar English Championship at Mildenhall on April 25)

Age: 24
Home Town: Wisbech
Occupation: Welder and fabricator
Family: Girlfriend Hannah
Racing career: Started racing in Junior Rods at Skegness aged 12

You’ve just completed your first month of racing in Saloon Stockcars, how do you feel the first weeks of the season have gone?
Really good and I’m really pleased with how it’s gone so far. I wasn’t expecting very much to be honest, it’s such a tough formula and I knew it would take time but the car has just been so good straight away and that’s been a massive help. And we’re already getting a little better I think because I’ve already learned so much, I didn’t expect to be doing that this early on, I assumed the first few meetings would be all about just trying to find my feet but instead we are already trying new things to try and get the car to go even better and that’s brilliant because ideally you always want to be trying new things and trying to get better so to be in a position where I can do that so soon is really great.

You came within one bend of winning your first race in the formula in the white and yellow grade heat at the season opener at King’s Lynn, were you disappointed to come so close or pleased with how well you had done and had you had much time in the car prior to the meeting?
Yeah, Wes (Starmer) got me on the last bend didn’t he (laughs). No, I wasn’t disappointed at all, I was just so pleased that the car went so well straight away it would have been almost impossible to have not been pleased with that. I’d not done that much with the car prior to racing it that night, just some practice at Skegness the week before which helped but of course it is very different racing the car on shale so again to do that well in my first race and the first time I’d driven the car on shale was a huge buzz and I was over the moon. I had a good night at Lynn at the opener and thought I’d won a heat later on. I took the flag but it turned out (Martyn) Parker was in front of me but again I couldn’t be disappointed just because of how well it had been going.

How much of this early season form do you put down to the car and the preparation you have put into it?
Oh, a lot of it. The car has just been so good and had it not been for that I know I would have found it so much harder. In any racing if your car is not good enough then you won’t do any good and that is especially the case in Saloons. But I did have some sort of advantage because I’ve had a lot of time to get the car right. Last February I took a friend to Skegness for a practice day and he let me have a go in his Saloon and that was when I decided that I wanted to race them and at the time the plan was to start in the formula last year. But I copped a long ban in the bangers which took me out of a large part of the season so when that happened I decided I wouldn’t race last year in the stockcars and start this year instead. Looking back now, while it was frustrating at the time because I wanted to get into the formula then I can now see that the time has actually done me a big favour. I could take my time with the car and nothing was rushed so when I finally did race it, everything was exactly how I wanted it to be and I think that has made a huge difference so in the end it worked out ok.

As an ex National Banger driver, what was the attraction to Saloon Stockcars?
They are the ultimate formula aren’t they (laughs). Everyone is raving about them right and I think it is the formula that a lot of people want to race in. To be completely honest when I was racing Bangers I wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of the Saloons but everything changed the day I drove one at Skegness and I just loved it and that is what made my decision that this is what I wanted to do. It’s been a big change because in the Bangers I never raced that many rear wheel drive cars, it was mostly front wheel drive stuff, so the Saloon is so different to most of what I’d done before which is another reason why I’m so pleased with how well I’ve been going.

As well as your meetings at King’s Lynn in March, you competed at both Mildenhall meetings in March which unfortunately featured some tricky track conditions, especially the first meeting on March 7, how have you found the meetings at Mildenhall so far?
It’s been ok, the first meeting was really tough with the holes on the bends. It didn’t help being my first meeting at Mildenhall in the Saloons and then having to worry about that as well so it was a lot to take at once and I did find that pretty hard but the second meeting was much better. Again we’d made some changes to the car from the first meeting and there was a real improvement which I was really pleased about and the car went well (on March 28) and although the track wasn’t perfect it was so much better than the meeting before and I thought it was ok. It was cool to lead the final for a few laps as well and that has given me a big boost as well because I know the car is on the pace and that gives you so much confidence but it’s hard at Mildenhall because the races can be so much more chaotic because it’s such a smaller track so you can never take it easy and as I found out at the weekend, everyone is a threat but at the same time it does make the racing really exciting and I’ve enjoyed it and it was great to get a few results and points as well.

You’ve also had your share of action already this season, with a rollover at King’s Lynn on March 14.
(laughs) Yeah, it wasn’t as spectacular as others that night but yes, I’ve rolled it over already. Unfortunately I did a bit of damage that night and couldn’t race at Skegness the following day which was a shame as it would have been my first tarmac meeting in the car but there was just too much work that needed doing. So far I’ve only raced on shale but I do want to race on tarmac and (Good Friday at) Northampton should be my first tarmac meeting, then it will be back home and straight on the car to get it ready for King’s Lynn the following night. It is a little hard having one car and wanting to race on both surfaces, we think it will take a few hours to change the set ups, you have to change diff, gearbox and some things on the suspension but hopefully as we do it more and more we’ll get the hang of it and maybe it won’t take quite so long or we’ll do a better job but I do want to race on tarmac as well. I’m not looking to travel too far from home for domestic tarmac meetings at the moment but I do intend on doing the championships that aren’t local this year and then go from there.

Speaking of your crash at King’s Lynn, we often ask drivers about the use of red flags to stop races, something which happens at Mildenhall more than most raceways, are you happy for red flags to be used or do you think waved yellow flags are sufficient?
I have no issues with red flags and I think there are times when they should be used. The way I see it is if I’m in trouble then I want the race stopped as soon as possible to help me and the quickest way is definitely with red flags so I do think there are times when they are needed and should be used, especially if someone is hurt or is in a dangerous place.

The next meeting at Mildenhall is the English Championship which will be your first championship meeting in the Saloons, are you looking forward to it and what are your targets?
I am looking forward to it, the meetings I’ve done so far have all been really enjoyable and I’m guessing a meeting like this will be a little extra special and so I’m looking forward to that side of things, the atmosphere and stuff like that. As for targets, it will be the same as what my goals have been so far this year which is just to try and finish my races. That is all I’m trying to do right now, just finish every race I start and anything on top of that is a bonus, at the end of the day every lap I do I’m learning and hopefully getting a little better. It would be brilliant to qualify for the championship, that would be massive for me but I’m not setting my heart on it or anything like that, I’ll just do my heats, try and least finish and then go from there.

We also have the World Final at Mildenhall this season, have you given that meeting any thought?
No, it’s a bit too far away still (laughs). I’m pleased it’s on a shale track this year which will be good for me in my first season. I’ve no expectations of qualifying but I’m hoping I will be able to do race in the last chance races at least and who knows, maybe I will get through. Again being on shale will help me this year because most of my racing will be on shale this year so hopefully I will have a little better chance but it will be great just to be a part of the meeting and it is something I’m looking forward to.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My sponsors mostly, Tam Engineering and WMS Recruitment.