An Interview with 217 Sid Madgwick
(interview published August 19 2015 in the lead up to the 2015 Championship at Mildenhall on August 29)

Age: 18 (turns 19 on August 22)
Home Town: Isleham
Occupation: Welder and fabricator
Family: Girlfriend Emily
Racing career: Starting racing Go Karts aged eight and Ministox aged 11

This will be your second appearance in the World Final but this is the first time you have qualified ahead of the meeting having qualified via the last chance race two years ago, are you particularly pleased to be a seeded entry in 2015?
Yes definitely and it’s been a bit of a surprise to be honest as we weren’t really chasing it this year, the plan was more to try and qualify next year. As I did so little racing last season, I started the year with very few (World Ranking) points and so I never really considered I would have much of a chance of qualifying so the plan was to try for next year’s race but I guess things have just fallen my way and I managed to get in which is brilliant really. I was very fortunate to have such a good start to the year and I think that made a big difference but either way it’s excellent to be in the race and to have qualified ahead of the meeting for the first time especially, it means a lot.

You finished just outside of the top 24 in the World Rankings, were you confident that you would get into the race?
Well, obviously there are some drivers currently injured and others who are suspended so when I saw the final points I figured I had a reasonable chance of getting in the race but you never take anything for granted and I did try to not think about it too much and thankfully it was confirmed pretty quickly that there was a place for me which was a bit of a relief really because it stops you thinking about it and winding yourself up about whether you are in or not so it was really great to hear I would be in the race.

This will be the first time you will head to a World Final meeting knowing you are in the big race, how do you think that will change things for yourself?
Oh it definitely changes things for the worst (laughs). To be honest there are actually some advantages to being in the last chance race, especially with the race being on shale this year. If you qualify in the last chance then you go into the World Final with a race under your belt and a little bit of knowledge on what the track is doing and how the car is performing whereas now I’m a seeded entry so the World will be my first race of the night and that is going to be a massive step into the unknown. It even helps on tarmac I think to have a race first, any meeting you race in, you always feel better in the second race because you know a bit more to where you are but I think the even bigger thing will be the nerves (laughs). I’m always nervous before any meeting and always have the butterflies, I’m sure everyone is the same but again after your first race they are usually gone and you are settled down and I remember being in the World Final the first time and I was less nervous for the World than I was for the last chance race, because that was my first race. That won’t be the case this time and with the first race being the World Final I should think my nerves will be worse than ever (laughs). At least we don’t have far to travel to get to Mildenhall so that might help a little bit but still the nerves is sometimes what makes it exciting.

As you mentioned, Mildenhall is very much a local track to you compared to your previous World Final venue which was Cowdenbeath, how will this compare?
The biggest thing about racing in the World at Mildenhall is that all my friends and family will probably come and that will be brilliant. The World Final always attracts a lot of people who don’t come each and every week and while I guess a lot of the people I know might have come anyway as the meeting is at Mildenhall, it’s a nice feeling knowing that they will definitely get to see me race in the World Final itself and already most of my sponsors have said they are going to come down as well as Trevor (Buckley) and the Overys and they don’t get to see me race very often so that will be great to have them there. I think it might help a little knowing you have that support out there for you, either that or it’ll make me even more nervous (laughs). Mum has decided if she is coming or not yet but when she does I usually crash so I’m hoping she doesn’t (laughs)! I think it will make the parade lap more special to be honest, it was cool in Cowdenbeath but I didn’t know hardly anyone there and this time there will be people out in the crowd I know and seeing them does give you a buzz. It’s that atmosphere which makes a race like this so special, all the build-up is a fantastic thing to be a part of it and I’m looking forward to that a lot.

Of the 24 seeded entries from the World Ranking points you are one of just seven drivers to have won at Mildenhall this season and one of only four to have won at Mildenhall more than once in 2015, does this help at all in the World Final?
Not at all (laughs). All that means is that twice this year I’ve had some good luck when I’ve raced at Mildenhall, hopefully I’ve not used it all up before the World (laughs). Mildenhall is such a different track to anywhere else because I think luck does play a much bigger part in the racing there than anywhere else. It only takes someone to come across the front of you in a crash and it seems you are much more likely to get taken out at Mildenhall than most tracks and that’s it. One thing like that and chances are you’re not going to win, most of the time the races at Mildenhall are won by one the few drivers who don’t get taken out. But I do like that about the track, I enjoy racing at Mildenhall because of how action packed it is. It’s stockcar racing isn’t it, so for me the contact is a big part of it and every race at Mildenhall you get that, just from the size of the track, there is always something to think or worry about, you never get a break but it does mean that when you do well, you know you’ve done well and you’ve earned it.

While you feel your wins this year at Mildenhall may not help your chances, is it safe to say your form this year at Mildenhall gives you some added confidence heading into the World Final and do you think the Mildenhall regulars have an advantage over those who don’t race at the track regularly?
It does help, definitely. If you go into a big race at a track where you’ve been going well previously then of course you are going to feel better than racing at a track where you haven’t, sometimes how you are in your own head makes a big difference and I’ve had a good year at Mildenhall so far and I’m really pleased with how things have gone there so that does help a lot because when I go out for the World Final I do know I’m capable of going well there so it does give you a little more confidence and that can make a big difference. I think what will also help me was finishing sixth in the National Championship (at King’s Lynn on August 2). I didn’t qualify too well and I went into the race thinking I had no chance of doing anything but I had a great race and finished sixth and that’s made me think that maybe I can do it again in the World and having that self-belief is a huge help. I do think the Mildenhall regulars will have an advantage, like I said Mildenhall is a very unique track, we don’t really have another track like it and the drivers who race there all the time will know exactly what to expect as well as the usual things you pick up when you race at a track all the time, like the different racing lines and stuff and I think that will make a big difference in the race.

That said, what are your intentions for the race, you finished an impressive sixth in your debut in 2013, do you think you can do better than that this year?
My goal in every race is exactly the same and that is to try and finish in the top 10. Finishing sixth in 2013 was the most amazing thing, especially from the back of the grid and I never dreamt it would happen but at the same time I would never expect to do that again. The way I look at it, in this formula with so many amazing drivers and such hard racing you can never expect results and if you do all that’s going to happen is you are going to be disappointed so the top 10 is always my target, if it happens then it’s great and if it doesn’t you don’t get upset or frustrated and that’s the goal again here. First it will be finishing, finishing a race like this will be hard enough and I make the top 10 I’ll be over the moon.

You’re set to start on the 13th row of the grid, are you superstitious and how do you feel about your grid position?
Well I race a green car so I guess I can’t be (superstitious)! I’m just happy to be in the race but I must admit being on the inside is nice and that could help a lot, especially at the start of the race. The start is going to be tough because everyone will be wanting a good start but at the same time everyone will be more interested in not making a mistake so it’s going to be hard to find a balance between being too cautious and overly aggressive but maybe being a little further down the grid might help, we’ll see but I do think being on the inside could help.

After graduating from Ministox you first moved into the Spedeworth 2Litre Stockcars before switching to Saloons. After a fantastic first full season you were seen less in the formula but have returned to top form in 2015, can you explain this and also the appeal of the formula to yourself?
The appeal is simple and that is that there is nothing in our sport better than Saloons. The only thing might be BriSCA F1 Stockcars but obviously that comes in a very different price range. It’s like a drug and once you’ve experienced (Saloon Stockcars) I don’t think you could ever race anything else, it’s certainly the same for me, I know I’m only young but I can’t see me ever doing anything else. The other massive appeal is the people in the formula and how they are with each other. It’s incredible really. I’ve done a few other formulas and the difference between how the drivers are is just amazing, everyone is so friendly in Saloons and everyone is so willing to help you if need help, it’s incredible. When I started in Saloons, we spent a year really going for it and the truth is I pretty much burned myself out and then I needed a break from it. But I’m glad I had the year I did because I learnt so much in that year and I also think I got my name out there which I was really pleased about and so much of what I learnt last year I’ve now put into use this year and that’s a big reason why I’ve been able to do so well. I think this year I’ve found a much happier balance with my racing and I’m really enjoying myself but hopefully next year we are going to have a busier season again and go for it a bit more, well that’s the plan at the moment anyway (laughs).

A big talking point this season has been the introduction of the Zetec engine, do you think this has been a good move for the sport?
I don’t think it’s been exactly a good or bad move it’s more what was needed and it had to be done. The Pinto, like anything, wasn’t going to last forever and it was getting near the end of its lifespan and we needed to move onto something new. I’m running (a Zetec) in my tarmac car and to be honest it’s not gone so well, hence why I’ve kept my Pinto in the shale car but I think, certainly on shale the Pinto is very much on pace, it might even still be slightly better so they’ve done a good job of making the two engines very comparable and hopefully over the coming months we’ll spend a bit more time getting mine sorted but I think it is already helping the formula, reducing the costs and bringing more drivers in, it’s just I’ve not had the best of starts with them (laughs).

Unfortunately another issue this season has been the number of driver injuries, do you think there is anything more than can be done to improve safety in the sport?
To be honest I think it’s just one of those things that you are unfortunately going to get from racing in a full contact formula, especially one like Saloons. You try not to think about it too much because if you did then you wouldn’t race at all but I’m not sure much can be done really, I guess we could perhaps look at having some sort of restrictor plate or something to slow the cars down a little but at the end of the day no-one wants to race slow, everyone wants to go fast, it’s a big part of the appeal of racing, to go faster than you should. I do think Hans devices should be compulsory though. I used one and I would never race without it now, it’s been fantastic and I rarely even get neck ache these days. Mine was a second hand one which cost me £300 so I appreciate they can be expensive but you can’t put a price on your own safety can you and I would much sooner miss a couple of meetings to save up and buy something which could keep me safe, I think they are absolutely brilliant and would recommend them to anyone.

Is there anyone you would like to mention or thank?
My dad, Trevor and everyone at Beck Row Car Spares, Alec Savage, CJ Overy, Lee and Harry Overy, Karl and Craig, my girlfriend Emily, AMS Electrical, the Plumbers, Uncle Gary and Richard and Kyle Overy, Simon and everyone else whose helped.