An Interview with former Saloon Stockcar World Champion 360 Carl Waterfield
(interview published August 12 2015 in the lead up to the 2015 Championship at Mildenhall on August 29)

Age: 27
Home Town: Littleport
Occupation: Engineer
Family: Single
Started racing: Aged 13 in Ministox at Swaffham and debuted in Saloon Stockcars aged 16

It’s been quite the season for you so far, coming painfully close to winning the English and now the National championship. How do these near misses effect you going into a race like the World Final, do they shake your confidence and make you question whether the big win will ever come or does it give you a boost to know you’ve been so close?
I honestly don’t know, I guess it’s a bit of both really. It is disappointing when you come so close to winning any race, let alone a big one and it just doesn’t go your way and that’s really what happened in both of those races. I could have won both of them had things just gone little differently. I had the lead in the English but one little mistake and I span and then the last bend could have gone either way and I guess I was a little unfortunate and in the National, well to be honest I think the better man did win that day but had it not been for the stoppages maybe I would have held on but at the same time maybe a backmarker would have taken me out instead, you just never know with this kind of racing. I think at the time there is a bit of an element of doubting yourself and thinking it might not happen but that doesn’t last for long, it’s just the disappointment and when that fades away you see the positives and there was a lot I was pleased about from the National weekend. For me the best thing was that on the Saturday I was the highest scorer and started the big race on pole position and that is the first I have ever done that so I was so pleased about that, that was a massive deal for me and when I think back to the weekend now that really is the thing I remember the most, rather than coming so close. But at the end of the day, I did come really close, just the smallest thing and it might have gone my way and with the way the formula is right now, you always need that little bit of luck. I’ve not had too much of it this season, so maybe I’m due some and it would be nice if it came on (August) 29th (laughs).

You are no stranger to the World Final and this will be your ninth appearance in the race, is it still something you look forward to and get excited about?
Absolutely, I can’t see how you wouldn’t get excited about this one but I think all the big races are exciting to be a part of and something every driver wants to be involved in, it’s always a big deal to qualify for any big championship in this formula. It is the best formula in the sport at the moment in my eyes so when you get to be in any big race it means you are among the best and involved in one of the best races out there and that is always a huge thing to be a part of so yes, it’s massively exciting and I’m looking forward to it. What helps make the World so special is that you qualify throughout the year so it’s very different to all the other championships, where if you are good on the day or the weekend you are in the race but here, you have to be good all season and just being in the top 24 at the end of the year is important because it shows you’ve done well. I didn’t quite make it last year and qualified on the day via the last chance race so it’s especially nice for me to be back in the top 24 and qualify before the night. That alone gives you a boost of confidence I think, because you have to be on the pace to get into this race and it means a lot to me to be back in the top 24 again, I guess having the close calls in the English and National also give me a bit of a boost because I know I’m capable of doing well if things happen to go my way on the night.

What makes the World Final so special?
As I said all the big races are special but I think with the World, more than any of the others, it’s the one that everyone wants to win. For me it’s just an achievement to be in the race, getting a top 10 finish is a bonus but if you are one of the lucky ones who gets to win it, that’s just something else. It’s like I said I honestly believe Saloons are the best formula in our sport right now and they are only getting better, the new engines are making a big difference I think, and this is our biggest race so of course it’s the one that everyone wants to win. And it’s funny because even though some of the other titles have been around longer the World still has loads of history and the list of people who have won it is incredible and I honestly consider it such an honour to be one of them and have my name on the trophy, it really does mean so much to me and I’m sure it will be the same to whoever wins it this year and that is a big reason why it’s so special, everybody wants that gold roof don’t they.

You mentioned the introduction of Zetec engines into the formula in 2015 and believing it to be a benefit to the formula, clearly you are in favour of the new engines?
The Pinto engines are running out, it’s as simple as that and we needed something new and I think bringing the Zetecs in has been an excellent move and a really good one for the sport and I’m saying that as someone who is still using a Pinto (laughs). There is nothing wrong with my Pinto and they’ve done such a good job of making the Pintos and Zetecs comparable that I don’t see the point in switching while my Pinto is doing a good enough job. Hopefully it will see me to the end of the season and the plan is to then switch to a Zetec over the winter and take a little time to get it right so I’m ready for (the start of 2016). The brilliant thing about these engines is what it’s done to the cost of the sport because once you have a car the most expensive thing is the engine so although the conversion kit costs a bit, but once you have it, you have it and the engine itself doesn’t have to cost very much at all. The fact that we have drivers racing on engines which have only cost a couple of hundred quid and have just dropped them in the car and are then on the pace with anyone is absolutely brilliant and I do think it’s a massive reason why we are seeing more drivers come into Saloons and why the racing is so good right now, because everyone has the ability to be on the pace without spending vast amounts of money. The year I won the World I wanted to be the best World Champion I could be and for me a massive part of that was doing as many meetings as I could and showing the roof of as best as possible so that year as champion was incredibly hard and I know all about the expense of engine problems and what it can do to you and I think looking back it took me a while to get over all the expenses of that year and a big reason for that was the engines which now has been reduced a lot which is also why drivers can race a bit more regularly now because that expense has been reduced so much. The only thing I think we need to change now is the tyres because at the moment we are using one tyre on shale and another on tarmac so while drivers can save money on engines, it’s costing more money with tyres if you want to race on both surfaces. I think if we could have one tyre for both surfaces it would again cut costs and I think you would see more drivers race on tarmac and shale rather than sticking to one or the other like a lot do right now. The problem is what tyre to use and I’m honestly not sure on that. It’s really difficult because on the one hand the shale tyre is a bit slower but the tarmac tyre has better grip. With the shale tyres after about six laps you are pretty much just in it for the ride while the tarmac tyres are better for that, but they are faster and of course there is the argument that we should be slowing the cars down, rather than making them faster. For me, I would personally prefer to go faster and be more in control rather than be a bit slower but not in control but that’s just me and I think everyone has their own opinion. But I definitely would like to see us using one tyre for both surfaces as I think that would make a big difference.

As it stands you are set to start the race on the outside of row seven, how do you feel about that and would have preferred to have stayed on the inside of row eight had Steve Webster been fit to race?
(laughs) I’m not too sure it will make that much difference. I really think this is anyone’s race. The formula is so good right now that you can say that about any race and it’s especially the case at Mildenhall where you never know whose going to win any race there, let alone one like this with so many good drivers and everyone being out there wanting to win it. I think there might be a bit of an advantage from starting on the inside but you can never tell can you, I think when the race starts the main objectives will be to try and get on the inside and try and make it through the first few laps and I expect to lose a couple of spots at the start being on the outside but again I don’t think it will make too much difference in the grand scheme of things, to be honest I’ve got it in my head that the winner won’t come from in front of me on the grid. I just have this feeling it’s going to be one of those races and all the drivers in the front rows will get taken out at some stage and the winner won’t come from near the front.

Is that proves to be the case who do you fancy for the title and do you think experience of Mildenhall will be a factor?
Mildenhall is such a unique track that I do think the winner will be someone who races at the track regularly because it’s such a hard track to get the hand off so if you are not used to it I think you will be at an immediate disadvantage to those who do race there regularly. To be honest, I’ve not really looked at the grid that much, I don’t tend to worry about stuff like that but I guess Martyn Parker has got to be a good bet, he’s been going really well at Mildenhall this year and winning the English and East Anglian proves it and he’s very good in lively races and able to fight his way through and survive so I think if the winner does come from behind me then he’s a good pick but it could be anyone and that’s the great thing about it, you just don’t know.

Back in 2005 you made your World Final debut at Mildenhall, qualifying on the last chance race, how special was that night for you?
Really special, just getting into the race meant so much and it’s why the last chance qualifier is usually such a good race because there are always a load of people in it, who just want to be in the race and every year you see someone get in it for the first time and you can see how much it means to them and I remember that feeling from 2005, it’s just amazing, being 16 or 17 and out in the biggest race of the year against these amazing drivers who’ve been doing it for so many years and are so good at what they do, just to be in it is incredible.

Another talking point this season has been the unfortunate number of driver injuries in the formula, is there anything you would like to see changed or improved?
At the end of the day, it’s a full contact formula and one of the roughest out there and so if you don’t want to race with that level of contact then you shouldn’t be doing Saloons and I think everyone who goes into this formula knows exactly what they are getting into. I’m not sure much more can be done with the cars themselves, I would like to see things changed a little with the marshalling so marshals can stop a race quicker if they see the need because there’s been a couple of instances this year where races maybe haven’t been stopped as quickly as they could have and I think changing that would possibly help. I’ve been using a new seat lately which has helped me a lot. I will admit that before with my old one, after a weekend of racing I could ache for three days but with my new one I could probably race every night for a week and feel ok, the cars are getting faster and I’m getting older so I need a bit of help (laughs). It’s padded and has a bit more flex in it and I think it’s excellent and I would certainly recommend them to other drivers. The Hans devices are also becoming more popular but my problem is I like to be able to move my head and look around so I don’t think they are for me so I think it’s important that stuff like that remains the drivers choice but I can understand why people are using them.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
Everyone who helps me, especially my dad and brother-in-law and all my sponsors as well, Young Agricultural Services, Pretoria Energy, TLC Building and Groundwork and Sam Burton Motorsport Engines.