An Interview with Saloon Stockcar final winner at Mildenhall on March 8 360 Carl Waterfield
(interview published March 17 2014 in the lead up to round two of the Saloon Stockcar Mildenhall Track Championship on March 29)

Age: 25
Home Town: Littleport
Occupation: Fabricator and welder
Family: Girlfriend Rebecca
Racing career: Started racing Ministox aged 13 at Swaffham

Congratulations on winning the first Saloon Stockcar final of the season at Mildenhall on March 8. How do you view the meeting as a whole though, as you failed to score in either of the heat races so are you pleased with your success in the final or disappointed at your lack of results in the heats?
I don’t think you can ever come out of any meeting where you have won the final and be disappointed, especially when you have had to beat (499) David Aldous to win the final because anytime you can beat something like that you know you’ve done well. I wasn’t too disappointed about the heats really. I’d not had a very good night at King’s Lynn the previous week so we made some changes to the car and it was going a lot better at Mildenhall, it was just I didn’t have the luck I needed and kept getting caught out and tangled up and that was why I wasn’t getting results which can often happen at Mildenhall. In the final I got away at the start and that made all the different and in that race I had the little bit of luck I needed so I was very pleased, both because the car is going a lot better and because I had the result.

What is the feeling like leading a final into the final bend, especially when you have someone like David Aldous on your tail?
(laughs) Yeah it’s not the best feeling. Mildenhall is one of those tracks where I think you are always better to be second going into the final lap and it’s not often best to be leading unless you are really clear because you can gain a lot of ground on that final bend just charging in knowing you don’t have to worry about being the right position for the next bend or lap. It’s one of the things I like the most about Mildenhall, because it’s always hectic and quite often the race isn’t settled until the last bend so it’s exciting to race there. I don’t run a mirror but I knew someone was coming and suspected it might have been David but you just try and race your own race. In that situation, again especially at Mildenhall, I always try and do something different on the final bend but it is also important to take a tight line to try and stop the car behind doing a last bend lunge. Willie Skoyles Jnr beat me for a win at Mildenhall last year where I went tight and he went even tighter so I had that in my mind on Saturday and I think I got it about right. David still hit me but I was just far enough in front and tight enough that I could hold it. It’s an excellent feeling when you come out on top in a battle like that.

Of course things were made a little trickier on March 8 by the difficult track conditions on turn three caused by the rain during the winter which produced holes and ruts, how much of a challenge was that to overcome?
You just had to keep using your brain and keep looking at how the track was changing and stay on top of it. It was clear for me that if you went round the holes you could race the track as fast as if it was normal but you just to stay away from the holes because not only would they slow you down but they could also damage your car as we saw in the final when people were losing wheels so it did mean thinking played more of a part to the racing than normal.

You mentioned the wheels coming off cars which was one reason why the final was stopped more than once, on a one occasion you led the field for the restart, how important and tense were those restarts?
Again it’s about using your head and trying to keep your cool, that is very important. The time I led the restart I knew I had to get it right because it was on the restart where I got the lead (from 220 Casey Englestone) so I didn’t want that to happen to me. You have to judge it as best you can, keep it slow and then go and get that gap but it is about holding your nerve so the second restart was pretty tense because I knew the race could have been won or lost there.

How much of a confidence boost is getting a final win this early in the season?
Yeah it’s good, especially because I have a habit of struggling at the start of a season. I think last year it wasn’t until about half way through the year that I really got going and started being in a position to win races so to have a win in the second weekend of the season is a pretty big deal for me and when things are going well it does motivate you for the next meeting so it’s important, hopefully the luck will stay with me for a little while.

Going back to the stoppages on March 8, what are your feelings with regard to how races are suspended mid race, do you think red flags should be used in certain situations or do you think only waved yellow flags should be used?
I do think there are times when a red flag should be used. If a driver is signalling that he is in trouble, the marshals don’t know if he is just winded or has a broken leg or something like that so I believe the race should be stopped immediately in that case, it’s certainly what I would want if I was in that situation. Things like wheels coming off cars I think you have to react to the situation. Somewhere like King’s Lynn where the track is much bigger you might be able to safely use waved yellow flag but somewhere like Mildenhall where the track is so much smaller that might not be an option. If the cars are three abreast and there is a wheel on the track then someone is going to hit it and the outcome could be disastrous so I think you just have to do whatever is best in that situation.

With that in mind, there is a different protocol for lining cars up for a restart when yellow and red flags are used. With yellow flags, back marking drivers stay in their positions in between those on the lead lap while on the red flag drivers restart first to last with back markers retaining their laps down. Do you agree with that or do you think it should be one system for all stoppages?
That’s a difficult one. Honestly I’m not too worries because sometimes one way works against you and other times it works for you and both ways have good and bad things so I don’t know but at the end of the day as long as it’s the same each time so the drivers know where we are, that’s the most important thing.

It’s a big year for the formula on shale with the European Championship at Mildenhall and World Final at King’s Lynn. You were the last driver to win the World title at Lynn so is that something you have your eye on this year?
It certainly is. I’ll be happy to just qualify and ideally I’d like to start in a similar place to where I did five years ago, a few rows away from the front. I wouldn’t want to be at the front but I still think you need to be up there to have a chance of being in the frame, but as long as I’m in the race I’ll be happy.

On the subject of championships, you played a part in the incredible English Championship at Mildenhall last April, coming from near the back of the grid to lead the race very briefly and eventually finishing third, was the race among your highlights of 2013?
Yes it was, it was a fantastic way to be so involved in and it easily could have gone my way. Again that is the magic of racing on shale, you can start at the back of the grid and finish third and have been in with a shout of winning and that is especially so at Mildenhall because the track is so small and the racing is usually really hectic so you can get through the field.

How do you rate the formula overall in 2014?
It’s an excellent formula to be in at the moment and it’s not as expense to compete in as other stockcar formulas which is a big deal and all the cars are still rear wheel drive which I think is important for stockcar racing. My only concern is some of the rules that are being suggested for next season. I’m a bit concerned over the proposed front bumper rule which I think might cause some problems because I think the rule is open to interpretation and I also feel too much time is being spent worrying about things which don’t need worrying about which is starting to creep in and I hope that doesn’t become a problem because that could spoil things.

Have you any plans or targets for the rest of the season?
I’ve just started a new job and I’ve already said that has to come first this year but I hope to race as much as I can but at the same time I’m determined to not get stressed out with the car or the racing this year. If I can’t race, then I’m not racing so my biggest goal I think is to not let the car beat me (laughs). But I want to be in the World Final so being in the top 24 (in the World Rankings) is a big deal and if when the cut off is coming up I’m struggling I might have to make an extra effort because being in the World is important.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
My brother-in-law, dad, all my sponsors for the last couple of years and the Mildenhall pit staff for always picking on me.