An Interview with 507 Paul Honeyman
(interview published August 19 2015 in the lead up to the 2015 Championship at Mildenhall on August 29)

Age: 29
Home Town: Stenhousemuir
Occupation: Mechanic
Family: Daughter, Jeorgie
Started racing: Aged 15 in Ministox and 2007 in Saloon Stockcars

You were among the last of the top 24 in the World Ranking points to confirm your intention to compete in the World Final, can you explain the reasons behind your hesitation?
Well there are a few really but the biggest I guess boils down to the World Final being on shale this year and me only having one car which has only ever been raced on tarmac. It’s not as simple as not wanting to race on shale because usually when I have raced on shale I’ve enjoyed it and it’s always a lot of fun and of the shale tracks we have I think Mildenhall is probably the best one for me, results wise at least. But I’ve not raced on shale for quite some time now, I think it was the 2011 European Championship at Mildenhall which didn’t end very well for me as I wound up hanging off a fence post (laughs). So these days all my racing is on tarmac, mostly at Cowdenbeath and I’ve been racing a new car this year and we’ve been working really hard to get it to go as well as it is and the truth is I was a little worried that racing it in the World Final would potentially undo all the work we’ve done this season because we would have to change all the set up and you can never be completely sure about putting it back exactly right. But at the same time it was hard because it’s been a few years since I’ve been in the World Final and so of course there was a desire to do the race again. I suspect I would have probably ended up doing it in the end but then Luke (Grief, who is partners with Paul’s sister Mel) offered me his shale car for the race because he is planning to use his tarmac car. He mentioned it but he wanted to do the National Championship weekend at King’s Lynn first to see how his tarmac car went and he was happy with it so he then offered me his shale car and when he did that, there was no question about me racing in the World Final.

Is this the first time that Luke being partners with your sister has been a good thing?
(laughs) No, no, not at all. Me and Luke have actually been friends before he and Mel got together and he’s always helped me when he can but he’s definitely done me a massive favour here and I’m really grateful, as long as he helps me on the night because I think we still have a fair bit of work to do yet (laughs).

This will be your third time in the World Final and your first since the last Mildenhall staged World Final in 2010 with your debut coming in 2007, your appearances in the race have been quite sporadic, what do you put that down to and does it make you more pleased to have qualified again this year?
Honestly a big reason why I’ve struggled to get in the World Final a bit more is completely my fault and that is because quite a few times I’ve not got myself sorted out and renewed my license before the deadline at the start of the season and subsequently forfeited my World Ranking points from the previous year and straight away when that happens you are going to struggle. It’s just one of those things where life gets in the way sometimes and of course there are more important things to me than racing, especially family, racing is just a hobby afterall and having my daughter now is a big priority and there have been a few years where in the winter I didn’t think I would be racing and so didn’t do my license and then things came together and I was able to race. Thankfully this year, things were a bit more organised. A big part of that was around my new car and also having my brother Stevie to help a lot more as he’s not racing Saloons at the moment so we were a bit more sorted and were raring to go. So I didn’t lose my World Ranking points this time which was a good start (laughs) and then I’ve had a really good season which has been enough to get me into top 24. Most of my racing has been in Scotland but it’s been going really well and I’ve had a good few wins as well so I’m really pleased with how it’s all gone so far. And of course it’s fantastic to be back in the World Final again, that is a huge buzz for any driver because when you are in this sport you always want to be up there with the best of them and simply qualifying for the World Final means you have achieved that and you are among the best drivers in the formula so that is an excellent feeling and I’m looking forward to it.

As you mentioned your last World Final appearance was the last one at Mildenhall, do you think having a little experience of the track from a few years back will help?
I think it might because at least it’s not going to be a complete step into the unknown, I’ve been there before and got a rough idea of how it works so that does help but of course you are always going to be at a massive disadvantage against those who race at Mildenhall all the time and even those who just race on shale all the time. But it’s the same when the English drivers come to Scotland, while there are other tarmac tracks, Cowdenbeath is a little different and has its own little characteristics which means that those of us who race there regularly do have a bit of advantage. One thing in my favour though is that again of all the shale tracks I think Mildenhall is the one I seem to do better at. The last time I went was for the European in 2011 and after a couple of races things were really starting to come together for me and I was in about third and I can’t remember who, it was either Jamie Clayton or Darren Goudy, it was definitely a blue car (laughs) came up and wiped me out and again I ended the weekend hanging off a post which wasn’t the best! But after a few races that time I was getting into it and I’m hoping I will be able to do that again this time, especially having Luke’s shale car which should help as Luke knows what to do to it to get it going well round Mildenhall, he should know, he’s raced there enough!

Practise is planned before the meeting, how helpful do you think this could be for your chances and do you think the practise session could actually benefit the race itself?
It will be hugely helpful for me, especially as I’m racing a car I’m not used to so I’ll be trying to get to grips with the track and the car as well so it will definitely a big help, even just a few laps just to remind yourself of the best way round and to understand what the car does because of course it will be very different to my own. What I’ve always found is that when I’ve raced on shale before after a couple of races you are so much better than when you start the meeting. I think having a bit more confidence helps and probably losing the nerves from the first race but the more you do, the better you get and shale racing is no different and while a few races aren’t going to make me as good as the best shale drivers it will certainly help me be better than what I was before those races. Take the European (in 2011) when I last come down, by my third race I think it was I was pretty much on the pace and going really well but the trick is to be like that from the start, especially when the first race you are in is the World Final. So practise should be a massive help, if I can get a couple of go’s on it, it will be like a couple of very short races and hopefully by the time the World Final starts I will be feeling a bit better. I do think it could improve the race because if everyone is on the pace and feeling confident you are probably going to have a better race than if only two thirds of the grid feel that way so hopefully it will make it better.

As things stand at the moment you are set to start on the inside of row 11, are you happy with that?
I don’t think there is such a thing as a good or bad place to start in a race like this, especially when it’s on shale, as long as you are on the grid that is the most important thing and then it’s just a matter of hoping for the best and seeing how things go (laughs). You won’t know what’s the best place to start from until the race is over and then I guess the winner had the best starting place (laughs). I expect the start will be pretty hectic, they usually are in a race like this but at the same time everyone is going to try and avoid getting taken out because if you do that can often me your chances are over so anyone who fancies their chances I think will be most concerned about not getting taken out at the start than anything else but we’ll have to see. Hopefully being on the inside will help. At least on the inside you have cars on your outside which you can lean on and without having that shale experience that will probably help me out and hopefully help me get through the first few laps of the race.

Do you have any targets of goals in the race, you are yet to achieve a top 10 in a World Final so are you hoping this could be the first?
I’m very much taking it as it comes. There is no point setting yourself targets and goals, especially in a race like this and especially when it’s at a track and on a surface I’m unfamiliar with. My goal I guess is simply to finish, if I was still going at the end I would be very happy with that because it’s certainly not going to be an easy race to finish and I’m sure there will be plenty that won’t, if I could get in the top 10 for the first time that would be a huge bonus.

Your family has a rich history in this race with four members of the Honeyman family having raced in the World Final, matching the numbers set by the Burgoyne, Santry and Barnes families and this is the highest of any family so far, is that something you are pleased about and can we expect any more Honeymans in the race in the future?
It is a cool thing I guess because we are very much a racing family and so to have that little record is pretty special and it’s nice that I’m a part of that as well along with my brother and my dad, it’s a nice thing to have and yes, hopefully there might be some more of us soon and it would be brilliant if we were the first to have five. My cousin Marc is racing in the Saloons now and he’s getting better and better all the time so I wouldn’t be surprised if he qualified in the next couple of years, he’s certainly good enough if he really goes for it. I’ve another cousin, Greg who is set to start racing next year so we’ll have to see how he gets on and then there is James, another cousin, who recently had a go in Luke’s shale car and he enjoyed it and is talking about possibly racing as well. But if they don’t make it into the World Final first I’m pretty sure that Stevie’s son Declan will. He’s currently racing Ninja Karts and is a big reason why Stevie isn’t racing himself because he’s concentrating on him but he’s a great little driver and already he wants to go into Saloons when he is old enough and I reckon he’ll be good enough to get in the World Final although that won’t be for a while but hopefully there will be more of us at some point.

A big talking point this season has been the introduction of Zetec engines, is this something you are in favour of?
Well I’m still using a Pinto at the moment and even though I think the Zetecs are a little better, certainly at Cowdenbeath where you can clearly see the Zetec powered cars are setting faster lap times, I do think ultimately it is a good move and something which needed to happen because at some point we have to move forward. The thing with me is that I have a perfectly good engine so it seems pretty stupid for me to stop using it when there is nothing wrong with it but as soon as I have an issue, which hopefully won’t be just yet (laughs) I’m sure that would be the time for me to switch over and start using them. The fact you can get a scrap engine for a couple of hundred quid plus the conversion kit and be on the pace, if not a little quicker, than an engine which has cost a couple of thousand is fantastic, even if you buy a new (Zetec engine) straight from Fords, it’s still cheaper and it’s definitely helping to bring new drivers in just by reducing the costs and I’m sure it won’t be long before I have one as well.

Another talking point this season has been the unfortunate number of driver injuries, do you feel anything can be done to improved driver safety and is there any kind of safety equipment you would like to see introduced?
I’m probably not the best to ask about equipment as I pretty much just wear a crash helmet. I know a lot more are using more and more different stuff and I think it’s great that drivers are doing that and thinking about their own safety and seeing if there are things out there which can help them and in truth I should probably do the same but I guess it’s just one of those typical things that until something happens, you just carry on doing it how you’ve been doing it. It’s probably daft but I’ve always been pretty much ok in the car and so I’m happy to carry on doing what I’ve been doing until I feel a need to change which thankfully at the moment I don’t. I’m not sure much more can be done to the cars really but I guess the thing which is always there is the speed. It’s strange because as a driver, the high speeds are often a concern but at the same time they are a massive attraction to the sport because none of us want to be racing slowly, it just wouldn’t have the same buzz. I certainly wouldn’t want the cars to get any faster I’ll say that and I probably wouldn’t complain if they were just a fraction slower.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
My brother Stevie especially for everything he has done to help me and with my car and getting it to go so well, my other brother Craig whose a big help too, Jonny and Ryan who help out a lot when they can, all my friends and family for their support especially my daughter whose really enjoying the racing now and that’s a big help for me personally, I couldn’t do it without all their help and support..