An Interview with Saloon Stockcar final winner at Mildenhall on March 29 570 Simon Venni
(interview published April 16 in the lead up to round three of the Mildenhall Track Championship on April 26)

Age: 24
Home Town: Spalding
Occupation: Commercial fitter
Family: Fiancé Melissa and two children
Racing career: Started racing Autograss aged 12

Congratulations on winning the Saloon Stockcar final at Mildenhall on March 29, how special was that win and how important was it for you at this stage of the season?
It was very important I think and a real boost to get a win like that this early in the season. I’ve had a couple of pretty bad years at Mildenhall, last year in particular was awful, my worst by quite some way and I really wasn’t enjoying it and finding my heart wasn’t completely in it and there was a point where I wasn’t sure if I would race this season but the decision to plough on has really been justified with the first couple of meetings. I was pleased to finish third in the final at the opener (on March 8) and then to win the final at the next meeting is even better. I think what made winning the (March 29) final more special was that I was able to hang with Dave Aldous for so long.

It’s interesting you mention Dave Aldous because when we interviewed March 8 final winner 360 Carl Waterfield he commented that holding Aldous off on the final bend made his victory more significant, do you think many drivers consider him a yard stick in the sport at the moment?
I think so. He’s certainly one of the top drivers at the moment and what makes him so good is that he is always so consistent on both tarmac and shale and as a driver I think you always measure yourself off whoever the top guy is and if you think you are doing as well as they are then that means you are doing well. He got in front of me in that race but I was able to stay with him for about six or seven laps before I span him to take the lead and so knowing I was able to hang with him for so long is a great boost for your own confidence and gives you a bit extra self belief for the next meeting in knowing that you are as good as anyone else and that makes a big difference.

The March 29 meeting was particularly wild for the Saloon Stcokcars and the final stages of the final were no exception and you were in the middle of a great battle, especially with Aldous and earlier heat winner Trent Artherton. Just before you took the lead Aldous got in front, did you think that was the end of your chances?
As I said I was managing to keep up with (Aldous) but that was hard, he’s so quick and when he got in front of (Artherton) I did think maybe my best hope would be second. I’m not completely sure what happened but (Artherton) got back in front of Dave and then Dave took him out and that was my chance. I knew I only had one chance at it because if Aldous had got away again I doubt I would have caught him so I went for it and span him and that was what won me the race.

The race still wasn’t over because you lost time spinning him which allowed the chasing pack, Willie Skoyles Jnr in particular to catch up, were you aware of how close they were?
Yeah I did catch a glance of them over my shoulder and figured I needed to get going. I then came across Artherton again and was able to get past and Willie had to spin him which helped because it allowed me to get away and get far enough in front to stop any last bend attack from him. That’s the good thing about racing at Mildenhall though, so much happens and it happens so quickly so it’s always really exciting racing there and for me it feels faster than most tracks because of the size of it, as soon as you are out of one bend you are into the next and there is always something going on. I know it’s probably not as fast as other tracks but it just feels it sometimes so it’s a great track to race at.

You mentioned having some bad form, particularly at Mildenhall in the last couple of seasons, and how much this win goes towards getting back from that, what do you put that bad run down to?
I think a lot of it goes back to (the fatal accident which claimed the life of Steve Newman). Me and Steve were really good mates, not just at the track but away from it as well and when he was killed it really knocked me for six. It wasn’t just that but it really made me look at the racing very differently and all of a sudden stockcar racing wasn’t the be all and end all of everything, suddenly I realised there are more important things in life, like my family and my children. The accident really made me question a lot of things and to be honest there was a time when I didn’t want to race anymore. We’ve had a new car under construction now for what feels like ages and I’ve had no interest whatsoever in finishing it and after winning the final (on March 29) it’s the first time we’ve actually thought about getting the job done and that is very much down to the good results I’ve had. You think if I can do well in an old car I should be able to do just as well, hopefully better in a new one so it gets you motivated. I owe a lot of me racing now to my dad. He was incredibly supportive during the whole time and while he said he’s support me 100 per cent if I did decide to stop (racing) he also encouraged me to continue because he thought I should and I think now looking back he was right. It’s just taken me a long time to get over (Steve Newman being killed). I’m not saying that the results this year has helped me get over it, I think time alone has done that itself and now that I’m getting there, the better results are coming.

As well as winning the final on March 29 you finished third in the March 8 final making you the only driver to finish both Saloon Stockcar finals this year in the top three, does success like that make you think about challenging for the track championship?
I suppose so. It’s still very early in the year to be thinking about that but I’ve done well in it before. I’ve finished third twice and second but the last two years I’ve had no luck at all so hopefully this season will be better. Points Championships are very hard to win because you’ve got to be good all year and with the amount of good drivers in Saloons that’s hard but we’ll see, I’m really pleased with the two final results so far though.

On the subject of championships, the World Final and European Championship are on shale this year at King’s Lynn and Mildenhall, have you got your eye on those races?
I think everyone has (laughs). We’ve already decided we are staying local this year and not even doing the championships which are far away which means I’ll miss a few big World Ranking meetings so I’ll have to wait and see if I manage to qualify for the World Final, to be honest the European could prove pretty important in that. I have a habit of usually scrapping into the World Final race but not doing races like the English, National and British could stop that this year so we’ll see. I don’t think grid positions are too important in these races, I finished third in the World at Mildenhall and started well down the grid so as long as you are in it, that’s the important thing. The European is more a lottery though, especially at Mildenhall, the year I won the ORCi championship at Mildenhall, the race was just crazy and championship races where drivers qualify on the day or on the weekend are often like that, you never know what’s going to happen.

A recent topic in the formula has been the subject of flags, do you feel red flags should be used in certain situations or do you believe a waved yellow is enough?
I totally agree with red flags being used when needed, especially if a guy is in trouble. We all have to go to work on Monday so driver safety is the most important thing regardless, if it messes up your race, then so what, as long as the drivers are ok that’s all that really matters. I also think races should be stopped more if a driver is across the track, especially when they are driver’s side up to the traffic because one whack from another car can be disastrous.

Another thorny issue is when races are stopped and restarted with a red flag cars line up differently to when a yellow flag is used (back markers go to the back with a red flag and stay in position with a yellow), are you happy with this or do you think it should be the same either way?
I really don’t know. If we’re honest we prefer whatever benefits us at the time (laughs). Take the final at Mildenhall (on March 8). Aldous got taken out and the race was stopped. Because it was a red flag he started closer to me on the restart and eventually beat me, if it’d been a yellow flag there would have been some back markers between us as well and the result might have been different so in that case I would have preferred a yellow flag but if I’d been in his position I’d be happy to see a red one. Andy Mews always tells us of when he used to race, if you got taken out you’d try and get the race stopped by firing everyone in because back then if there was a restart everyone got back on the lead lap. I think that would be quite good myself but not for the poor guy who got fired in causing the stoppage (laughs). I don’t really know what would be best but as long as it’s the same everywhere, that’s the most important thing.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My dad and Kevin mainly but also my brother Rowan who does a lot to help me as well and Melissa for putting up with me and how much of my life the racing takes up, it’s a big thing our racing and it’s very helpful having a supportive lady.