An Interview with 925 Paul Wilson

This will be your ninth time in the championship having missed out last year, are you pleased to be back in the race and are you looking forward to it?
Yes I am, this is the big race of the year on shale and I think it's the same with most of the drivers who race shale that this is one we all look forward too and hope to qualify for. The tarmac drivers I think are more interested in the World Final and for us it's the World of Shale. I did actually qualify last year but I ended my season about half way last year, not long after the weekend event at Mildenhall just because I had a real lack of enthusiasm and I didn't have an engine and I didn't really have the motivation to get a new one sort one so I called an end to the season and came back fresh this year. 

Based on your qualifying campaign it would appear you are enjoying your racing.
Yes I am. I admit I enjoy it a lot more when I'm there, away from the track it sometimes seems like too much work at times and there are times when I struggle to get myself motivated but when I get to the meeting and it's race day I love it and I remember why it's worth it and we put some much into the sport.

Your best World of Shale result was fifth in 2009 at Sheffield, are you mindful of that result as a target to beat or are you happy to accept what happens on the night?
I would love to beat it, I really would, a top three finish would be absolutely fantastic and a a really great achievement but that is not going to be easy, especially round Mildenhall. I was lying second at Belle Vue one year but I got a puncture which ended that. But that's the thing with shale racing and this championship in particular, it is such an unpredictable race and it will be especially so at Mildenhall because of the nature of the track. Mildenhall is a place where you can be the best driver with the best car and if it's not your night there is nothing you can do about it. Crashes happen all the time and you don't even have time to think about it, you just have to try and avoid it and it all boils to luck. Mildenhall is the kind of place where you either score a load of points and have a great night or go home with loads of damage but thankfully when that happens I've usually still had a great night so it's not the end of the world!

You've had some pretty mixed fortune at Mildenhall in 2013 winning the first final of the year back in April but then you struggled a bit after that but bounced back at the end of July with another good points score at the final World of Shale qualifier. Are you happy with your form at Mildenhall this season and how does that bode for your chances in this race?
Yes I've enjoyed my season there and the car has been going round pretty well. Again the meetings in between the first and my last visit where I didn't score as well wasn't so much to do with the car or even me really it was just I didn't have the luck those nights and got caught in crashes and other incidents and that was that. At Mildenhall it just happens so quick that more often that not you cannot react to it, it's not like at the bigger tracks where the cars are more spread out and you have a better chance to avoid things, it's just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. 

With that in mind what kind of championship race do you think we might see?
I think the weather will play a big part. If it's dry and hopefully it will be, it's going to be a very fast race with the quality of drivers we have in it, that's for sure and maybe not as action packed as some expect but if it's wet it will be a totally different story so we will see what happens. I'm hoping we might see a big crash at the start at the front which could help me out a bit!

How do you think the favourites are?
For me it's Chris Bradbury. He has been absolutely brilliant everywhere he has been this season and I think if he gets away at the start he is going to be a very hard man to catch and even harder to get past so I think he could be the man this year providing the luck is on his side on the night.

As a seasoned campaigner in the World of Shale series this year what do you think of the changes this year especially the introduction of attendance points as you were one of the few to attend every qualifying round this year?
I've nothing negative to say about the changes at all and I quite like them but then they've not really effected me. I like the attendance points and I think it is good that the drivers that do the meetings get a little reward and it encourages drivers to race at more rounds and at the different tracks. At the end of the day there were only 10 rounds this season and while there is a bit of travelling involved to do them all wherever you live it's not too many rounds I think and I think most drivers would be able to commit to travelling to a handful of away meetings if they really want and I think it's good that those who made the effort to support the qualifying rounds had a boost in the points. 

Is there anyone you would to thank or mention?
My dad who has helped me for many years now both financially and with support and helping to mend the car and also my mechanic Mark.