An Interview with Odd Job 266
Callum Hall
(interview published March 12 2014 in the lead up to the 2014 Unlimited
Banger BBA Supreme Championship)
Age: 22
Home Town: Lecistershire
Occupation: Maintenance manager
Family: Single
Racing career: Been racing National Bangers for seven years
Congratulations on qualifying for this year’s championship race, this is your first time in the event, is it something you are looking forward too?
Yes, it’s not a regular thing for me qualifying for a race like this, it might happen once, twice if I’m really lucky, a year so when chances like this come up I always try and take advantage of them if I can and when I found out I’d qualified I was pleased and even more pleased when I looked at my plans and realised I could do it. It will also be nice to go back to Mildenhall as it’s been a few years since I have raced there so I’m looking forward to doing another meeting at the track after a while away and it will be especially nice with the rest of the team (the Bears) coming, especially when it will be the first time there for some of them.
The addition of the Bears to the line up is certainly one of the many interesting aspects of the meeting, you had actually confirmed your interest in taking your place on the grid prior to the rest of the team booking in, does the rest of the team being there make you look forward to the meeting more?
I think it does really. When I joined the team I said I still wanted to do some meetings which I like doing even though I knew it would mean probably being the only (Bear) there but that’s ok, I still enjoy myself but I do think having the rest of them there makes my meeting a bit more enjoyable, it just adds a little something for me and they are a great bunch to race with and make the meetings a lot of fun which is what it’s all about.
You are actually set to make a small piece of history, while Michael Woodward (207 Compo) has raced in the Supreme Championship before in Bears colours, you are set to be the first member of the team to race in the event as an unlimited meeting at Mildenhall, is that special to you?
I’m not sure I would go that far (laughs), but it’s nice. I’m really enjoying being in the team and enjoy whenever I race in the colours, there is a real buzz racing with the rest of the team and a very different buzz when I race without them in the colours because I know I’m more of a target now because of being a Bear so to say I was the first to do the race for the team in a while is a nice thing.
Given that we rarely, if ever, see you race anything but an unlimited banger, is it safe to say the recently introduced unlimited format appeals to you?
Definitely and I doubt very much I would have done it if it had been anything by unlimited bangers. It’s the kind of racing I enjoy and the kind I enjoy the most and I get more enjoyment out of sticking to what I know I like even if it means maybe not doing quite as many meetings as some people and I especially enjoy unlimiteds on shale. I much prefer shale racing to tarmac, I just find it a bit more fun.
Have you decided what car you are going to use in the race?
I’ve got a Lexus which I raced at the unlimited Icebreaker. I use them a lot and I think they are a really good all round car, strong and pretty quick as well so everything you want from an unlimited car really, it helps me a lot as well that I’ve raced a few of them now so I know what I’m doing which makes them a bit easier to build and I’ve also got plenty of bits for them when they break and I think they are quite an easy car to straighten out so I really like them and I’m sticking with what I know best for this one.
An encouraging amount of qualifiers are saying they intend on taking their place on the grid which could make for a big grid and some predict a very hectic race, is that something which suites you?
You really cannot say what’s going to happen. I’ve been in cars with more than 40 cars and nothing happens and races with half that where it’s a real battle so I don’t know but there is a very good chance with that many drivers, especially at a small track like Mildenhall, it will be lively but as for whether it’ll suite me, you won’t know until the race is over. It all depends on what happens in the race. If there is a big pile-up and I’m in it then I think you’ll be able to say it didn’t help me but if I manage to avoid it that’ll be ok (laughs).
You qualified for the race via the Shamwreck event at Tullyroan, one of the first events held at the new Irish track which is receiving a lot of positive comments from the English drivers who have visited so far, what did you think of the place?
I love it, I really do, I think it is fantastic. It’s not just the track which I think is excellent, it’s everything else, especially the welcome you get when you go over from the promotion and the other drivers, it really is brilliant and the atmosphere and the welcome is a big part of that. I went over twice last year and I hope to go back again this year if all goes to plan.
On that subject, have you made any plans for 2014 or are they dictated by the whereabouts of the team who have hinted at keeping their cards a little closer to their chest in 2014 with the meetings they intend to race at?
I intend to do all the meetings the rest of the guys do, whatever they might be, at the moment we are doing it one meeting at a time and nothing has been said about what’s next after the Supreme. I also intend to do as many of the unlimited meetings at King’s Lynn if I can, hopefully I’ll do them all and that’s regardless of whether the rest of the team do. It’d be nice I think if they did some more meetings there, we all enjoyed the Icebreaker so I think it could happen but it’s my favourite track so I want to try and do them all if possible.
Joining the ranks of the Bears last summer was perhaps the most talked about story for you in 2013, can you tell is how it came about, especially as you are far from local to the rest of the team?
They asked me at the Ipswich round of the Banger World Series and I didn’t say yes or no straight away, because I knew it would be a big commitment so I wanted to have a think and they asked if I would do the Bears Challenge with them at Smallfield because they had a few different drivers with them for the day so I decided to give that a go and just carried on racing in the colours. It’s been quite a natural fit really, I had a great day with them at Smallfield, like I said they are a fantastic group of lads and racing with them makes everything a bit more fun and gives you a bit more of a buzz so I decided to go for it and I’m glad I have.
Has your racing changed much since joining the team, especially as the team is one of the most popular and talked about in the sport?
No, not really. That was one of the things I was thinking about when I was deciding whether to accept their invitation or not because I thought it might make things a bit more stressful or there might be a bit more pressure racing with them but when I raced at Smallfield I realised it was the opposite and more enjoyable. I think it helps that there are a lot bigger names in the team than me so they tend to attract a bit more attention than I do.
One of the more recent talking points with the team came after the unlimited UK Open at Ringwood in December where the team was the centre of much discussion about levels of car preparation, what were your thoughts on that?
(laughs) I try my hardest to stay away from all that, the politics and stuff, it does my head in! I have to admit at Ringwood I never looked at anyone else’s cars, I don’t really do that anywhere, it’s just not the sort of thing I do, so I honestly could not comment on anyone else, not that I really would anyway. My car was built exactly like I would for another other meeting, again I had a Lexus and I know what I’m doing with them so it was the same as anything else. The team often gets stick for how they build cars, it’s nothing new but from what I’ve seen since I’ve been racing in the team I honestly don’t think any of us do anywhere near as much as people believe we do. A couple of the cars which raced at Ringwood had been built for Warneton where they do allow some different things which aren’t allowed elsewhere so I know there was that, but it was far from anything to get excited about. Beyond that the cars were built like any others, the thing is some of the guys in the team are very clever and have some really clever little tricks, it’s the same with all drivers who put in the time and effort but those who think our cars are welded to death are wrong.
Sticking with rules, the ORCi has recently announced its technical rules for 2014, have you any thoughts?
I have looked and while I don’t have any great issues, to be honest most of the things which have changed don’t really affect me, I have some concerns over how some of them are written and I think some contradict themselves and are open to interpretation which I think might cause problems. One example is the banning of tubular manifolds. I’m know being told that only applies to 2litre meetings and not unlimiteds but no-one has told me that officially so if that is true I can see things like that causing a problem.
Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My dad and brother and anyone else who comes and helps out at the meetings and the boys for asking me and letting me join the team.