An Interview with Stuntman
294 Lee Hughes
(interview published March 12 2014 in the lead up to the 2014 Unlimited
Banger BBA Supreme Championship)
Age: 35
Home Town: Ashford
Occupation: Ground worker
Family: Girlfriend Maxine and son Patric
Racing career: Started racing Junior Bangers at Dover aged 12
Congratulations on qualifying for this year’s championship, is this something you are looking forward to?
Yes, I’d planned to do it when I found out I’d qualified, especially now it is unlimited. I did the first one when it became unlimited (in 2012) and had a great night, it’s still a meeting I remember pretty well and it’s always nice to race an unlimited on shale because most of my racing now is done on tarmac so it makes a nice change and I usually wind up enjoying it.
You mentioned the 2012 championship, what are your memories of the race and the meeting?
I know I didn’t expect to do very well because I took one a modern Jaguar which had come up and I don’t really rate them very much so I had very low expectations about how it would all go but it was a great race and I did pretty well just to finish because there wasn’t very many drivers who did finish the race. I also remember originally not being given a place (laughs). The story was, just before the race was about to start a marshal came over and said my transponder wasn’t working and I said not to worry because I would probably only do a lap! Then I went and finished and at first couldn’t figure out why I’d not got a place! I think this year could be just as good as long as the weather is ok, that’s the big thing whenever you are racing on shale but if the weather and track are good there is no reason why this shouldn’t be as good as it was two years ago.
Speaking of the 2012 championship, the current indications suggest we might see another large field of cars in the race, is that something you would welcome and would that help your chances?
I prefer a big grid of cars in any race I am in but it would be especially helpful here I think because I don’t race on dirt or shale so much now and I think the bigger the grid the more equal the chances are of every driver. A bigger grid makes the race more about luck. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all about luck but it will play a bigger part than if you were racing in a smaller field. Skill is still going to be a huge factor but when you have a lot of car and a lot going on it makes the skill factor even more important and that is going to be especially so when it comes to a track like Mildenhall but you still need to put your car in the right place, take people out correctly and at the right time and make all the right moves. So yes, I would definitely prefer a big field of cars and I think it increases everyone’s chances on the grid. Experience will help as well, but I think you are going to need everything really, experience, skill, luck, all of it.
This year you will compete in the race with the gold roof you claimed when you finally achieved your long term goal of winning the Spedeworth World Final, will that make the race any more special?
No, not really to be honest but that’s mainly because it’s just nice to race with this gold roof. It was the title I really wanted, more than anything and I think every meeting this year with the gold roof is going to be pretty cool.
Given your preference for unlimited racing is it safe to say you are happier now the event is an unlimited one or, especially given you finished second when the meeting was a National Banger event, do you think you would have a better chance if it was still run under the old format?
I much prefer it as an unlimited meeting and honestly if it was still a (National) meeting I can’t say I would be doing it. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind racing Mondeos every now and again but they don’t give me anywhere near the same buzz as racing an unlimited, that’s the kind of racing I enjoy and so being an unlimited event makes this a lot more appealing to me and regardless of how I do I know I will enjoy it a lot more being an unlimited meeting.
Have you decided what car you are going to race in the championship?
I’ve got a Lexus LS400, it was free so that makes it a good car straight away in my eyes (laughs)! It’s a big and bulky car and it’s a durable car so I think it should be ok, the ones I’ve raced so far have been pretty good so I hope this one will be the same. I think strength is going to be important in this race with your car, if there are as many cars in it as there could be then it’s almost inevitable that you are going to need to do some hits and take some hits during the race, it’s going to be impossible to go the distance without doing that, so strength is going to be important. You do need to be quick but I think a strong car might be more important here, after all if there is 40 to 50 car in the race it’s going to be tricky to go that fast anyway.
Do you think you have a chance of winning the championship this year?
I never go into any race thinking I have a chance, especially a race like this where you have not only the potential of a lot of cars but a lot of top drivers. I’d like to think I have as good a chance as anyone but it all depends on what happens on the night, I’ll take it as it comes but I think the grid draw could be important. I usually like to start in the middle of the grid and chase the leaders but the middle might be a bad place to start this one and the back of the grid might be too far back to have a real chance, again it all depends on what happens come the night.
You turned a lot of heads last month when you arrived at Wimbledon for the first round of the 2014 Banger World Series (BWS) with a Daimler DS420 hearse, was that something you enjoyed?
Yes, I loved it, it was a great night, the only disappointment was that it didn’t end the night proper wrecked which I had hoped it would but never mind. It was great fun racing it and I was really pleased to get a few races out of it and be fairly competitive as well, it really was fantastic.
In recent time you’ve not been best known for racing material which made the car more of a surprise, what was the thinking behind the car choice?
It’s mainly down to my son Patric. He’s the main source of enthusiasm for my racing these days and he wants me to race all the old rubbish and I did it for him mainly.
Speaking of your son, after you won the Spedeworth World Final in October you commented that the victory was as much for you as it was for him and now his uncle Dale (Lee’s brother) wouldn’t be able to give him more stick about you having not won the Spedeworth World title like him. Has that happened?
(laughs) Well there is the odd day that (Dale) reminds (Patric) that’s he’s won (the Spedeworth World Final) twice and I’ve only won it once but it has quietened down a lot, I’ll definitely say that!
Returning the BWS, this year sees several changes, firstly there are no more contracted drivers but instead there is more prize money available for all drivers and secondly two of the rounds are for 2litre bangers, what do you think of the changes?
Well, me and Dale were offered contracted places last year and we turned them down because we didn’t agree with it. We didn’t think it was fair that we would be getting start money and others wouldn’t so of course I’m pleased to see that’s been dropped because I never agreed with that. As for the 2litre rounds, I don’t mind. I didn’t go to Birmingham but I understand it wasn’t the best of meetings and I guess the switch to 2litre for some is to try and improve the meetings but I thought Ipswich was pretty decent last year so was a bit surprised they changed that one as well. But it did mess me up because last year there was eight unlimited meetings and I had managed to made an order for eight Daimler DS420s and was going to race either a limo or hearse at every round and that was my main plan for the year and I really thought that would be very cool. But when they announced the series I cancelled some of the cars but I still hope to race some special stuff at some of the rounds at least but we’re trying to keep it a surprise like we did at Wimbledon.
Last year you mentioned the possibility of racing more at Arena Essex in 2014, is that still in your plans and if so what do you think of their fixtures, in particular the new KIRS (Keep it Real Series)?
Yes, I do hope to race there a bit more this year, I really like the place and have always gone well there and I also hope to do the (KIRS) meetings, they are a bit of me so I think I’ll enjoy them.
Much has been said of the new 2014 technical rules for ORCi National Banger meetings, have you any thoughts on them?
Not really, most of it really doesn’t affect me that much. The tyre rule is the one everyone seems to be talking and complaining about but that’s nothing new and I don’t think it will change either. There is always going to be a new tyre that everyone wants and everyone wants to complain about so unfortunately I don’t think it’s a thing that will ever go away.
Anyone you would like to thank or mention?
Mikey Bell, Bert, Maxine and Patric.