An Interview with Wingnut 338
Terry Garrod
(interview published March 12 2014 in the lead up to the 2014 Unlimited
Banger BBA Supreme Championship)
Age: 25
Home Town: Swaffham
Occupation: Crane driver in a scrap yard
Family: Girlfriend Siobhan and son and daughter
Racing career: Started racing Ministox aged 12 and National Bangers aged 16
This is the first time you have qualified for the Supreme Championship, was you pleased to have qualified and are you looking forward to the meeting?
Yes, I’m really pleased to have qualified, especially because I’ve never been in it before so it’s another race I can cross off my list and say I’ve taken part in and it’s always nice to be able to do that. It should be a good meeting so I’m looking forward to it and being on the grid for the main race makes it a lot better for me.
You are more known for your racing in front wheel cars, whether it be a Micro, 1500cc or 2litre meeting, would you have preferred to have qualified when the race was still in its National Banger era or does the race being an unlimited event make it more appealing?
I’m not too worried about what it is. I first started racing National Bangers in the rear wheel drive era before all the front wheel drive cars took over and dominated and you only saw RWD cars at unlimited or RWD meetings so even though I don’t race unlimiteds very often, I do enjoy that kind of racing although dare I say it I might have had a better chance if the race was still for Mondeos. The thing with me though is that I race what I race because of my budget. I simply cannot afford to race unlimited cars very often. It’s not getting the cars so much, I’ve actually got a few Volvos and Granadas but I cannot afford all the equipment like engines and tyres which you need to compete and so I just stick to the cheaper cars which I can race competitively on a budget. The advantage of expensive and competitive tyres and engines isn’t as great on shale as it is on tarmac, I wouldn’t even worry about racing an unlimited on tarmac unless it was something very special, but there is an advantage from having that stuff. It doesn’t help me personally that I start from the back of the grid (when races are graded order) and that makes it very difficult and it can be quite demoralising so I just stick to the stuff I’m better at, which luckily for me, is a little cheaper as well but I do enjoy racing rear wheel drive cars on the odd occasion I do.
With that in mind, you did race in the unlimited class at the Nutcracker at King’s Lynn, that appearance was largely motivated by your challenge for the TSR points championship, did you enjoy the meeting?
Yes, I did, it went really well and I enjoyed it a lot and I was fortunate that the car survived so I’ve done the sensible thing and have kept it for this year so I will get at least one more meeting at Lynn from it. Apart from racing big vans, which I don’t really think counts, it was the first time I’d raced an unlimited banger since I did a Suffolk Open at Mildenhall that I think was either 2008 or 2009. I had a really good chance of winning the points (at TSR) so I needed to go for it and that meant going the extra mile and racing an unlimited as well as a 1500cc banger (he won the 1500cc National title that afternoon) that day and even though we didn’t have the best gear it went well and it was great to be back in an unlimited again on shale. Hopefully I’ll be able to do a few more this year between the Supreme and (the Scorpio from the Nutcracker) which I’ll race at Lynn again.
Given that you are not using the Scorpio from the Nutcracker, have you decided what car you will be racing in the championship?
It will be a Volvo of some sort. Again because the Scorpio went so well at Lynn in December I decided to be a bit more sensible and keep the car for Lynn again, which might help me with the points championship this year. The reason for choosing a Volvo is simply because of what I’ve got. I don’t get many unlimited cars and I’ve got a few Volvos to race and less Granadas and the Granadas are harder to come by and more expensive when they do so that really is what my decision is based on. But I still think the Volvo will be a good car for the race, they are tough, can give and take a crash and don’t break quite as easily and they are still pretty quick, especially at Mildenhall, I’ve had them go well there before.
Many people believe the race could be a lively one, especially if all those who say they are racing do indeed race, does a livelier help your chances?
I think it helps everyone’s chances really. If you have a 20 car race and a top driver like Boxer (331 Jason Jackson) or Chubby (382 Jack Foster Jnr) gets a good draw they are going to be gone and it would be very hard to catch them. If you have say a 40 car race then all that changes, especially at somewhere like Mildenhall. It makes luck a much bigger factor and anytime luck plays a part, anyone can win and I think the bigger the field the better my chances are and probably a lot of other drivers, especially the lesser names who are all good and with a bit of luck could surprise you.
You had an incredibly successful season in 2013 but the highlight was certainly winning the points championship at TSR, how special was winning the silver roof for you?
It was massive, just the best think I could ever imagine really, especially after all the years of trying and chasing a points title and being there or thereabouts. I had good years at Mildenhall and Swaffham but never went all the way and ever since I’ve been racing at TSR I’ve been up the top somewhere but never won and then last year it finally went my way and it meant a great deal to me. One of the reasons it was so special was because of the guys I had to beat, Dave Vincent is one of the best shale drivers there is so to beat him over the course of a season is really cool and also (Paul) Scully is a great driver and he was never very far behind us throughout the year. To be honest I didn’t think I would win after the weekend event in August where Dave raced in all four banger classes that weekend and I think scored about 130 points and I managed about 20. I went from having a good lead to being second in one weekend and I thought that was it but we hang in there and managed to claw it back but having such a brilliant driver to battle with does make winning all the more special. Another reason it’s special is because I was never meant to be even chasing the points. Harry (Terry’s second child) was born in April and my intention was to not race after that but we had a (Mondeo) built and I offered it to the others but no-one wanted it. Harry was born before the week and Siobhan said if I wanted to race I could and she was fine with the baby so I did and it just went from there. Her support and encouragement was a massive reason why I was even able to try for the championship because my family does come first but she was brilliant and kept pushing me to race and go for the title.
Going back to Vincent’s surge in August, this resulted in you missing out on a place in the Spedeworth World Final as a seeded entry for TSR, was that a disappointment?
I was gutted, absolutely gutted. Even though I don’t like racing on tarmac so much, let along in an unlimited it would have been brilliant to have just done the race the once and again tick it off the list and say I’ve done it. But I’ve qualified for the Supreme now instead so I can do that one.
Will you be looking to try and defend the points championship in 2014?
We will see how it goes. Again I keep saying about cutting back but at the same time there would be nothing better than to win the points title again so we will see how the year develops. March is really busy, there is a double header at Lynn, the Micro meeting at Swaffham and the unlimited at Mildenhall and I’d like to do the (British qualifier) at Mildenhall as well. So much for cutting back! All the while it’s going well it’s hard to slow down I think but if we start to not do so well then maybe I’ll slow down, but it depends on what happens.
Sticking with the theme of questions about TSR, they introduced a new prize money schedule at several meetings in 2013 with the bulk of the money allocated to start money meaning reduced prize money, was that something you were in favour off?
It’s a tricky one because I understand what they are doing but personally I’m not completely convinced it’s the best way to go, especially for the local drivers. I think some start money for those who have come a long way is a great idea, especially because the visitors can often make a meeting much better. But as a local driver, receiving a little money for start money isn’t really here or there and then when you get less prize money when you have a good result it’s a little disappointing. I was gutted when I won the 1500cc National Championship because that used to have a good prize fund and this time it was much, much smaller because the money had been used on start money. Personally I would prefer there to be some furthest travelled awards for those who’ve come a long way and then have better prize money for all, but that’s just me.
Also on the subject of TSR, their 2014 fixtures include a lot less 2litre meetings than last year, as a regular in this class, has this disappointed you?
Yes, very much, especially because we’ve got so many Mondeos to race. At the end of the day they are the easiest and cheapest cars to get for racing where we are and then there is very little racing for them which I just don’t understand. It’s a big reason why I started doing a lot more (National Banger) meetings at Mildenhall last year and I had some fantastic meetings at Mildenhall in a Mondeo. The Old Skool team meetings was one of the best meetings I had last year so I don’t really get why there isn’t more (2litre) meetings.
Mentioning the Old Skool team meeting, you guested for the Aftermath that night and have raced with them again since, is that something we might see more of in 2014?
I had a fantastic night with the team, it was a big reason why I enjoyed the meeting so much. They are a brilliant bunch of lads and some of the nicest people I’ve ever met at racing. It was all very last minute. I was going to race at the Arena World Final the following day and my truck failed its MOT spectacularly. I work with Spook (404 Luke Brinton) and he said the team needed a driver and I said I could do it if someone could help with a Hi-ab at the meeting and that was how it started and they couldn’t have done more to help me at the meeting, they were brilliant. But I still like doing my own thing and they like travelling and I’m just not able to afford to go to places like Ireland and Warton but if they need a driver closer to home I’d happily race with them again.
The recently announced technical rules for 2014 from the ORCi have been a recent talking point, have you any thoughts?
I’m happy with most of it, the stuff with engines and tyres doesn’t really affect me as I don’t do that stuff anyway. The thing I think is wrong is that I think more should be done to make the cars safer. For example they are now saying about being strict on the amount of bolts in your doors. That doesn’t make your car stronger, it just makes it safer and I think more should be allowed here rather than less. At the end of the day though with all rules, it’s how they are enforced which is the most important thing and we’ll have to see how that turns out.
Anyone you would like to thank or mention?
Siobhan and the kids especially for all their support, Bruno for all the hours he puts in, Jack for letting use his garage, without that I would not be racing, Michael Bell who is always on it, my mum and dad, Glaze Wing Scrapyard, Steve and Jason Farthing for helping with cars and Jim Jam and anyone else who helps.