An Interview with Crash Attack UK Open Champion Wrighty 113 Dan Wright
(interview published February 18 2015 in the lead up to the 2015 Unlimited Banger BBA Supreme Championship)

Age: 22
Home Town: Wisbech
Occupation: Engineer
Family: Fiancé Kerri
Racing career: First race was in a National Banger at King’s Lynn, aged 18

Not only will this be your debut in the Supreme Championship but it is also something very different for yourself, is it a race you are looking forward to?
I am really looking forward to it actually. I’ve been pretty busy at home so I’ve had to cut back on my racing a little bit over the last year which has made me appreciate the meetings I do a little bit more but this one is going to be particularly special. I’ve never done an unlimited banger meeting, let alone a meeting as big as this or a race as big as this one. Up to now the biggest thing I’ve ever done was the 2013 (Rookie) Banger World Final at Ipswich. I was seeded onto the grid to represent Skegness and the buzz I had from that race was just tremendous so I hoping this will give the same kind of feeling, I’m really looking forward to it although I admit it is going to be very different to what I’m used to.

While this is your unlimited banger debut, have you any RWD experience?
The only RWD Banger I have ever raced was the Rover P4 I took to the Mildenhall pre 70 last year. Unfortunately it barely ran at all at Mildenhall but we got it sorted and took it to the pre 75 meeting at King’s Lynn where at least I got a night’s racing with it. I’m not sure how much that will help me here though, the car was obviously pretty slow and the pre 75 at Lynn wasn’t a particularly heavy meeting and I would imagine the Supreme will be a lot lively but at least it won’t be my first time in a RWD car on shale so that’s something, we’ll have to see how it goes.

Have you got a car lined up for the meeting?
Yes, I’ve been really lucky that I get some help from BH Porters and Sons, they sponsor me with some cars and they had an Omega which I’ve got. Having never raced an unlimited banger it was a bit of case of racing whatever came up but I think it should be ok, I’ve seen a few people do well in them so I’m hoping it will go ok and I’m very thankful to BH Porters and Sons for setting me up with this and the other cars they’ve helped me with. We’ve already started work on the car, being my first unlimited there are a lot of things I’m doing which I’ve never done before so again everything is really different on this one and we are learning a lot as we go along and I’m having to build a lot of kit specially for the car which is hard work. Thankfully I’ve got a couple of other unlimited cars now so I’m hoping all the stuff I’m making will go to good use. My hope is to get the car finished a couple of weeks before the meeting so I can take it to Swaffham and have a little practise in it first. I know it’s not shale but having never raced a car like this any help I can get will be a big bonus.

What are you looking forward to the most about the race?
There are a few things but one of them is just being on track with some of the best drivers in the sport. That in itself is a huge thing, especially as I’ve never been in a race like this before and while I’ve raced against a few of the big boys before I’ve never been in a race where there will be so many of them so the prospect of that is quite exciting for me to be honest and it will be interesting just to see how I get on against them, but I’m not expecting to do very well (laughs)!

On that subject, have you any targets or goals for the race?
As silly as it sounds, I just want to enjoy it and I’m sure I will, anything more is a bonus really, every lap I do will be a bit extra. Don’t get me wrong I would love to finish, I would be over the moon if I was still running at the end of the race, that would be brilliant but whatever happens I’m sure it will be fun and that is the most important thing.

In years gone by, especially last year, this has been a particular destructive race, do you think that would help you if that is the case again this year?
Probably. It will definitely help me if there is a big grid of cars because that in itself will slow the pace of the race down and that will benefit me I think because I know I don’t have the best stuff and coupled with this being my first unlimited race and first race like this I know it’s going to be difficult to say the least, I’m definitely jumping in at the deep end. But if the pace is slowed down by the pack and it’s more about surviving and picking your way through then I might have some chance because those are the kind of races I tend to enjoy and do better at. Pile-ups are a double edges sword thing, you do want them but then you don’t because what you really want if for there to be a pile-up that you don’t get stuck in! That would be a really helpful if that happened for me but that is all about your luck on the night, again we’ll have to see what happens.

We enjoyed your company a few times at Mildenhall last season, is it a track you enjoy racing at?
I had some great meetings there last year and really enjoy the racing there and I’m finding I’m enjoying racing on shale more and more now as most of my racing to this point has been in (Rookie) Bangers at Skegness, I even enjoy racing on wet shale. Yes, it’s difficult but it’s still a lot of fun and that is the most important thing so I had some really good visits there last, the Winter Series meetings were good fun and I was surprised at how well I did. The Halloween (Havoc) meeting was also fantastic and I really enjoyed that although I’m not sure I will ever take a Primera out in a DD against Mondeos again (laughs)! That hurt, that did! I’d never done a National Banger DD before so I was keen to give it a go, even though I knew I wouldn’t have much chance but I was surprised at how well the car did and kept going after I was wrecked the first time so it was good but I definitely felt it afterwards. I had my second DD at the next meeting at the His and Her meeting which went a lot better and I finished second in that so that was good, I’ve found I quite enjoying doing DDs now.

Have you made any plans for 2015?
Well I’ve a lot going on at home. I’ve just got engaged and my nan and granddad have just helped me with a bit of land and my hope is to get everything set up there so I’ve been really busy the last few months with all that and I will still be for a little while but I’m hoping to get sorted so I can do a bit more racing and I really want to try and do a few more (National) Banger meetings. As well as the Omega I have for the Supreme, I’ve another one as well and I should have a Lexus coming up too so hopefully I can do a few more unlimited or RWD meetings with these cars and I would love to do the Suffolk Open team meeting at Mildenhall on Good Friday if I can find a team who needs a driver. I enjoy the small car types of National Banger meetings and that is one of the biggest and best of the year so it would be brilliant to be a part of that. And I hope to still do some Rookie meetings at Skegness because I really like the track and the racing there.

Being better known as a (Rookie) Banger driver, what are your thoughts on the allowance of more contact in many areas of the formula and the increased levels of car preparation?
I’m not so worried about the preparation, to be honest the car could be built like a National Banger as long as the racing is kept limited contact like Rookie Bangers were always meant to be because the idea of the formula was for people who didn’t want to or weren’t able to race in the full contact stuff. I struggle to build my cars and that is one of the biggest appeals for the Rookie formula because you aren’t usually writing a car off every time. I had an Almera last about 20 meetings once and I know that’s not always the case but that car helped me a lot because I could still enjoy my racing while being able to do all the other things in my life at the time. Had that car not lasted as long I simply wouldn’t have raced as often. Skegness are quite strict on enforcing the (racing) rules and keeping it how Rookie Bangers should be in my eyes and I think it works really well. There are usually some new drivers having a go at a lot of the meetings, average entries are between 25 and 30 cars, even for the midweek meetings in the summer and even with the limited contact rules, the racing is still quite lively and a lot of fun. I get on with a lot of the people there and enjoy my racing there, hence why I keep going back for more.

You qualified for the Supreme Championship at Skegness, winning the Crash Attack UK Open, was that a career highlight for you?
It was and it was a brilliant day all round for me. I had my car all sign written and we had it on display on the sea front on the afternoon of the meeting which was a cool experience and I really enjoyed that and then to go and win the race was just brilliant. It was a hard race, I was drawn near the back of the grid and decided to take my time at the start. I knew it would be mayhem and it was so I was able to pick my way through the gaps and work my way up. Again those are the kind of races I enjoy and seem to do ok in and that one just went perfectly for me, I’m hoping the Supreme might be similar so I might have a chance. Knowing that I was able to do it in the Crash Attack race does give you a bit of a confidence boost although again I know the Supreme is going to be completely different.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My misses for supporting me like she does, Jimmy and my granddad who spend the most time in the shed with me helping to build the cars and all my family who are really supportive and always come to watch me race, regardless of the weather, they are really great for that. My mum, who taught me everything I know about racing, BH Porters and Sons for their help and sponsorship which is a massive help, Ady Groom for helping me with engines and my little cousins Katlyn and Kian who help me a bit now, especially with stripping the cars, they are getting really good at that!

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