An Interview with Autospeed World Champion Nemesis 239 Steve Carter
(interview published March 11 2015 in the lead up to the 2015 Unlimited Banger BBA Supreme Championship)

Age: 25
Home Town: Exeter
Occupation: Doing as little as possible for as much as possible
Racing Career: First raced October 2002

You are no stranger to competing in big championship races and this is set to be your fourth appearance in the Supreme Championship, is it still a race which you are pleased to qualify for and look forward to racing in?
Yes, it definitely is. I admit a lot of that is because the race is unlimited now and I don’t think it would have the same appeal for me now if it was still (National Bangers) because I don’t really race Mondeos that much now because they just don’t interest me but I love my unlimited racing so the fact this race is now unlimited is brilliant for me and a big reason why it’s so great to get in it and do it again. But there are other reasons and one of the things I like about this race is that I think it’s the only race now where you get a proper invitation to the meeting. Most of the time now when you qualify for a championship you just get a text message or it’s down to you to look it up on the internet to find out if you’ve qualified but for this one you get an invitation given to you or in the post which is how it used to be back before the internet came along and I think that is cool. It’s only a few sheets of paper but it has all the information about whose qualified and the big list of drivers who can do the last chance race and stuff like that and when you sit and go through it all it’s quite exciting and it also makes the meeting a little more special because it’s the only one which has all that still and I like that.

When we interviewed you last year you told us you were building a Yank for the race and had the sole intention of causing as much mayhem as possible and you were good to your word, winning the entertainer award for the race as well. Have you any similar plans for this year?
(laughs) No, not this year, I’ve not got anything special like that this time I’m afraid. I’ll just be racing a normal (Ford Scorpio) and I’m going into the race a lot more open minded instead of having a set plan of attack which is usually the case for me because it’s very rare I go into any race with a game plan, usually because they never work! I like the Scorpios, I was quite lucky I guess as when the Mk2 Granadas were starting to run out I was a little ahead of the game in looking for an alternative car and I got some Scorpios and took the time to make some good kit for them and that helps make them a really good car for any unlimited meeting. Because I think I was a little ahead of some others I managed to stock pile a load of them before the prices for them went up as the asking price for one now is just crazy and it’s been a whole since I’ve had one so I’m now just using the ones I have left and then it will be time to start thinking about what to use next. I think the modern Mercedes seem to be the way to go and I have got one in stock and Boogie (Steve Bugler) has offered to lend me his kit for one when he is on holiday this year so I can try it without making all my own stuff and then I will go from there. As for this year’s race, this isn’t a race where you can really plan ahead, you just have to take it one lap at a time. I would like to think I have a chance to do well and again I’m going into the race with an open mind and think I’ll start off at least by having a crack at trying to win it but of course if you get taken out or get a puncture then those plans go out the window (laughs).

Do you feel you are at a disadvantage not having as much shale experience as others on the grid?
I think that will make a difference and those who race at Mildenhall or on shale more will start the race in a bit better shape. Whenever I race on shale, usually at the end of the first race I feel like I’m back on it and got my bearings again but it usually takes a race and of course having qualified the championship will be first for me so I need to get into it pretty quick (laughs) and I think that is where the shale drivers will have a bit of an edge. But if the race is like it has been in previous years that could help me. The faster the race is, the bigger the advantage the shale drivers will have but if there is a big grid of cars again then automatically it’s not going to be a flat out race, it can’t be with that many cars on a track the size of Mildenhall but that will be better for me. I’m hoping it will be a matter of finding the gaps and getting through the traffic which is how it’s been the last couple of years as I seem to actually be quite good at that and I think in those circumstances I would have a decent chance.

As a reigning World Champion, how special would it be for you to win this race?
It’d be huge, there is no denying that, it would be absolutely brilliant, especially for me because the race is on shale and I’ve never won a big race on shale so that would be really special for me personally to get a big win on both surfaces. But any race like this, where there are so many top drivers in it, it’s always going to mean a lot to win it. To be honest I think I would be happy to finish as I’ve not had the greatest of luck in this race (he has only finished in the top 10 once with a fifth in 2010) but again it’s usually such a hard race that not too many finish. If there is 40 cars in the race again I would be surprised if 15 go the distance and I bet if they do five of them would have a wheel hanging off or would be wrecked (laughs). So if you finish, straight away there is a good chance you will be in the top 10 and so that is my initial target, just to finish and then go from there, anything else is a bonus but it would mean a great deal to win.

There are a couple of drivers in the race who your on track rivalries are well known, do you approach this race differently because of that?
Well you shouldn’t treat the race any differently but the truth is that is easier said than done and that is especially so at Mildenhall because drivers are allowed to turn round and attack on opposite and that makes things very different straight away. Usually when you are in a race with people you have a rivalry with you would try to put them out of your mind and cross the bridge when you come to it, if they come up in front of you or appear behind you then you deal with it then but of course you do try to keep an eye on anyone who you think might be after you. And that is especially the case at Mildenhall because you can turn round. If you come round one lap and see a rival spun out then you know there is a good chance that on the next lap they will be waiting for you to stop you, especially if you are doing well. But that’s all part of the excitement and another reason why this race is such a good one because there are so many things which can happen going into it, you really have no idea what’s going to happen.

If we can ask about some other things, having raced one at the Spedeworth World Final, what are your views on the Chrysler Imperial being banned for 2015?
I don’t think it should have been banned myself because although it is clearly a very, very strong car with an incredible chassis, there are other Yanks out there which can be just as good and as good as the car is the are still not indestructible. The one I raced (the ex 668 Wayne Goldsmith one), by the end of the World Final meeting at Ipswich it was pretty wrecks and while (341 Andy Jones) raced it again it needed a lot of work to do that and I certainly wouldn’t have worried. Having said that I’m not too bothered that they have been banned because I hated it (laughs) and I honestly would have preferred to have raced an Ultima that night. You couldn’t maneuverer the thing and you couldn’t really do very much with it so I didn’t enjoy it at all and I doubt very much that I would have raced one again. Don’t get me wrong, if one had come up at the right price I’d have got it but I certainly wouldn’t have gone looking for one so the ban doesn’t really matter to me. I do think than ban was a lot to do with who had the cars rather than the cars themselves. Other people have had them and some did just as much damage but there was nowhere near the amount of kick up about so I can’t help but have that feeling but again it doesn’t really make a difference to me.

On the subject of rules, what do you think of the ORCi construction rules for 2015?
They are ok, there are a couple of things which I cannot understand personally, silly little things like engine mounting and spring rules on the Ultimas. There were a couple of things which myself and a few others did which now we can’t and again I can’t help but feel the rule is because we were doing it because now we just have to do something slightly different. It won’t make much difference at all, it’s just an inconvenience so I can’t see the point myself. I’m not against them restricting the engine guards, the problem is some were taking the mick and it was all getting a bit much. We can still protect the bit of the engine which really needs protecting so I’m happy with it although I do understand the idea of the guards because if you keep your engine running you have a better do and hopefully the crowd do as well but I think some were getting a bit much.

You’ve just returned from a brief suspension after an incident at the Taunton Winter Open, what were your feelings about that?
Well I’m not arguing that we all did wrong but I’m not sure it all warranted such a strong ban myself. What was especially frustrating for myself was that I hold my hands up that I hit Roona (Rob Bugler) when he was on the other side of the kerb which was the infield. I admit that and it was wrong but at the Micro meeting in December the track became blocked and rather than force a way through the blockage, the cars still running switched to the inside of the kerb and not only were they racing on the infield but hitting there as well and nothing was said about that and it’s that inconsistency which annoys me.

Last summer you were out of action for a very different reason when you injured your neck, can we ask how you are feeling now?
I’m feeling much better now. Don’t get me wrong I’m not quite right, I’ve never been how I was before I hurt myself but I am fine. Take now, I had a pretty heavy day at Standlake yesterday (the 3Litre Magazine Open on March 1) and was blitzed by a great big Yank limo and while I have a stiff neck right now, it’s just your usual banger racing stiff neck, nothing more. I’ve been using this Hans device type thing which has been helping a lot. I tried a normal Hans device at first but I didn’t feel comfortable at all but now I’ve got this hybrid one and it is absolutely brilliant and I would recommend it to everyone and there are a few people who’ve been asking me about them and have either got one or are on about getting one now.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or mention?
My dad, Tilly, Lee, Milber Salvage Spares and everyone else who helps out.

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