An Interview with Micro National Champion Water Boy 257 Timmy Aldridge
(interview published February 18 2015 in the lead up to the 2015 Unlimited Banger BBA Supreme Championship)

Age: 25
Home Town: Gloucester
Occupation: Scrapyard owner
Family: Fiancé Karis and daughter
Racing career: First race was in Juniors at Standlake aged 10

This is set to be your first appearance in the Supreme Championship, are you looking forward to it?
Yes I am very much. It’s always good to be in a major event like this but especially when it’s one you haven’t raced in before. Like most drivers I suspect, I would love a chance to race in all the big races so it will be good to tick another one off and experience something new and different. Also I’ve raced at Mildenhall before but this will be my first big banger race there so that is something new as well and I’m hoping I will have a decent chance to do ok. Having had some experience round the track in the Saloon (Stockcar) will definitely help so I’m looking forward to seeing how I get on.

Does the race being an unlimited one now suit you better?
It makes for a better race for everyone involved I think but I don’t think I will particularly help me one way or another to be honest. I like all the different types of Bangers really, it’s one of the things which has attracted me back to the formula for this year and I enjoy all the formats but the unlimiteds are very popular with drivers and fans which is good as well so the big unlimited meetings are usually good occasions as well and I’m hoping this will be a good example of that. Without being rude to anyone, most people can drive a front wheel drive car, they are a lot easier and it takes a lot more skill to race a rear wheel drive car well and I think that is a big part of their appeal to a lot of people at the moment so being unlimited I think does make it a better and more special event and it would be really special to be the guy who wins it.

Have you any previous experience of the event?
I went to watch one year when Oris has qualified and that is about it. That was back when everyone was using Mondeos but it was a good meeting then. Like I said it’s been a big deal for a while, even before it became unlimited but now I think it means even more because of the cars we race now.

Have you any expectations for that race?
Well the one I saw a few years back was pretty chaotic and I would think it would be the same again this time, especially with it being unlimited as long as there is plenty of cars again. I’m told last year was a pretty destructive race and that doesn’t surprise me, especially being Mildenhall. It’s a pretty small track so if you have a good field of cars it’s bound to be lively and have plenty of action and I think that will be the way again this year.

Does that kind of race benefit you?
Yes, I think it does, I like it when there is a lot of cars and you need to use your head and try and pick the gaps but again I think most drivers would say that, we all want to race in races that are unpredictable and exciting, it’s what we go racing for. If you know what’s going to happen next it would be boring and what would be the point. That’s one of the good things about Mildenhall, it’s always unpredictable and you never know what to expect. Take this race, you have no idea whose going to win, it could honestly be anyone on the grid whereas other races aren’t quite like that, before they start you could pick a handful of names and chances are one of them would win but that’s gets boring in the end. It was the same when I raced Saloon Stockcars. At Mildenhall you just never knew what would happen and anyone could win, but that is what made the racing so good. I had some wins in the stockcar there, so hopefully I can get another one here (laughs!)

Have you given any thought to the car you are going to race in the championship?
At the moment I’m torn between a Volvo 240 and a Ford Scorpio. The Scorpios are what I tend to race the most and I know what I am doing with one and I think they are a good car and certainly a bit stronger than the Volvo but I think the Volvo will be stronger. I think whatever happens the race is going to be a rough one so that’s why I’m considering having a Volvo this time but the Scorpios are faster so I’m not sure. I definitely think it will be one of those races where a fast car isn’t going to be enough on its own, you are definitely going to need a car which can take a whack or two along the way. I’m also thinking that if there is a big grid of cars in the race that could slow the field down a little bit which might mean a Volvo might be more on the pace.

Have you any targets for this race?
I’d love to win it but then that’s everyone’s ultimate goal isn’t it, I’d be thrilled to finish on the podium, that would be a really good achievement and I think I’m capable of it, especially after having some good results there in my Saloon and again I think that will help because I expect this in some ways to be a bit similar to a race you would have in one of those at Mildenhall. I’ve not one a big championship in National Bangers and it would be fantastic to finally win one.

You’ve been seen in action in several other formulas, what is the appeal of National Bangers compared to the others?
They are just more fun and less serious. Don’t get me wrong, I take all my racing seriously and so do a lot of other people but it’s not as serious as say BriSCA F1 Stockcars or Saloon Stockcars. The thing with those formulas is that really you have to do whatever the meeting is that is on at the weekend where as with National Bangers there is a lot more choice about where you can race every weekend both with tracks and the kind of cars we race. It can be a Micro banger one week, then a Mondeo, then an unlimited and that is the thing I enjoy, the variety of tracks and cars and also that if you want to have a weekend off it’s not too much drama and I find the racing itself to not be as serious as other formulas I’ve done.

With that in mind, what are your plans for 2015?
I’m sticking with National Bangers this season. To be honest since I moved out of (National) Ministox I’ve only ever actually done a couple of full seasons in Bangers. Most of the years I’ve been doing something else with the odd banger meeting thrown in and last year I was busy with other things so I just did a few meetings when I could. I’m quite looking forward to having a full year in the bangers and seeing how I get on. I plan on doing all the Banger World Series meetings as I really want to qualify for the Spedeworth World Final this year. I just missed out on qualifying last year and that was without doing very much racing so I’m hoping with a bit more effort this year I will get in and it’s a race I believe I could do well in so I want to try my hand at that and any other big events I can get in like this one.

Having mentioned the Banger World Series and as Incarace registered driver what are your thoughts on Northampton being the only Incarace track to have a BWS round?
I think it’s quite strange really. I can understand Hednesford not having a round I suppose because they do struggle to get cars there sometimes but not Birmingham because that is such a good track for bangers and a BWS round should be really good there. I also can’t understand why there isn’t a round at Ipswich with it being the venue for the World Final itself, that really doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

The 2015 ORCi construction rules have just been announced, have you any thoughts?
To be honest it doesn’t bother me too much and won’t have much of an impact on me and how I build my cars but there are a few things in there which seem weird to me, like the rule about welding in axles and sub frames because by banning that they have pretty much made Jaguars useless which seems a strange thing to do.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My mechanic Ashley for everything he does to help me and my brother Jack and Oris, my misses for putting up with everything that goes with me and my racing and my mum and dad for everything they have done for me.

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