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THE NATIONAL GRID

RACE CONTROL - a moment’s insight can be worth a lifetime’s experience – by TREVOR HILL

The good thing about the ovals is ‘you can see all the action all the time’. How often we say this when telling others why we enjoy our racing. However, seeing everything can also turn some of us into ‘unofficial experts’ in the rights and wrongs of racing and track incidents. Quite often I hear some fairly heated opinions being openly aired by supporters, delivered with a certain confidence that they are safe in the knowledge that ultimately their opinion will not make the slightest difference to the outcome and they will not be confronted or called to account by anyone who thinks he’s been hard done by.

It was following just such an incident a couple of months back, after which I aired my views to the NHRPA officials, that I received an invitation from NHRPA representatives Brian Oliver and Chris Earl to pop into to ‘Race Control’ at Northampton to gain a brief and privileged insight into the complexities of race administration.

My first impression was one of total confinement where the actual view over the track is limited by obstructions in the form of window frames, track lighting poles, wires, mesh and even the flag marshal to name but a few. Staff located in the race control box simply cannot see everything all the time and hence rely to a great extent on the official track-side observers. However, within the ‘box’ a sense of teamwork prevails; all personnel have a specific task of which they are respected but are also expected to do it well, be it Lap timer, Lap Scorer, Race Director, Steward or any other duty. The one way radio (raceiver) link between race control and each National Hot Rod (where all drivers hear all messages) ensures there are no ‘mixed’ messages and greatly assist in speeding up events and bringing the cars to their correct starting order. Even in these days of sophisticated communication systems it still seemed a little magical watching a car literally inch into position under the direction of a polite request from a remote location. There are additional and separate radio links to other track personnel such as NHRPA race observers (judges of fact), the Clerk of the Course and Track Marshals who, among other important duties pass on messages from Race Control to errant photographers who just might have migrated into areas considered to be a little unsafe - I should know.

When all is in place the duty NHRPA official then becomes Race Director, a duty that includes keeping the drivers informed of everything from notification of warm up laps to actual race starts so that all, including those whose view of the Start Marshal may be obstructed by infield obstacles, are not disadvantaged. Once the race is underway all eyes are on areas of close combat or where an incident is more likely to occur while keeping a general overview of the race itself. If a driver is not holding his racing line he is given a message to do so (that all other drivers hear) along with a blue flag notification. In fact, the radio messages are so good it almost seems the flag signals are there purely as a ‘back up’ or for the benefit of the public who do not have a receiver to ‘listen in’. It’s just the same for other announcements such as half race distance notification or black cross warnings for questionable racing conduct which are delivered as soon as possible following a dubious event usually with a specific explanation to the driver in question. If a car is stranded on the track all the competitors are immediately informed of the hazardous situation and its exact location.

As we know, oval races are comparatively brief, five minutes or so, it’s hectic, fast and furious and there needs to be an understanding by officials of the nature of the racing, particularly where an incident may have been deliberate or accidental. Spectators often wonder why a race result takes so long to be announced but it is often necessary to hold post race driver interviews to establish all the facts. There can be no doubt that there is a force within the NHRPA to see strict rulings enforced where penalties can sometimes seem harsh. National Hot Rod Racing promotes itself as the pinnacle of oval racing where new professionally built cars can cost in excess of £40K and must therefore expect to abide to strict letter of the law be it in car build specification or the rules of racing if it is to gain the respect it so desires. Just as importantly it is the responsibility of the NHRPA and ruling forces to ensure fairness, accuracy and consistency at all times.

Following years of association with motor sport my visit to race control probably didn’t teach me anything I wasn’t aware of, apart from giving me a better insight into the complexities and urgency of the various jobs, how they all mesh and how important it is for officials to stay calm in tricky or heated situations. From a stewarding perspective the actual race I viewed ‘from above’ didn’t end with the chequered flag but continued in an unfortunate and very public post race scene on the start finish line, brought about by a misunderstanding of an earlier racing incident. With the actual race incident dealt with the subsequent events became a separate and more complex ongoing issue that required all attending NHRPA personnel to decide the outcome.

It is not for this column to go into specific details or the personnel involved and at the time of writing there could still be an appeal. However, it quickly made me think that at times like this it is much easier to be an ‘unofficial expert’. By all means have your own opinions but respect the guys in charge who have a very difficult job; it is truly a labour of love. As one of them said, “Who in their right mind would be a race steward?"

On this occasion, my grateful thanks go to Brian and Chris and all other NHRPA officials, Fraser Green (lap scorer), Nigel Thomas (lap times), Adam Lesley (Incarace Race Director) and Mr Deane Wood.

I still think I’m right about that earlier incident though, but then again…  Trevor Hill
© Trevor Hill, Wheelspin magazine, nationalhotrod.com 2011

The Spring Interview (2) - March 2010
TIM MOODY

One of the biggest surprise comebacks for 2010 is that of former Hot Rod and Stock Rod racer Tim Moody.  Tim was a much-travelled racer of the 1980's and '90's, becoming well known and popular in all corners of the British Isles in various Hot Rods, before moving to the Stock Rod class. Tim crossed the line first in a controversial mid-90's Stock Rod world final, only for a scrutineering row to ensue - he could fill a chapter in a great book about his racing career with just that topic alone...

But that was then, what's important now is what's behind the return to racing for the Dorset-based racer?

"Well, I haven't raced 'properly' since 1996 Spedeweekend in Stock Rods, and anything at all since 1998. I had a family etc, moved a few times, started another business and suddenly found myself helping Andy Lane last year.  Although I'd periodically gone to meetings and kept up to date with the racing scene, I'd forgotten just how much I missed the whole thing and especially the people.

"So I had a vague idea to try and earn a few quid and put a National together and get out occasionally.  My idea was to buy an old 206, or a Colt, chop it around, and put a CC or Tigra B body around it. I made a few enquiries about the dimensions of the old frames versus the new ones, to see if this was feasible, through Chris Ludlow - and all of a sudden, after a chat with Ian Fewings, I was having a new chassis!"

But this new chassis, it's an SLK - a bold choice surely, for someone out of the game for a while?

"I went down to have a chat with Ludlows, and came away having done a deal on an SLK in November last year.  I've always thought the Merc was a better bet than the Tigra, never bought into the whole 'it's too big' thing, as its basically the same wheelbase as a Tigra, but with the advantage of more cab space. Therefore you can sit closer to the outside of the car, which gives more 'legal' side weight, as the car is weighed without driver.

"It's a shame that so many Mercs were for sale all of a sudden last year, including Boardley's, as I don't think they had a fair crack. The rumour mill decided that they can't be any good, but I think it was more of a coincidence, and Carl preferring the Tigra (at the moment) didn't help.  I can't praise Ludlows highly enough for their efforts to help me.  Everything has gone to plan (for me anyway), although they had to do a very special frame to get my frame accommodated, if you see what I mean.  There is no way I would have fitted a Tigra anyway, as it turned out."

If you don't yet know Tim, you'll soon recognise him.  If Peter Crouch had a taller, oval racing brother...well, you get the picture! So, what's the the racing plan, for 2010 and beyond?

"I'd like to get three meetings in before the world final this year, as I'm having to race under a provisional licence after so long away, so I want to have a proper starting average to begin the 2011 series with. Getting into the 2011 world final is my goal, but to be honest, I actually won't know if I'm going to like racing again until I get back to a meeting. It is such a whole lifestyle commitment, and I've got so far out of that habit, it's going to be hard to adjust going back again.

"I'm not stupid enough to think I'm going to set the world alight, but I know I used to be able to drive well enough, so we'll see.  I'm intending to do every round after July, but unfortunately not the National Championship, as a holiday is already booked."

National Hot Rod racing is in a good place presently, strong grids, good organisation - did that help sway the choice to come back?

"Nationals are on a real buzz at the moment and I'm really looking forward to racing against some of the 'oldies' again: Paff, Doughnut, Mark Willis, Dick Hillard, Laney etc. The rules are a complete nightmare to work with nowadays, and it'll take a while to get my head around the new technical stuff."

Tim's final thoughts were a few thank-you's, and a small introduction to himself which tells us a bit about what we may expect when the "Outsize Fella" takes to the track again.

"I need to send out huge thanks to Ludlows for their massive support and advice, let alone enthusiasm, for getting the car done for me. I recently reminded Chris that it was almost exactly twenty years since I bought a Stock Rod Starlet shell from him!  Also Jamie Bryant at JB Racing Engines, who has helped me with my engine in a massive way, Paff, just for being Paff and taking the unreasonable amount of stick I give him, and many others along the way who seem to be as keen for me to race again as I am.

“And lastly, to all the people I will definitely upset throughout the coming season, as I try to inject a bit of humour back into a pit area that sometimes forgets that this is actually supposed to be a hobby. I like to think I'm pretty approachable, and I look forward to saying hello to anyone who wants to stop for a chat, and put a face to a forum name."
© 2010 nationalhotrod.com – no part of this feature to be reproduced without express written permission of the webmaster.

The Spring Interview (1) - March 2010
WAYNE LEE

The number of new and returning drivers joining and rejoining National Hot Rod racing presently is quite something, and one such racer in the latter category is Cumbria’s Wayne Lee. If you’re of a certain age, you’ll remember Wayne from the early 1990’s, and if you’re of an uncertain age, you’ll recall with fondness Wayne’s late father and fellow Hot Rod racer, Richard.

Wayne began "Hot Rod racing has been part of my life from a very early age.  Some of my earliest memories were at meetings from when I was only two or three years old!  Even after dad stopped on the ovals, he did circuit racing in a Special Saloon (I think they went on to be called Thunder Saloons).  We went to a lot of races, and still watched a lot of Hot Rods so I never really was away from it. I have scrapbooks full of stuff - old programmes and suchlike - loads of great memories."

Then came the start of Wayne’s own racing pursuits.  "Once I could drive, I worked hard to save up for my first rally car, a MK2 Escort, and dad built me a really good 1600 Kent engine, so we did well up here at club rallies.  Then I heard about a Starlet for sale in Scotland, it belonged to Ian McGuigan, so we bought it, and rather than race it as was, we asked Sonny Howard to have a look at it.  SHP then semi-spaceframed it, and I bought a better engine - a MASS 1700cc. By now all the quick men were in 205's, so we were always a bit outpaced as they had just allowed 16V Vauxhalls to be used.  So I sold the chassis to a nice bloke from Ireland, one of Neville Stanley's mates, I think?"

So, from the #99 Starlet, to the then state-of-the-art Peugeot.  "I went to a meeting at Ipswich, and Sonny told me he was doing ten of these EVO2 chassis.  So we went for one - I think mine was no 0045E, if anyone knows if it's still alive? I bought a Vauxhall engine off John Carding in Leek, and put together this Peugeot.  And to be honest, got sick of the damage, the contact, the drivers throwing much more than I could afford at it - like four new tyres every meeting - so I decided to stop.  I then went to work for some rally teams, and learned very much about preparation, set up, dampers, etc..."

And now? "The one thing I always remember from when I first took that Starlet to Hednesford, was that there was only one driver who came and said 'If you need a hand or anything just shout'. That man was Mr David Haird. I have met many people in racing and rallying, and have to say that the Haird family are the nicest people of all. So when I went to the Thunder 500 last year and said hello to a few people, David was one of them.  When I was seen in the pits again at the Speedweekend, the question was asked 'Would you fancy another go?' The Haird's have given me this opportunity to have a go again, but do it properly this time around.  The car Chris used last year is a proven winner, and now having driven it, I know we can hopefully do well in it."

After two test sessions last weekend, at two different tracks, how did Wayne find it?  "I haven’t really started playing with it yet, last weekend was simply bum-in-seat time. Though I really enjoyed Ipswich, the car feels good already.  The cars have evolved so much, and also, I am very much aware that the other drivers have much more experience than me, so I have much respect for them. I must say that Gavin Murray has been very helpful to me. Another reason for me coming back, is to pay tribute to my dad - Richard Lee - who also raced #99. He passed away in November 2008, and I was chuffed to get that number again - thanks to Angie at the NHRPA."

"As far as plans and ambitions go, well it's just to get racing again, picking and choosing meetings, not a full time return just yet.  I need to be happy that we're on the pace.  Rome wasn't built in a day, as my dad would say! I think National Hot Rod Racing is being run very well now, there seems to be a much better organisation.  Deane Wood is the best thing ever to happen to it, and it can only get better with everyone moving forward.  The thought of coming racing, buying a tyre and a bit of fuel, no damage, is great - and affordable - to the likes of me.

“Okay - I'm just dreaming now!"
© 2010 nationalhotrod.com – no part of this feature to be reproduced without express written permission of the webmaster.

Fellow racer - albeit in a different discipline - and National Hot Rod fan SIMON THORNLEY analyses four-time World Champion Carl Boardley’s winning ways

So, what makes Carl Boardley a record breaker and a step above the rest? Sure, the word 'talent' has got to be high on the list.  This list would also contain words such as 'funding', 'preparation', 'set up', 'determination', 'support', 'bravery', along with probably a few more. It's perhaps possible that it's a combination of many things that have given this talented driver his current advantage, each one giving a little step in the right direction.

Carl's team is certainly well funded, but so are many others that line up in the pits. I'm sure some teams are spending more than the Boardley team in pursuit of glory.  Carl's car is always immaculately prepared, but again, so are many others. Hats off here to many teams; just look at the standard, week in-week out, of the Malcolm Blackman, Dick Hillard, Team Simpson, and plenty of other, cars.

Does tyre management give any significant advantage with the one tyre rule?  The answer must be yes. Carl's team 'clean' each tyre after each and every race by 'shaving' the entire surface on a rotating mandrel.  Most of the top teams will clean their tyres to remove debris that the hot tyre picks up when navigating off the track back though the pits; Carl's team's solution is perhaps slightly more efficient, but doesn't explain why Carl still has his speed advantage at the end of a race.  Nor does it explain why he still maintains his advantage at meetings when everyone has four new tyres available.

Does the advantage lie with the set up?  Nowadays all current cars are very similar in concept, and policed by very tight regulations.  All are rear drive space-framed cars that use, in the main, unequal length double wishbones at the front, and a live 'hotchkiss' beam axle at the rear.  Can't recall any current top cars using the less desired strut-type front suspension - although Mark Willis's Corsa had a novel front beam axle. This, in theory, had the advantage of controlling camber change to zero throughout wheel movement, but carries an 'unsprung weight' penalty, and with it not being an 'off the shelf' spare, difficult to replace after a shunt.

Rear axle location is now generally a three-link or, slightly less popular, four-link system, using long trailing arms to minimise rear steer.  The three-link has the advantage of zero binding in roll when using anti-squat geometry, but there are still many quick cars using the older, stronger, four-link design. Lateral location is controlled by a simple long Panhard rod, rather than the better 'in-theory' Watts linkage, or the complicated Mumford link.  The Watts link will eliminate any side movement of the axle throughout its travel, whereas the Mumford link will achieve this but also place the rear roll centre lower.

Other 'in-theory' better ways of locating the rear axle exist, such as decoupling the system using 'bird caging', but the major advantage is for anticlockwise circuits. Pull bar links can be used to dampen the drive and, to a lesser extent, the braking loads and spring rod link used to turn the axle slightly under power. However, over the years I've only seen one Irish car with any 'trick' links, so the 'in-theory' advantage must be minimal and not worth the complexity.

Some have tried inboard front suspension with non-linear progressive travel, again an advantage, but as most cars now have moved back to the conventional outboard coil overs, this advantage must be considered minimal with the little travel on a modern Hot Rod.  All cars - to my eyes - use very similar amounts of anti-squat at the rear and anti-dive at the front. The roll centre heights front and back also seem to be within a small window.  Even the differential nose angle seems to be consistent (although I strongly believe that tuning by nosing the diff. down is a 'red herring' and only has its place on leaf sprung axles but others still believe differently). Front track will all be set with toe-out to help turn in, spring and damper rates are all in the same ball park.

Now, all cars have - within small margins - the same foot print, and all top cars will be bang on the minimum weight.  Sure, the current breed of sports cars will 'in theory' have an advantage.  The centre of gravity will be slightly lower due to the lower roof bars, and slightly better sited due to engine position being slightly further back, and the driver being able to be moved slightly to the inside.  Also they may have more efficient aerodynamics, but any gains there are surely minimal. Nice to have, but many drivers switched to the Tigra - and more recently the SLK - without any step-change in performance.  You only have to look at Phil Spinks who, in my opinion, has yet to get his Tigra onto the pace of the old Saxo.  Engines are - in the main - the same, and so restricted that it's hard to see anyone with any significant power advantage, Gear ratios will all be the same for each circuit.

So, I believe the advantage comes from Carl himself as a driver. TALENT.

What is Carl doing that the others aren't doing, or, what's he doing more efficiently? Could he be left-foot braking? Could this be the secret?  I'm not sure, but the technique, when used properly, can give a huge advantage. Nothing new, drivers have used it on the loose for years, it's also used to keep turbo engines in the power, especially before anti-lag was developed. In front wheel drive cars it will help get the car into the corner by introducing oversteer by increasing the rear brake bias. This helps reduce the understeer so the power can be applied earlier, and the important front wheels having less lock applied so available grip increased. This translates into higher exits speeds, and this advantage carried down the next straight. If you watch a Stock Rod meeting at night you will see all the top guys trailing the brakes well into the corner, the brakes will still be slightly on as the power is fed in, so the weight transfer is kept smoother.

Look at the two most successful drivers in terms of World wins and what words would best describe them? Quick, yes, but also smooth. Smoother is, and always will be, quicker with perhaps the one exception of a certain Mr Colin Mcrae. (Legend).  This braking technique can still be used to good effect on rear drive cars by reducing unwanted weight transfer as the brakes are released and power applied.  It helps the car settle into the corner by reducing any sudden tyre loading, and therefore increasing grip. So why doesn't everyone use this technique?  Well, someone once said braking with your right foot is as familiar as eating mom's apple pie, but using your left foot is like trying to eat soup with a fork! Basically it's bloody difficult to master. Guys that have been into karts will have a significant advantage here, as their left leg muscles will be more familiar with the feel, and so will guys that have mastered front drive.

I believe that in the golden years the top drivers had significant car advantages; less rules meant that someone could push the envelope and develop more advantage.  But today's top drivers all have very similar equipment so all have the same potential.

Anyway congratulations to Carl - however he achieves his huge advantage. Only bad luck will stop Carl making it five in a row, as the raw pace, and racecraft, is unquestionable. Simon Thornley.
 

The Winter Interview - February 2009
JOHN CHRISTIE

It’s not possible to interview John Christie without mention of his father Ormond – the only five-time World Champion, and recently voted (in the nationalhotrod.com Forum poll) the greatest ever World Champion of our sport, amassing an incredible three-times as many votes as the joint second-placed Barry Lee and Carl Boardley.  But this is John’s story...

John Christie is easily one of the most popular young National Hot Rod racers around, not just with fellow Ulstermen (and women), but rightly attracting appreciation from Hot Rod racing aficionados wherever he races.  He’s one of those rare breeds, a natural who is always prepared to hang his car on the wide outside line and give it all he and the car has, rather than a sly tap-on-the-rear-quarter to nudge the car ahead and force his way up the inside. Oh, and he works on, and sets up, the car himself, with his team.

Away from racing, John runs a small garage in Crumlin, in partnership with his father. But unlike the old days when Ormond worked so many hours he put his health at risk, nowadays - with John doing the lion’s share - Christie senior puts in just the five days a week, and is able to spend time tending his farm.

2008 marked John’s first championship win, the Irish, and as such fulfilled some of the promise he has shown so far. He also won the 2008 nationalhotrod.com/NHRPA International Driver of Merit award in a recent poll voted for by his fellow racers and fans. So that gave us a pretty good excuse to see what John himself is all about, as a successful and ever-improving racer in his own right.

Born in August 1982, he was already the “son of a World Champion”, and too young to appreciate Ormond’s next two victories. John remembers “In my early years I was probably going to two or three meetings a week, but that was when I was growing up.  Having running races with kids similar ages to me – Andrew Murray, for instance – was more fun, though I’d watch the Hot Rod races without really knowing what I was watching.  And I didn’t really think that much about it.  Dad quit that stage of his racing around ‘89/’90, I was only seven or eight so only really remember odd races from that phase.

”When Dad wasn’t racing, we didn’t really go to the racing, so I didn’t show much interest again until I was going to school with my cousin Jackie. We were thirteen, I had two or three friends who were racing karts, and Jackie had a Starlet he had been racing in the Juniors class at Nutts Corner.  Juniors has the same age range for drivers as Ministox, and this must’ve been around 1996.  This was also the time that Dad got the Fiesta, and although I say I gave him a hand building it, all that was, was passing him spanners and sweeping the floor!”

John’s keen to point out that there was no parental pressure to carve out a career on the tracks.  In fact, he found the desire and ambition away from his family, and had to do the parental persuading himself. ”Dad didn’t push me into any kind of racing, almost the opposite in fact, until I started to pester him. Jackie was scrapping his Starlet and building a new one, so Dad came around to the idea that it would be something nice to start off in. We acquired that car and I used it until I was sixteen.  I raced it at five or six meetings before the 1996 World Final when we went over to Ipswich with the new Fiesta.

”I hadn’t really realised what the Hot Rod racing was all about until then, the crowd, the atmosphere etc. But that was when I got into it – I remember Dad’s race win, the centre-green celebrations and the champagne and stuff, and realised that was what I wanted to do.  Hot Rod racing became my dream, and the following week I won the final in my class, demonstrating my new determination as a racer.  After winning the Irish Championship, in 1998 I moved up to the Production class.

”In the Productions I was a red roof for three years, won points titles, Irish Championship, but possibly – though I didn’t really know it then – it wasn’t the best class for me to race.  I enjoyed the racing for sure, but maybe racing Stock Rods would have been better.  At that time, Dad lost interest in racing in general, and we had loads of work on with the farm and the garage etc. So with no racing from 2001-2003, the Fiesta was just sitting there.”

Most people probably think John had been groomed for National Hot Rod racing from an early age, but this simply isn’t true.  And the manner of how his debut on January 1st 2003 came about, also goes some way to bear this out. “Although we still had the Fiesta, National Hot Rod racing generally was pretty poor here at the time, so that and various other reasons stopped me taking the next step, as well as the fact Dad wasn’t for it. I was very tempted to buy a BriSCA F2 Stock Car but I hadn’t enough money. By 2002 though, racing here was picking up again, and just three days before New Year’s Day 2003, Dad suggested I take the Fiesta out. The last thing it had done was a small bit of circuit racing in 2000, and it had been laid up ever since, so I had three days to ready it – change the diff, gearbox, adjust the springs. But the main thing was everything had seized up and there wasn’t really the time available to properly prepare it.  In fact, the steering was pretty stiff for almost a year after that until I found a steering column bearing had rusted! Every week I was forever still freeing up bits and bobs on it, rosejoints and suchlike.

”After racing that day, I made it clear I really wanted to make a go of racing it, and although Dad was against it, I managed to do almost every other meeting in 2003, and in 2004 pretty much every event. And I really enjoyed the racing on that New Year’s Day, it was great to be racing something – anything - again, and it could have been a wheelbarrow for all that it mattered.  The car still wasn’t really ready, I missed the first heat as the brake pedal went straight to the floor.  I also only had two Avon slicks and two wets, all of which were well worn.”

I mentioned being a racer in his own right earlier, and it was only when John took his father’s World-winning – and very obviously identifiably so – Fiesta out, that other people’s perceptions were to make a big impact.  ”The funny thing was, all the time I had been racing in Juniors and Productions, it was always just about me. As soon as I took the National out, it became all about Dad, people asking me, and him, when was he coming out again, which wasn’t all that heartening for me…  Although to be fair, the car was still as he had last raced it, even with his name still on the visor! I finally changed the name after about half a season, but the most important thing for me was just to be out there so I didn’t really care about the rest of it.  Whenever someone like me starts racing, it’s always “son of…” and the only way to change that is to be getting my own results.

”Dad and me didn’t really work much as a partnership when I joined the Nationals.  He came to the first three meetings but it became torture for him, everyone asking him when he’s racing again, and when he didn’t come, it started as torture for me – everyone asking why Dad’s not over? And when he was there, everyone would assume it was him setting up the car for me – but it wasn’t, it was Kieran, Adrian and me. So it suited us both when he wasn’t there.  In some other people’s eyes I was only there because of him, and because he wanted me to be racing. Without him, people started to realise I was there because I wanted to race, for me.”

After putting some good results together and picking up a fair bit of experience racing at home in Northern Ireland, 2005 saw John get his first taste of international events in England. And the beginning of what’s now, four years later, the annual invasions of what seems to be hundreds of black-shirted 962-adorned race fans.  They’re surely not all your family, John?  ”Aye, well lots are in fact extended family, and some are friends and people my age.”

There is a smaller band of folk very close to John, who make up the team.  John says “I must say that I really appreciate the hub of the team, the craic that we have, and all of my supporters.  For my first race meeting in England – the Thunder 500 in 2005 – eleven or twelve people came with me only for the engine to drop a valve in the first race and finish the meeting for us. It could have been a long trip home after that disappointment, but thanks to that original crew, we had good craic, stopping off in Blackpool and enjoying the trip despite everything.  And those same people came over with me again to share some success at the National Weekend that year with the third place.  I must particularly thank Kieran, Adrian, Rab, Kai and Jim for their work, and my sister Ann, who is the team’s travel consultant – booking all the ferries, hotels and stuff so that we can concentrate on the car and the racing.”

Graham Brown succinctly summed up John’s third place in his National Championship debut in 2005 for nationalhotrod.com:  “John Christie was perhaps the revelation of the weekend, and proved conclusively that talent still matters above all else if you have enough of it. After a week spent scrounging parts from all over to repair the engine (he broke the crank at Nutts Corner the previous weekend) he showed up at Hednesford towing behind an ageing people carrier and proceed to keep the car running with a boot full of decidedly second hand looking tools. No compressor, no coach, no awning, obviously not much money, oh and, no Ormond to tell him what to do either. Just bags of enthusiasm and a driver who can drive.”

After a couple more seasons campaigning the now venerable – but still very competitive – Fiesta, it was time for a new challenge, machinery-wise. ”I wouldn’t say I was ‘needing’ a new car, but a whole lot of things came together at the right time.  Ludlow’s were able to supply a frame and some panels, while I was able to get some second-hand panels.  The whole new package looks very strong; the Fiesta panels were quite weak and the chassis is old now, so there were practical reasons for the new car.”

And a car that would be “John’s car”?  “Very much so.  Apart from the reasons I just gave, I wanted to do my own thing. The Fiesta was in general so good, that I was really afraid to change too much on it.  I knew that with the Tigra it would be a step back to start with as I hadn’t enough knowledge on the build and set-up. I didn’t go the route of buying a complete Ludlow ‘customer car’, just the bare frame so that I could learn about it, with Kieran and Adrian, as I go. And it has been a very good way to learn all about a Hot Rod and how it works.

”I rate any achievements in the Tigra more highly and more satisfying than in the Fiesta, not least because no-one can say it’s because Dad’s sorting it out for me – even though he wasn’t. This car is my car, not my Dad’s. Him not going racing suits us both, he asks how I got on when I get home from a meeting, and we have a natter, and that’s his involvement.”

And how does John rate the Tigra so far? ”I struggled a bit with it in the first half of the year, but I know I’ve learnt more than I ever would have done with the Fiesta. The Tigra is certainly not just about sitting in it and driving it, it’s knowing and understanding what it is that it’s doing on track.  Kieran and Adrian can watch, but I need to be able to explain what it’s doing and give feedback.  That way we all work well together. At this stage we’ve got the Tigra around the same as the Fiesta – I raced the Fiesta on New Year’s day this year, and the differences between it and the Tigra mean I still can take some information from that and build it into the Tigra. We’re putting the Tigra back together at the moment and installing some new ideas, new brakes, new suspension, hopefully we can take it forward again. But everything we do, we’ll do it one step at a time.

”At international meetings I think I’m still a step behind the regular racers in England, but they’re the events I look forward to. Dad used to say that if the car is dialled in, it’ll go well anywhere, and that’s where I’m trying to get the new car.  I have to say that Hednesford and Tipperary are a joy to race at, it’s great to open up the car and get some space which you don’t always get in the home qualifiers.  I remember my first Hednesford meeting and I made too many rash changes to the Fiesta in the first race, for which I used four scrap ex-Davy McCall tyres.  I had four newer ones on for the second race and the car was brilliant. If only I had got properly organised for the first, my grid position could have been so much better.”

I wondered if John kept a Hot Rod “black book” with all the set-up details and changes for different tracks, wet weather settings, and suchlike?  ”No, it’s all on notes and scraps…  But Dad didn’t even do that; he carried all the knowledge around in his head!”

With a few years under his belt now, how does John enjoy the National Hot Rod “scene”? ”I’m learning there’s some good people in our sport, there’s good people in every team and most get on, it’s good craic. And everyone helps each other, especially at Hednesford last year. At least ten drivers and their mechanics came to help after my bad run on the Saturday, that showed good sportsmanship.  The Boardley team, the Martin team, and loads more.”

Although a modest man about his own achievements and potential, I wondered who John rated amongst his fellow racers? ”There’s one person I’ve always admired, Carl Boardley.  We all know that he’s too good, and too quick, but since getting to know him and his team better this last year, I have loads of respect for him.  It’s really good to have a benchmark, and obviously I’d like to be that.  But he’s mine at the moment, and he’s also very good and very fair to have a race with. Along with Carl, the other drivers that stand out are Chris Haird who I get on well with, and Shane Murphy who I’ve got a lot of time for. They all are drivers that try and do well and race fairly.  A driver I think we should watch out for this year is Steve Thompson, and I’ve enjoyed racing with Glenn Bell, I think he could do very well in 2009.”

How does John rate and enjoy the racing at his two home tracks?  ”The international meetings are my main reason for racing, but the recent rule changes have definitely improved the domestic meetings in terms of how the grids line up. And racing with what we get these days – ten/twelve cars – is much better than the five or six that we were getting not so long ago.  The main problem for me racing at home particularly was that the cars were liable to get in a train.  I’d go to the outside to try and race, and could end up sometimes spending a whole race stuck out there.  When that happens I haven’t learnt anything about the car, so it doesn’t help me develop it at all.”

Financing racing in any formula in these recession-hit times can be a problem, and John isn’t one of the mega-rich. How does he go about finding a budget for Nationals? ”Every year now I do a calendar, it has my name and photo in the middle, and my sponsors names in squares all around it.  I ask a few people to buy the squares and that becomes a good way of raising funds.  From that, some people ask how much it is to get their name on the car, that all helps a bit more, and some of them come along and watch the racing on foot of that too. I’m really lucky with my sponsors, I’m grateful to them and I’m good friends with them all too.  I budget carefully for the racing, but don’t cut corners. If the car needs something it gets it. Hot Rod racing is my only hobby, I don’t drink a lot or smoke, and it’s just about affordable.”

And as we said at the top, 2008 was a good year for John.  Perhaps he didn’t achieve everything he wanted, and maybe came away disappointed from a couple of events, but he did get his first title.  How has he rated his last twelve months efforts?  ”Well last year started with a good trip to the Thunder 500 where I won my first race across the water and came second in the championship final. The World Championship weekend wasn’t what I’d hoped for.  Then we had the National Championship.  Hednesford’s Saturday was a bit of a downer, but the Sunday made up for it.

”After the crash at the British Championship at Ballymena we were up ‘til four or five in the morning on the Sunday getting ready for the Irish Open at Nuttscorner.  I had a good run in the heats to get pole with Tom Casey alongside, and winning that was my first championship and a good achievement.  But actually, coming third the following month in the European at Tipperary was my favourite championship race of the year.”

John has plenty of views on the way National Hot Rod racing is run and how it could be improved (and, sorry John, but you are just like your father in this respect).  What are his thoughts on the whole deal at the moment?  ”I think Deane {Wood} has done some good work on the scrutineering side in all classes, and bringing Dave Longhurst in for the Nationals is a good move.  Just one reservation on that; I think that the £10 fee should be capped for a set period, so that no-one is tempted to turn it into a revenue stream and increase it whenever.  I think that what happened on the Sunday morning at the National Weekend was a bit of a shambles, the way it panned out. Perhaps the best way of tackling the roll bar issue would have been to announce at Ipswich that everything would have to be by the book by the National Weekend?  Having said that though, it did need to be done.

”Although I think that Deane has been very good for the racing in general, I think that he could do a little bit more for the National Hot Rods.  I’ll be calling him over the next few weeks to run some ideas by him – like – perhaps suggesting one of his staff devoting one day a week to be canvassing for proper sponsorship for the class, on a commission basis.  And perhaps if some sponsorship could be found, it could be put back into the formula through prize-money which hasn’t changed for decades.  The National Hot Rod website is a vital part of the sport, and a credit to it. If some sponsorship could be found perhaps some of the money could pay for a banner on the site, to help pay for that too?”

”As for the other changes in the formula, the changes to the lap-times for the World Final is definitely a good idea, though I’d like to see as many hot-laps as possible found time for.  The tyres do take more than a couple of laps to get to their best.  I also fully support the idea that all the drivers should race in the meeting final at championship events, so making that compulsory is good.  We’re there for racing so we may as well go for it. I’ll certainly be having a go, damage permitting, and as long as they are run at a sensible time of day for those that have a lot of travelling home to do.”

Although John’s now 26 (and not looking a day over 18 – lucky so ‘n’ so), he’s still a young man with plenty of successful racing ahead of him.  Let’s hope he carries on enjoying it and entertaining us as he progresses.  Who knows; one day in the not too distant future, we might be saying “Ormond?  Oh yes, he’s John Christie’s Dad”!  I last interviewed Ormond a dozen years ago after he’d won another World Final.  It probably won’t be that long before I interview John again, for the same reason…

John Christie was talking to Neil Rowe. © 2009 nationalhotrod.com – no part of this feature to be reproduced without express written permission of the webmaster.
Photos with thanks to Brian Lammey & Martin Kingston

*

World Champion Carl Boardley talks exclusively to nationalhotrod.com

If you were lucky enough to be at Ipswich over the first weekend in July ‘08, a little bit of National Hot Rod history was made as Carl Boardley became just the second man to win a third World Championship in a row. Yes, it may not have been the most exciting race ever, as Carl himself admits, but you have to be in it to win it as they say. Carl’s consistency of skill, speed and car preparation over the months and years are perhaps testament to the fact that we’re witnessing a genuine great of the sport at work.  The history books don’t lie, and he has already exceeded the achievements of many previous “greats” of our sport, and can now comfortably sit at the table of the very best.

I’ve known Carl since he started in the sport, and interviewed him several times now.  It’s always a pleasure, as you know you’re talking to someone who loves the formula, understands it, and gives you a straight answer to a straight question. I’ve asked him so much over the years that we’re nearly down to “what’s your favourite colour?”

But another season, another big victory, and another period of change, plenty of stuff to chew over, means we ought to find some more interesting things to natter about…

You’ve reclaimed the English Points Champion crown.  How was it this season?
"It's definitely been more fun, with the graded starts.  In fact if we hadn't gone back to them, I would have sold up by now. You'd end up turning up for a race meeting hoping to draw B7 or A8 - two mid-grid slots - from which you'd hope to get two reasonable results.  The rounds were getting to the stage of 'get them over and done with'.  We were getting bored, but the changes work well. But even so, I'd have to say that whatever system we'd used for qualifying, I don't think the final points chart would've looked any different."

The new Tigra; you’ve used it a few times now. What’s the thinking behind it, how’s it coming along, and were you ever going to defend your World title with it?
"We built up the second car out of a spare chassis that we picked up around the beginning of 2007. We made one or two changes to it, as we have with the original chassis - modified it a bit ourselves - and then it sort of sat there. If we'd bent the other one along the way, then we had another ready that we were hoping we'd not have to use.

”Then in October, Roy (Eaton) asked us if we'd build it up for the NEC show. Dad had already wanted to do something for the show, so we built it up. Properly - brake lines, everything; all that was missing was the engine and diff. Coincidentally back again around the start of 2007, I was chatting to a guy from Scholar engines who're just 15 minutes up the road, and I've known them for ages.  Whenever I'd bumped into him before, he'd always said ‘If you're ever allowed to use a Ford engine, let me know’. So the rules had changed, and we said okay.  Although the engine was originally built around a year ago, we could never get the power figures from the Duratec that we wanted.

”After the NEC show in January this year, we thought, well the car's built up, may as well sell it.  At the same time Scholar changed a few bits on the engine, cams and stuff, and told us that it was starting to look good.  So the upshot is that the Duratec is now in that new car and I don't really want to sell it at the moment, we want to see if the engine will be fruitful or not.

”It was never in my head to use the new Tigra for the World Final. After seeing the motor on the dyno, the figures really were starting to look promising, but hmmm, new car, new engine...it was always a case of using my old one. 

”We will use the new car, not at Northampton or Hednesford coming up, but probably from the next Ipswich.  We'll give it two or three meets and see how it goes.  The only reason it was used at the Thunder 500 was because we'd no choice - the regular car was in bits being rebuilt for the World Final."

We all know that you’re looking at racing something else brand new.  What’s happening on that front?
"Yes we are planning a new chassis, we've agreed a deal with Ludlow on it. I'm just waiting for Chris to come up with the finished thing - I understand Chris is still working on the panels.

”Actually, I bought a newer Tigra "B" road car, the one with the hard top roof that folds down.  It had some damage, but all I wanted to do was take some body moulds from it, just for the sake of doing something different in the formula.  But at the end of the day, the outlay needed for a one-off just didn't make sense.  I've heard it costed that a decent panel builder will charge £10-12,000 for a decent panel kit, so the Mercedes route is less aggro and less money at the end of the day."

It seems to me, and a few other seasoned observers, that the Tigra might well be the ultimate in a National Hot Rod, so what can another car shape – e.g. Mercedes SLK – bring, that the Tigra can’t?
”Well, I think that there are two advantages, or developments, over the Tigra. First is the relationship of the driver to the front wheels, in terms of distance.  Even with the new rules regarding inside weight, and engine position restrictions, there’s a small gain. Within the existing cars, there’s very few avenues remaining to find that ‘extra bit’.  And also, the engine position and inside weight measurements, they’re all done without the driver in the car, and the Mercedes is a wider car in standard form, so with the way the weight is on that versus the Tigra, we think there’s a few more variables to play with.”

Weight and weight distribution is one area that has been tightened by the rulemakers of late, as has tyre usage.  How have you got along with the new tyre regulations?
”To be totally honest, don’t ask me why, but at the World Final this year they decided that the four tyres you qualify on are the four tyres you race.  In previous years it’s been four to qualify with, and four to race. So now it’s whatever you use to set the lap times, that’s what you use for the race.  I don’t see why they brought that rule in.  After 75 laps of a prolonged heat cycle, the tyres are scrap anyhow, and we used to use the tyres that we used for qualifying for the entire National Championship weekend.  And then they become scrap, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense…

”Generally though, the one-tyre rule is good.  It needs policing properly, but it will attract new drivers in for sure.  All those old stories of drivers bolting on 100’s of new tyres used to put people off; the way it is now, we just have to all learn how to manage tyres.  We’ve got a system, I don’t know if it’s right, but it works for us.  I won’t tell you what we do for the website – but if any driver has the front to come over and say ‘Carl, I’m struggling with the tyres, what do you do?’, then I’ll help them, for sure.”

How did you view the “non” lap times this year?
”I’m not a lover of how it’s done at the moment frankly. From a crowd point of view, it’s very dull.  No atmosphere, no fun.  All you get to see is a group of cars that each come out, do a few slow laps, then a few fast ones, then go away again. It’s a non-event.  We’ve all just been sent an email with some suggestions for next year, with the opportunity for the drivers to reply with which option they prefer for qualifying. I’m replying, but not with one of their options, just one that I think would work, and that there’s time for.

”There’s four proposals to choose from, my fifth one would be that we should qualify as now for the World Final in groups. At the end of free practice – maybe take 5/10 minutes off it, let the non-English set lap times just to decide which group they slot into, and then send all 34 or whatever cars out, in their groups of 6 to set the times individually within their groups over three hot laps.  There’s time enough for this surely – 34 cars – 34 minutes if well run. 40 minutes tops. One hour from start to finish including free practice if it’s organised. This would really work for the crowd, building to a real climax for the last group of cars, plenty of tension!”

Were you embarrassed, or pleased, to end up with pole position for the big race?
”I was embarrassed and pleased to find number 1 left, though I’d have been more embarrassed had I actually picked it, rather than having it left for me by the other drivers.”

Would you agree that we might have seen a more exciting race had you drawn – say – position 5 or 6?
”If I’d drawn position 5 or 6, then yes, it could well have been a more exciting race – certainly for me.  But from my point of view, of course I’ll take a flag-to-flag non-event, anyone would.  But take last year, I fell well back early doors, but came back which made it a much more enjoyable race.”

At the first start, Andy Holtby looked well impressive, matching you well on the outside line. Were you expecting that?
”The first start, yeah, I thought he’d try and stay there. But we gave each other the room and respect that we deserved, and it was a good race for 2-3 laps.  I would have been very disappointed though if I hadn’t have got ahead.”

Did the first stoppage disrupt you, or the car, much?
”No, there was no disruption at the stoppage.  You pretty much expect it, you don’t go into the race expecting 75 laps in one go. I don’t know what the outside line was like for the restart, but I know I had a decent second start because there was proper heat in the tyres that you can’t get from the warm-up laps. My car especially is set up with not a lot of grip from the outset, ‘cos you can’t have plenty at the start if you want it at the end of the race…”

A relatively simple cruise thereafter, ‘til a problem with the throttle?
”The carburettor has springs in it that aid the return of the throttle, and mine had broke.  Yes, a little bit of panic set in when that started, and I had to use the brakes more, but long gone are the days of that car having any brake issues.  At the end of the straights, the thought that the throttle might stay open worried me, if that had happened there’s only one place you’re going to go…”

And a pretty good passage through the traffic this time?
”Yes, no trouble with back markers or lapped cars at all.  When I approached say 734 or 78, I had a glance in the mirror, couldn’t see any challenge, so wondered if I really needed to overtake them. But there was no problem anyway, so I just built up a cushion.”

Were you surprised that there was so little challenge to you, from the other pre-race contenders, over the course of the 75 laps?
”Yes, very surprised, at all of them really. Obviously last year Chris (Haird) proved he could do the long race, Steve (Thompson) has also proved it by finishing well up.  Matt? Well, I’m not sure if Matt Simpson’s finished a 75 lap race before.  People have said that he held the rest up, but I haven’t seen the video and I wasn’t looking back so I don’t know.  As soon as I’d a healthy margin I just backed off and maintained a sensible gap.”

Two or three Northern Irish racers, particularly perhaps Gary Woolsey and John Christie, were expected to bring the race to you. In the event they were nowhere near.
”In all honesty I didn’t expect either to be big threats.  At the Thunder 500 they both looked – especially 940 – to have cooked their tyres 30-32 laps into a 40 lap race.  Both were struggling to get back on the power out of the bends from where I was watching by that stage. So unless either had gone away in the last two weeks and tried something different, then I wasn’t discounting them, but wasn’t too worried either.”

In the two weeks since the race, various rumours about post-race scrutineering have been doing the rounds, and on Saturday the NHRPA announced that it seems second-placed Matt Simpson was using an engine that apparently didn’t satisfy the rulebook, even though it passed checks done at the time.
“Well, we think the whole thing is a farce!  Basically we have a competitor who has been found to be using an illegal engine and not only has the person concerned got away with it but he is also allowed to keep his major placing in the showpiece event of the Hot Rod racing year. The item in question was identified at the post-race scrutineering stage that it had been modified, and the rules clearly state that it cannot be.

”Don’t get me wrong, I don’t wish for anyone to receive a ban; the racing generally is conducted in good spirit. Nor do I think Matt or his team had anything to do with the modifications - after all each individual pays an amount of money (which varies greatly) to a company for an engine to National Hot Rod specification.

”However, the driver is ultimately responsible for everything connected with his car and team. I wonder what John Steward’s thoughts are? Another thing that puzzles me is why the sample cylinder head was not just a standard (road-going) one?

”As we said earlier, over the last 15 months a company have been developing a Duratec engine for me, it has taken an extreme amount of work to get it to its current state.  I’m sitting here trying to work out why I’m bothering!”

The achievements of Colin White in National Hot Rod racing must now have crossed your mind.
”Yes, to be honest I haven’t seen Colin to speak to for the last few months, but a week after last year’s win we were at Rockingham and shook hands.  Colin said ‘Well done, but you’ve still got one more to go to equal me’.  I’ll remind him of that next time I see him.”

Are you yet looking at going one better?
”No, not at all. It’s hard to think of yourself in the same bracket as people you’ve watched race from the terraces, thinking ‘crikey, he’s good’ or whatever.  It then seems a bit far-fetched to be equalling, or even beating, their achievements and records.”

Who right now, is looking at getting closer to challenging for the sport’s top honours?
”Who’s catching up?  There’s a lot who have, over the last twelve months, not necessarily raised their game in developing their cars, but have spent the money on a new one to bridge the gap.  There’s a few knocking on the door though. I think we’re still quick enough, but it’s always ‘on the day’ isn’t it? Considering the time and effort we all spend on the car though, it ought to be pretty good.

”You asked about the tyre management situation earlier, and this is the same.  If someone asks me a question, ‘how much is this?’ or ‘how do you get that?’ I’ll either tell them the truth, or tell them I’ll not tell them.  But I won’t string them along. I can tell anyone that wants to know that money-wise, honestly, compared to most we’ve spent very little. Don’t get me wrong though, if the car wants something, it gets it.”

The National Championship is coming up very shortly. A memorable duel between you and Malcolm Blackman last year saw the 911 pilot crowned champion. Do you feel you were in a fair race with him nearly 12 months ago?
”Oh, you know, fairly fair would sum it up.  Once or twice I was up the inside and it was at that point a case of I could have spun him to the infield, but backed out.  Similarly, I’d a couple of good runs up the outside of him, but then it seemed that he found a different line off the bends. So it would have been nice to win the National Championship again, but Malcolm crossed the line first, so he deserved it. I put him under a lot of pressure, he withstood it, fair enough.”

General thoughts on being World Champion?
”Just about everywhere we’ve been, we’ve set fastest laps and/or got from the back of the grid to the front quite often, and this is what a gold roof ought to be doing. I’m chuffed to have equalled the record three-wins in a row, but I wouldn’t have been distraught if we hadn’t.  But it is great, and I’m very proud for my team and everyone who helps us.

...and Carl, what is your favourite colour?
”Gold!”

© 2008 nationalhotrod.com – no part of this feature to be reproduced without express written permission of the webmaster. Carl Boardley was talking to Neil Rowe.


Deane Wood on the NHRPA and National Hot Rod racing
With the departure in recent times of the two promoters that most drivers and followers of National Hot Rod racing most strongly associated with running the sport, the NHRPA (Hot Rod racing's governing body) has become to some, a rather vague notion. The chairmanship of the Association has been shared for the longest era ever by Incarace's Philip Bond, and latterly for something like a decade, Spedeworth's Roy Eaton. 

The two promotions ultimately controlled by these two men, have now effectively come under the umbrella of a "new" man, former racer of just about everything - including National Hot Rods - Deane Wood. In the absence of information to the contrary, followers of National Hot Rod racing have assumed that as he owns the two promotions, Deane now "owns", or certainly controls, National Hot Rod racing too.  Everywhere Roy and Philip once were, Deane Wood now is. 

"No, not at all", Deane begins.  "I'm not the NHRPA chairman, in fact we've done away with a chairman, what's the point in having one if we're all going to make decisions together? There is no chairman, just a committee."

So who is on the NHRPA committee these days, making the decisions together?  "Well there's Graham and Angie obviously. People have no idea just how much work they put into the formula.  Then there's Dave and Carole, Paul Gerrard and Mick, and me."  So the NHRPA is Graham Brown, Angie Rowe, Dave and Carole Longhurst, Paul Gerrard, Mick Reece, and Deane Wood.

"And we all work together on all the decisions.  I don't always get the final say, nor does anyone, we decide together" Deane continued. "For instance, I wanted all the National drivers to turn up for the World Final on the Saturday and decide the grids there and then with qualifying races, but the majority didn't, so we'll carry on with the present system. On the other hand, one or two wanted to drop the current method where drivers can drop a round.  The majority of us were happy with that, so it's staying." 

It’s this committee that has made all of the recent NHRPA decisions: the recent Stu Carter/Malcolm Blackman disciplinary issues, the banning of the sequential gearboxes, and the reduction of new tyres allowed to be used by competitors.  Let's take those issues one by one.

"The original penalties for those two drivers was correct, given the black and white evidence of what went on on the track, and what happened in the pits afterwards.  It wasn't like a racing incident where a video can be viewed two, three or even twenty different ways. They both phoned me to ask if I thought it was worth them appealing against the length of the punishment, and not the offences, and I said no. Blackman took my advice, and so did Carter, but he then changed his mind, appealed and lost.  None of us wanted the two of them banned from the World Final, and luckily for Carter, it's still the case that he can race in it. But we have to set an example and treat all the drivers the same, no matter who they are, and we've done that."

The rule about gearboxes being "free" is one of the oldest NHRPA rules, and some drivers have taken advantage of that in recent times by fitting expensive, but clever, trick-sequential gearboxes.  Now that rule has changed and these boxes at around £4,000 each, are banned from July. What was the thinking there?

"Quite simply they're not good enough for the job, they're too dear, and too unreliable. They're costing the drivers a fortune, and some have got through two in one meeting. And every time one packs up, it's a £1500 bill minimum.  Yes, it may not have been an immediately popular decision, but since we made it, I've had drivers who disagreed now phoning me up and saying 'thank God you banned the thing, it was costing me a fortune, when I get it back from being repaired it'll be up for sale'.  An Irish driver phoned me up and asked why we're banning it, I've had no problem with mine and it cost a lot of money.  I asked him why he'd had no problem, he didn't know, so I told him - it's because you do rolling starts all the time in Ireland, so his will never have been stressed and broken like all the others. They're just not up to the job for National Hot Rods."

Another expense, although this one is necessary for all racers, is the rubber. Usage of Hoosier Tires is very tightly controlled, long-gone is the era when those that could afford, would bolt new tyres on for every race. Initiallly the control was that only two new tyres could be used per race meeting; from this year that allowance has been halved to just one. Hoosier have been enthusiastic contractors to National Hot Rod racing, even going as far as buying each and every driver a Raceceiver, so you could perhaps understand if they weren't best pleased at current arrangements, even if they've not expressed any opinion.

Deane's take on the tyres was this: "That decision was down to the drivers.  We all met at Wimbledon Stadium at the end of last year and had a vote, and I think it was something like 80% of them were in favour of the one tyre rule, so we went with that. And let's face it, it's working if you look at the fact that grids are up to their best in years. Even the top drivers, Boardley, Simpson, they don't always use one new tyre, it's down to management.  It must be better for the suppliers to be selling one tyre each to forty drivers at a meeting, than only having fifteen customers surely."

The appointment of an official scrutineer to the English series (and presumably international meetings) is seen by most as a positive (and overdue) move by the NHRPA. It's something that very nearly happened to National Hot Rod racing ten years ago, with ex-racer Roy Cook being approached for the role, but the appointment collapsed when it came to funding the expenses of such a travelling official.  The NHRPA at that time wasn't in favour of making the drivers pay, and nor did the promoters want to pay for an additional scrutineer when they all employ one as a matter of course.  That's all changed with the "new" NHRPA.  Experienced and technically adept ex-racer Dave Longhurst now has the responsibility of ensuring the legality to the rulebook of all the cars, and the drivers are funding his expenses, and the purchase of equipment essential to his position.

But Deane doesn't see the NHRPA's work finished on that matter yet, especially in Ireland. "I've heard that scrutineering doesn't happen there, in the North or South" he said. "And if they all want to be NHRPA National Hot Rods, there's got to be the same standards everywhere, including tyre usage. I've had some ideas on that. For instance, there's say, what, 14-odd regular racers in Northen Ireland and the same in the South. Why don't the drivers take it in turns to be the official scrutineer for each meeting, on a rota basis?  That could work."

He's also keen to dispel some people's perceptions that Nationals are becoming "just" a Spedeworth formula.  "I've been talking to the Scots about expanding NHRPA National Hot Rods there again, one minute they're all for it, next they want to carry on with what they have again. I've also been talking to Roland (Vandermeersch) in Belgium, about getting them on board too.  And I think Nationals should go to more tracks, let more people see them, doesn't bother me, they can go anywhere."  Like where, for instance? "Anywhere at all - Bristol for instance, they can have them for a weekend if they want, it's up to them."

This writer felt quite reassured by Deane's straightforward answers. He's got a lot on his plate given the size of his organisation, but he seems to make plenty of time for National Hot Rods, a formula he certainly wants to see continue at the pinnacle of oval racing. He said "This NHRPA, I'd like to see it continue to run the formula, by itself, a bit like the Legends organisation. But as a promoter, I have to say that I don't think that the drivers have ever had a promoter listen to them as much as I do. I'm always in the pits, talking to them, getting all their opinions and trying to take it all forward.  In fact one of the top drivers phoned me the other day and said 'well done mate, Nationals have never been so good, on such a level field', so I think we're starting to get it right..."

Deane Wood was talking to Neil Rowe.


2006/7 World Champion Carl Boardley talks exclusively to nationalhotrod.com
The 2007 Championship of the World for National Hot Rods saw a name appearing on the roll of honour for a second time – something that actually hasn’t happened since Davy McCall added a second trophy in 2002. And for this year’s winner Carl Boardley, winning was all the sweeter second time around for an emphatic victory without all the shenanigans that surrounded the first of his back-to-back titles. 

At the risk of sounding like the MC at a WWF event, Carl Boardley is the “Undisputed World Champion”. nationalhotrod.com caught up with the winner of the formula’s top title to see how it all came together this time, and various other thoughts from the man with no need to repaint his gold roof…

As is usual in World Qualifying series, it’s a gruelling journey through all the rounds, and certainly for the second half of the season, most pundits saw the English points as a battle between Carl and his old adversary Malcolm Blackman – a battle Carl ultimately lost. 

”Missing a round cost me the English points. I’ve said to Roy (Eaton, NHRPA) that perhaps we should look at counting 14 rounds out of 17 for the points, or run 20 rounds and count 17.  Spinksy missed three or four meetings so his World Final was cocked up because of work commitments.

“But no-one can make money out of National Hot Rod racing, therefore the only way to go racing is to make money out of your work, and I think this needs addressing. As for the round I missed – well – on the Thursday my wife gave birth, so it wouldn’t have been right to go racing on the Sunday. Am I sorry I missed Northampton and that it cost me the points?  Not at all.” 

Some might point to a plethora of gearbox troubles late last year as contributing to lost points too? 

”The gearbox problems stemmed from Rockingham Ovalfest where it blew up. We rebuilt it, blew it up again, rebuilt it again, won a race and it blew up again. In fairness to Mark at Elite, he sorted all the parts for us – I think it just wasn’t up to the speed of the gear changes that I wanted to make at Rockingham, and when it blew, something we didn’t spot must’ve twisted.  But since we’ve had the new box it’s been fine.”

And then, as World Champion, and “ambassador” for the sport, you get invited to take part in all kinds of PR for the sport. One of these amused the few remaining “we hate Hot Rods, BriSCA-F1-is-the-only-formula-that-should-be-allowed-to-grace-the-ovals” brigade no end. Fortunately their numbers have dwindled significantly in the modern world, and there is a very healthy number of fans of Hot Rod and Stock Car racing who love the glamour and thrill of both of the two very different, but top, top class disciplines. Just look at how many National Hot Rod fans (and a driver or two) forsook the Birmingham NHR World Series round last year to enjoy the spectacle of the awesome V8’s at the clashing Ipswich BriSCA-meet...

Anyway, this particular “duty” for Carl involved a car swap with BriSCA F1 legend Frankie Wainman Jr, in front of a packed house at Wimbledon last summer.

”Well to be honest you turn up on a bit of a hiding to nothing really. Early in the meeting the Hot Rod was on slicks, and the track was full of shale and rubbish, so all it was doing was going sideways - we were both using our own cars at that point.  So we did that and a few do’nuts and called a day on that part of the show. Later on we swapped cars, and of course after all the racing that had gone on meantime, the track had improved no end; I drove his car a second a lap quicker then, than in practice earlier on, and Frankie went a hundredth better in my car than I had earlier on.  If you compare the times, only Frankie and one other driver I think, went any quicker than I did, in race conditions.  Do I fancy BriSCA F1 Stock Car racing?  I wouldn’t mind a go at some point, maybe rent a car and have a go…”

Wind the clock forward to July 2007, and the runner-up in the English points has a World title to defend.  But the gossip reaching all-points of the world of National Hot Rod racing is that Andy Steward is out for revenge for what he still perceives as a massive miscarriage of justice at the same event a year earlier.  Rumours that were so loud, they had reached the ears of the organisers of the event… In the light of this, did Carl prepare for the weekend in a different way at all?

“No, not preparation-wise, no different at all.  From my personal preparation point of view though, if I’d have had a choice of winning it again, but like last year’s, then I wouldn’t have wanted it.  The last twelve months has been a lot of grief  for me from lots of people, which I never felt was totally justified.  I thought I’d won the World Final, but from all the hoo-ha it didn’t always seem like it.  Car preparation-wise there was nothing different this year to last.

”Did I think much about Andy in the run up to Spedeweekend?  Yes and no. No – because I was thinking that if he did do anything silly, I would take it on the chin and laugh it off.  Yes – because it was in the back of my mind whilst we were prepping the car, wondering if we were going to all this time and trouble just to be taken out…

”At the Thunder 500 meeting, Deane (Wood) took me and my team, and Andy and his team, to one side, and said quite clearly that anything dodgy in the race would be met with a ban.  He implied that this would be substantially longer than a one year ban – lifetime maybe – and Andy and I shook hands. 

“So I was absolutely amazed he wasn’t there on the Saturday morning for qualifying!”

And so it was, that Andy didn’t compete at the weekend, for whatever reason. But the other 32 competitors entitled to be on the grid had the serious business of marking out a time and a grid position on Saturday morning. Carl set pole, which may or may not have surprised some, but the time he set pole with was slower than in 2006.

”So we went out for the lap times. Every single year we put on brand new tyres for this, but for some reason this year they just didn’t feel right. I don’t know why, even now.  But going into the session, I was certain that no-one would get to last year’s level of lap time. The way the rain previously had affected the shale around the track meant I knew a 14.7-second lap would get on the front row. But the car never felt as good either as in the unofficial practice previously, or as it would feel later in the race.

”It was a very short session – just five minutes this year – so I did a few laps slow - to bed in the tyres - then three or four quick ones, and I saw the board said 14.74.  Then I backed off.  The worse thing was when other cars – James and Malcolm I think – latched on to the back of my car. It’s much easier for other cars to go quicker by doing that, so I pulled wide which isn’t a great thing to do as the tyres pick up all the snotty stuff off the track. You then have to do a couple of laps to clean them and get quick again.  It was a bitty session then, but the best lap was at the end. The only person who surprised me was Gary Woolsey, I thought he’d be top group and front row.”

For a while, some thought Malcolm Blackman might nick pole position, but in the end he wound up front row alongside Carl.  A good thing, or a bad thing?

”I was pretty comfortable with Malcolm on my outside at the front – I’d prefer him there rather than behind me, or fifth even. It’s a mammoth job from there to get onto the inside.”

The start from where this writer was sitting – turn 4, looked a pretty tidy one this year?

”Yeah, it was pretty good, though if anything Malcolm was maybe half a car ahead at the green. But I’ve no complaints – that’s how it is, when you go, you go – and it was pretty fair. Into the first corner he did what I suppose I’d think I would have done, and squeezed me in tight. At the turnstile bend he squeezed me too far into the inner kerbing and we both ended up going left, costing us both three or four places.

”I never worried about Matt (Simpson) taking the lead. I think Matt was very happy with his new car, but in all fairness I don’t know of anyone who’d turned up in a new car and done it.  I believe everything is won or lost in the workshop, and I don’t believe a new car can do 75 laps quickly.”

A caution period just 3 laps in, to remove a couple of cars from the exit of turn two, gave everyone a chance to take stock, and ultimately for Malcolm Blackman to be removed from the race by officials after flames emanating from the underneath of his car were tackled by marshals. Carl takes up the story:

”I was calm at this point, not thinking ‘oh sh*t, what’s gone on?’ I was looking at who was ahead and planning. Thinking ‘follow Malcolm’, then I’ve got the pace to deal with (Steve) Thompson, thought I might get (John) Christie once we hit traffic, and like I said, didn’t think Matt could do 75 laps quickly.

”In that scenario three, four years ago, I’d have been sat there worrying about throwing it all away.  This time I was confident – I had a picture of how I could deal with each car. My car was set up to still be quick at the end of the race, and I was confident it would be there at the end of 75 laps.

”Malcolm’s exclusion?  That’s a tricky one. Before the race they said they wouldn’t red-flag it unless they really had to – they’d try and let the race run. Obviously if Malcolm had had a fire of any description on board, it needed putting out, for Malcolm’s sake, but they certainly applied the letter of the rulebook to that incident.

”Then Matt was gone – he said it was some sort of battery problem? So John Christie had the lead and I was having some little thoughts about this during the race – like ‘I’m used to week-in, week-out, racing with 24 other cars.  And he’s used to what, 10 maybe?’ And so he’s perhaps not so used to lapping cars.

”So I made sure I stayed four/five car lengths behind John, and if we were getting close to backmarkers, closed the gap to two/three car lengths, to put him under pressure. It’s hard to explain, but I knew I’d get an opportunity, I just had to make sure I took it when it came. Again, two or three years ago, I’d have been all over him, thinking ‘got to get past, got to get past’.”

The opportunity came as John approached the absorbed-in-each-other Richard Spavins and Mike Thurley. Carl pounced on just a moment’s hesitation by the man for whom leading World Finals will surely become customary in years to come, and Christie’s fairytale (for this year) was ended.  Carl continued:

”People sometimes say that when I’m driving my car, it looks easy. But I’ve now got to a stage where the car is set, and it is easy.  A comfortable car, that you’re comfortable with, gives you the mindset that if you need it to go faster, it will.

”I saw Chris was there, didn’t think anyone else could get involved with the lead from further back. Once I’d dealt with the immediate backmarkers I started to concentrate, keeping the car clean and tidy, get my head down, keep it smooth and look after the tyres until lap 50.

”Lap 50 was the time I started to think ‘it could well happen’, and told myself to keep 100% concentration.  I was confident the car would last, tyre-wise too, and began thinking ‘a win is starting to look on the cards’ – and then told myself to get rid of that thought and concentrate again.”

Then just to prove that motorsport is unpredictable, the race was cautioned with just five laps remaining to remove the unlucky Stu Carter’s similar car from the back straight Armco.

”My lap timer said we’d done 70 laps but I couldn’t remember if I’d zeroed it before or after the warm-up laps.  So I wasn’t sure initially if there were 10, or 5 laps remaining But seeing Stu in the wall I thought ‘oh no’.  So we waited for the clean up and I had a good look at the track surface on the restart.  Then I held it steady for one lap to check that the car was where it should be, then put a couple of laps in at full pelt, and felt the race was in the bag.”

So - go on, how did this year’s “chequered flag experience” feel?

”Last year at the end of the race I just thought ‘what on earth has gone on?’  This year it was just really good to cross the line. I was really pleased for myself, my Dad, the boys that come everywhere with us, and thought ‘this is it’ – a proper one, the way you want them all to be. 

”Hopefully it has shown all the people who had a doubt last year that it wasn’t a fluke, it wasn’t ‘given to me’, it was deserved.  The laps of honour were a real pleasure, and my little girl Ellen enjoyed them too!”

The last thing most followers of National Hot Rods want to hear of the World Champion – new or otherwise - is that he’s going to swan off and do something “better”, different, call it what you will, and it had already been well flagged that Carl had bought an ASCAR (apologies to SCSA V8 purists, but we all know what an ASCAR is) and was planning to have a go at the Rockingham-based series.

Now this raised a couple of questions. Knowing Carl’s association with Sonny Howard, if he was to leave Nationals, then wouldn’t PickUp Trucks have been the obvious next formula for him? And although it had been proclaimed that it was ASCAR “in addition to” and not “instead of” Hot Rods, was that just pre-World Final propaganda?

”If I was thinking of giving up National Hot Rods, I would do PickUps, they’ve got a really good, competitive series.  But five years ago – if I’d had the money or been daft enough to spend what was needed then - I wanted to have a go at ASCAR, but it certainly wouldn’t have been enjoyable to spend that kind of money.

”Now I’ve just bought a completely race-ready one for about a third of the cost of a new National! I don’t view the ASCAR as a major challenge, but (1) I wanted to have a go and (2) I’ve bought one for the price of renting one for three meetings.  The series isn’t setting the world alight presently, but to go round Rockingham at that speed is great. 

”However, I plan to stay in National Hot Rods at my current level – winning things in the Nationals is my main focus. Hopefully I’ll keep the ASCAR straight, and it’ll be something else, for fun, and as it’s something I wanted to do five years ago.  Hot Rods are my competitive thing and I want to keep top or thereabouts.  I don’t see ASCAR as ultra-competitive, it’s just a few weekends away, and I’m looking forward to OvalFest in September where I’ll be able to race two cars. And I’ll be staying with the Tigra for the foreseeable future. With the current rules, it will take a bit of beating.”

So there it is again, from the proverbial horse’s mouth. He’s staying with and wants to remain top of his game, in National Hot Rods.  Is there anything he’d like to see changed? After all, a recent poll in the nationalhotrod.com Forum showed a stunning 166 people out of 170 that voted, want the World Series rounds to revert to “proper” graded starts.

”I’d be perfectly happy to go back to graded starts, but not with huge packed grids of cars. You accept when you go racing that sometimes you’ll get damage and that it takes time and money to put right.  But with huge packed grids you can guarantee that five or six times a year you’ll take the car home in bits, and that suits no drivers.”

We all know the drivers that have been around a few seasons, and their respective merits and abilities.  But a formula can live or die by its ability to attract new blood. What does the World Champion think of National Hot Rod racing’s latest crop of new drivers to the class?

”Well, there haven’t been that many new drivers this year really.  Matt (Simpson)’s done well in his own right.  Russ (Wilcox) has shown a lot of promise with what really is an old car. Dave Brooks has shown that on his day he’s up there with the quickest – he just needs to be more consistent. Andy Burgess has done well with limited funds and what he’s got. And I think Richard Spavins will be on the pace once he’s sorted his new car.”

With back-to-back victories, and an ASCAR in the garage, you might be forgiven for thinking of Colin White’s achievements at the tail end of the last century.  Is Carl looking to match, or exceed, the Glastonbury-man’s three titles in a row?

”Three in a row. No, not at the minute. I just aim to enjoy the next twelve months.  Though ask me again in March or April next, and I might just be thinking of it…”

© nationalhotrod.com 2007. No part of this to be reproduced without express written permission.
Carl Boardley was talking to Neil Rowe.


2006 World Champion Carl Boardley talks exclusively to nationalhotrod.com
It’s a couple of days after Foxhall 2006, and Carl Boardley is the new World Champion. People who watch and know National Hot Rod racing might be surprised that it took until now for Carl to lift the sport’s top prize, given the general acknowledgement of his ability and pace, and that he’s already a past master of National Championships. But Ipswich and World Finals have never clicked until now – despite some great chances in recent seasons – and even when the home town boy crossed the line first, it had to be after a controversial incident which somewhat took the shine off the achievement.

On the day, at least. 

”We ended up going for a beer in the lorry, rather than a lap of honour and bubbly…  Chris Studd and Paul Gerrard [race stewards] had asked me my version of the last lap, I told them, and said that whatever they decided, I’d go along with. 

”At that time, there and then, I thought that the shine has gone off this anyway, I didn’t care, and I didn’t want the grief.  Looking back now though – of course I did!”

The record book now shows Carl as the latest of many great racers to take the coveted World title. As he says of Andy Steward - who came so close once again 10 years after being denied by Ormond Christie – “I really, really feel sorry for Andy.  He does deserve a World title, and he did in 1996 when I was watching from the crowd. I think it is common knowledge that Andy has said that there’s no way that anyone would come past him if he was ever in that situation again…” More on the race later on.

Going into the big race, Carl had already sewn up the English points title, and the Thunder 500 pre-World barometer of form. Showing what some deemed as frightening pace, no times had been officially recorded at the previous Friday’s test session.  Carl’s been here before of course, bookies favourite, local hero and local hype, and some say this kind of pressure has done for him in previous years.

”I wasn’t feeling any pressure, this year it was more a confidence thing.  We were well confident, really confident that if we could get fairly near the front of the grid then we would take some stopping. In the past with earlier cars, we’d set the car up to be a bit skatey for the first 10/20 laps, so that it would come good later in the race.

”With the Tigra there’s no need for that, we’ve every confidence in the car. As you know, we’ve moved on with a few bits and pieces on it. The panels are light, the chassis is light, and we’ve a fair bit of ballast in it. The inside weight rule was a bit of a problem but we’ve addressed that.  But the centre of gravity we’ve got is so very low, that the thing won’t roll in the bends.  So much that we’ve had to introduce some, to make it perform like a race car when it’s cornering.   We bought it from Chris (Ludlow) as a chassis, panels and various parts, and myself and the team – Richard (Dad), Darren, Steve, Tom and Stuart - built the car ourselves.  A lot of development has taken place in the last 12 months, as with any new car.”

Saturday morning and the lap times to determine the World Final grid. 

“I didn’t think we’d get it as low as we did (14.52secs), perhaps that was part of not feeling any pressure. The year Dave Longhurst won probably changed things for me.  Before that, I’d always gone into the race meeting thinking “I’ve got to do it”.  Whereas since then, I’ve a mindset of “if it happens, it will”, and if not – well – don’t worry, plenty of better drivers than me haven’t done it either.”

Pole position then; Ulsterman John Christie sharing the front row, and 2004 World Champion Malcolm Blackman in Carl’s rearview mirror.  “We got a good start, and then saw, or rather, felt, the oil go down. From then on I had to drive two or three car widths wider to keep out of it.  Two surprises for me: one that the race continued for so long before the stoppage (my lap counter said it was lap 8. Allowing for warm-up laps, we must have been 6 laps gone), and then that Malcolm collected Tom Casey, who we’d already passed after he’d spun on an earlier lap – I guess he must have got caught up on some oil too.”

The stewards deemed a complete restart after a lengthy stoppage. Was the pressure now on? “I wasn’t bothered.  I thought that so long as the car still turned right at the end of the straight, I was comfortable that I could pull out a gap and start putting backmarkers between us and the rest.  The only driver I really thought about at that stage was maybe Spinksy. I really wasn’t too sure about how his car would be in the heat toward the end of the race, and whether he’d be up there.”

Then there was the second stoppage, and the restart which led to the decisive part of the race.  “That was a bit of a bummer really.  Gommy (I think) blew his oil everywhere, and I went straight on!  Luckily Matt Simpson was already there and prevented me going into the wall, and I think he was okay too. I lost a straight lead, but got a gap back again, changed down a gear or two, and kept it sensible.  Then I came up to lap Ken Marriott.”

By this stage of the race, two-thirds in, lapping cars becomes the norm rather than the exception for race leaders, and the number 2 Corsa was no different.  “I’d already lapped him once on the inside, earlier, along with McCall, Wayne Woolsey, loads in fact – and there’d been no problems. As we came off the turn he put his hand out the window to signal me through on the inside, so that’s where I went. He must have misjudged where I was; it felt like he literally threw his car into mine and I ended up with two wheels on the inner kerb. I was left with two choices, beach the car or get back on track.

”I got back on track, but our incident had caused him to spin all the way round to a stop, and I had to go to the wide outside to then pass him. Meanwhile, Andy who had been 8 or 9 car lengths behind me before that, got by.”

So now we got into a stage of the race that would surely test Carl’s new mantra of “if it happens, it will”, but you get the impression that this now more-confident racer would contribute a lot of cool-headedness to what would happen as he found himself demoted to second place. 

”I was always close to him for the last 20-odd laps. We had to ease back every so often, take to the right or the left a bit as the engine temperature was getting too high being so close.  I managed a couple of nibbles up the inside, but of course Andy shut the door.  Then there was a half a chance to almost box him in behind a backmarker which didn’t come off.  When we got to probably 8/9 laps from home, I started thinking that it’s got to come soon…

”I’d found that there wasn’t enough grip on the outside, so sat out there for a few laps and put some rubber down myself to make it grip. With two or three laps to go, I thought it would have to be an outside pass on Andy, even knowing he’d come wide to defend it.  On the last lap I came out of turn two on the outside, hit the wall, and stayed on the wall into the straight.  He’s on the inside of the front of my car and I’m staying on the wall.  I kept the throttle down fully all the time, kept it nailed, and about halfway down Andy turned himself across my car. I think everyone knew what the result would be if he did that.

”Anyway, I took the chequers, but was thinking to myself “What has just gone on?” and put the car on the shale as we’d been indicated to do.  Got out of the car and our team was buzzing around, some others were shouting.  Tick Steward had steam coming out of his ears but Andy was calm and went and sat on the wall, as I did, and two or three people – drivers – said that I’d done nothing wrong and the incident was Andy’s fault.

”Looking back to 2 years ago, I feel I did something then that I felt needed to be done. Although it was a spur of the moment thing – and I wouldn’t want to put myself or other people through it again - I think any other top 10/15 driver would have done the same. But that’s all done and dusted.  Like I said, for this I’d told the stewards that I’d live with whatever decision they reached. 

”Looking back to Sunday, as far as I’m concerned I put it on pole, led the race, had a half lap lead taken away (no problem – that’s racing), then having the lead taken away again and getting back in: what I do know is that all I’ve done is raced someone else fairly, crossed the line first, and won.  Anyway, eventually I was called over to Chris (Studd) who said “the race is yours, well done”.

”Not the way I had wanted it to be done!”.

And Carl’s view on the incident now, looking back on it? “Whether Andy knew I was there or not, I don’t know. If the roles had been reversed, maybe I’d have run him a little bit wide maybe at the apex of the bends. Would I have made the outside pass count if he hadn’t moved over on me?  Who knows!”

So there’s a new era in National Hot Rod racing, as our new champion assumes the mantle of “ambassador” for our great sport. How does Carl look upon this?  Hopefully not as a tick-in-the-box, let’s move onto the circuits/PickUps, whatever.  Surely this racer understands National Hot Rod racing, and what it means to be one of the few to have attained the top?

”I can tell you that we mean to do every single meeting that we possibly can.  That includes Ireland, North and the Republic.  The European in October may pose a small problem for Emma and myself as our second child is due around the 3^rd/4^th October.  The boys will take the lorry over anyway, and I’ll get a flight if – err – things haven’t come out by then!

”We’ll do our best not to miss a single meeting though – Rockingham too. I’m not too sure what the track layout will be yet, but if they need someone to go up and whiz round whatever they come up with, I’ll happily help out with a test.”

Carl is known and has a good reputation for, being a very firm but fair Hot Rod racer. That might be tested now; as has been seen before, it can lend a bit of kudos to up-and-coming racers to “beat the World Champion”. Will he have to change his style? 

”My philosophy in Hot Rods has always been the same: to try and race in a fashion and treat other drivers in the way that I’d like to be treated myself.  So if someone bashes me about a bit, I’m sure I remember it, just the same as I remember those that I’ve had good clean races with.  60/70% of the drivers out there are just as fair like that, and I’d like to treat and be treated by everyone as we all have done in the past.”

Any thoughts on the sport, where it’s been, where it’s going, and how it might be enhanced for the future? The new World Champion has been around long enough now to be very qualified to offer a constructive opinion on this topic. 

”Firstly there’s a couple of problems that need addressing to help take the formula forward. It seems that the drivers aren’t always informed enough about things that are happening and changing in the sport. If the National Hot Rod website was taken away, we’d know very little.  The other problem is that sometimes things don’t often seem to be thought through properly. For example, the recent chassis changes were probably exactly the right thing to do for the sport. But then we get told something just before the World Final that makes all the CLM (Chris Ludlow) cars illegal, then an amendment sheet gets given out on the Saturday morning that makes them all alright again!

”Other than that, I think the rules we’ve arrived at now are probably about right. They level it all out so that you can’t really go out and spend loads in order to win. Where we are now is good for the next 12/18 months.  But where the next level or development is, to take the sport on, I don’t really know at the moment.

”Unlike some, I’m satisfied with the Hoosier tyres we use now. The first H10s were probably too close to the Avon to be any kind of improvement, but the H12s we have now are fine if you manage them properly. I know that I can get 3 or 4, even 5 meetings out of a tyre so long as you do that, scrubbing them and measuring them etc.  I’d much rather spend an hour and a half a week doing that, than spend £400 on another brand new set. You can of course keep bolting new ones on, but why? These seem to offer reasonable grip and last alright anyway.”

And the racing itself? “There’s two sides to opinions on this.  For myself, I think National Hot Rod racing is as good as its been since I started.  The drawn grids format in use at the moment have led to definitely a lot less accidents than (for me) starting at the back all the time. Though personally I’d like to see the graded starts back. 

”If I draw A1/A2 then I’m distraught if I don’t win. Within two laps any top driver will be in the lead and gone. There’s nothing worse than that for no challenge, and it isn’t great for the crowds. But like I said, there’s fors and againsts with both systems.”

© nationalhotrod.com 2006. No part of this to be reproduced without express written permission.

Carl Boardley was talking to Neil Rowe.

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Alan Connolly Racing with The Joey Dunlop Foundation
Words - Darren Black   Ballymoney National Hot Rod racer Alan Connolly will kick off his 2007 World Championship qualifying campaign with his newly refurbished ex-Neal Smith Peugeot 206. The former Stock Rod World Champion will also bring another unique aspect to Northern Ireland oval racing, as he supports The Joey Dunlop Foundation. The foundation, set up in memory of fellow Ballymoney man and one of Ulster's favourite sons, Joey Dunlop MBE, OBE - five times F1 Motorcycling World Champion and a record 26 times Isle of Man TT winner - has already refurbished the TT Grandstand in Douglas, IoM, with excellent toilet facilities and lifts for disabled spectators. They hope, in the coming year leading up to the 100th anniversary of the Isle of Man TT races, to complete a number of chalets alongside the Mountain course to enable disabled fans, and also injured riders, to watch the TT action in comfort and with the necessary facilities.
 
Up until his untimely death in Estonia in 2000, Joey, the "King of the Roads", was renowned for his own charity work as well as his enormous ability on a racing motorcycle, and on many occasions thought nothing of heading off to Romania and other Eastern European nations with supplies for under privileged children.
 
Alan Connolly will donate all of his prize money in the coming season to the Joey Dunlop Foundation, and will gratefully receive any donations from the public at his transporter in the pit area during meetings.
Darren Black

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Grids: grins and gripes - by Garry Staines
One of the main talking points in the National Hot Rod forum this year has been the dislike of the current way of organising the grid line-ups. The majority of Rod fans would like a return to traditional grades or fastest starting at the back.

Whilst we get several drivers posting their thoughts in the forum, I thought I'd survey the rest of the English drivers on what their views of the current season have been. I also asked them if they would like to see any changes for the 2007 qualifing series.

At round 16, I spoke to twenty drivers: 2 14 31 41 59 61 67 85 115 141 170 198 271 278 291 303 491 639 734 and 911. In the past - whilst compiling the driver profiles and writing reports for this website - most drivers seemed very critical of the NHRPA and the way things were being run. But at round 16, the majority had a very positive view of the current Hot Rod scene.

Of the twenty drivers, eleven thought the current way was good.  Nine were in favour of graded/average order starts. I found it interesting that the nine who did not like the 2006 system could all be described as veterans of the formula. 

Several drivers thought that the 2006 system was set up to favour Carl (Boardley) and Malcolm (Blackman). But Carl and Malcolm were amongst the nine that did not like the current way. So that puts an end to that conspiracy theory.

Here is a selection of quotes from the drivers, I'll leave it to the readers to guess who said what...
‘Ive enjoyed it, but I'd like to see more fun meetings’
‘As a driver it's nice to get some starts near the front, but I understand it can be boring for the spectators’
‘Graded order is best, with top points of the day at the front for the final’
‘Drawn grids is the fairest way, Its good to race against different drivers’
‘Too many World Qualifiers, We should have twelve max, with two or three more open meetings’
‘I like the heats, but the finals unfair if your not in the top twenty’
‘More rounds at different tracks, how about Buxton or Bovingdon’
‘Excellent, my best ever season, never been run better’
‘Separation of grids superb, gives everyone a chance of a win’
‘I think its crap, certain drivers are running this sport, I'm quitting after the world final’
‘Grids are the least of my problems, let’s talk about the Blue Flag...’
‘I don't dislike it, the thing I want changing is the World final itself, it should be 100 laps’
‘How can you get fairer than a drawn grid?’
‘At the moment, it is a load of rubbish, we should go back to averages for the heats’
‘I dont really care, I just enjoy my racing’
‘Red book for all, not just 19 cars!’
‘Good year.  The day is gone where you can win from the back’
‘I like it, it’s good to race alongside different drivers every time.  I'm learning more by mixing with the star men’
‘S**t. There is no incentive if you are out of the top twenty.  I liked the averages - even if I didn't trust the way they were worked out’
Those were the drivers thoughts. For me - I fear that the 2007 world qualifier series, will just continue on from 2006. I'd like to see a few changes.

I can understand that the drawn grids are fair, but it has resulted in some boring races for the fans. The gaps on the grids has seen less crashes, but I think they should be closed up a little, as a the top point scorers have no chance from half a lap back in the final. They have to change the finals: if you are out of the top twenty you have no chance of a result.

With more regular racers likely from Ireland/NI for 2007, is twenty English qualifiers too many? Maybe it’s time to re-think the whole system?
Garry Staines

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Colin White’s return to National Hot Rod racing
by Steve Morris and Marlene Clarke
We managed to catch up with Colin White for a brief chat in Colin Gomm’s hospitality suite at Ringwood on Good Friday, in between races and Colin lending a hand to various drivers.

Colin revealed he has wanted to return to National Hot Rods for some time, but after his recent health scare this was put on hold.  He was approached by David Haird to return at Wimbledon for the open meeting in February 2005. “I wanted to do this meeting as it would have helped develop and assess my race fitness for the season ahead. Sadly this didn't work out.”

During 2005 Colin did a few outlaw Hot Rod meetings, and also the SCSA series, he finally finished third in the SCSA championship that year. “I kept involved with the National Hot Rod scene through helping with the set-up on James Jamieson and Malcolm Clein’s cars” he revealed. He has also been actively trying to help with the setting up of a separate Scottish world qualifying series - “I would go there to race and support the series, whenever possible.”

A meeting was held between Colin and NHRPA chairman Roy Eaton at Rockingham during the October 2005 SCSA meeting, and a deal was almost struck for Colin's return.  The outstanding problems have now been resolved and the wheels are set in motion for Colin to get his NHRPA licence for the 2006 season.

”As yet I’m undecided what car I will race.  I still have the offer to use James Jamieson’s Corrado, and also I’ve been offered the use of my ex-world-winning Corrado by its current owner, Les Palmer, as well as cars from other drivers. I would, of course, like to build and develop an all-new car.”

Colin will, all being well, return to Nationals at Tipperary on 13/14th May, for the Irish GP meeting. “I hope to do as many meetings as possible but probably not World Qualifying rounds at present. However this will be reviewed after this year’s World Final.”

Colin’s plans for 2006 include the SCSA at Rockingham, and amongst other things he hopes to contest this year’s Nurburgring 24-hour race, driving Frank Nohring’s BMW M3. “This weekend (22/23 April) I’ll be in Germany doing a second 4-hour race, in preparation for the 24 hour event in June.  I also hope to be able to attend the Thunder 500 that is on at Ipswich on the same weekend - this will depend on the 24-hour race starting on the Friday 16th June, going into the Saturday.”  If the race begins on the Saturday, obviously this will not be possible.

At the end of the day, Colin is a committed and dedicated racer and National Hot Rods have always been his #1 racing passion, so nationalhotrod.com would like to welcome Colin back - and wish him and his team, all the best for his return to Nationals. Colin White was talking with Steve Morris and Marlene Clarke – who would like to thank Colin and Julie Gomm for the use of their hospitality suite.

Pit reaction at Ipswich on Easter Monday, to the news of Colin’s return to Nationals:
Malcolm Blackman #911: “Have got no problem, we get on fine, looking forward to racing with Colin”
Carl Boardley #41:  “Colin’s return will be good for the formula”
Matt Simpson #303: “Another top-line driver returning has to be good for the sport. Looking forward to racing against Colin”
Former rival Jeff Simpson:  “Any problems we had were sorted ages ago, he’s a top driver and his return will be good for the sport”

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NEC 2006 It’s all over for another year.  The people who came together from across National Hot Rod racing to make it all happen have been recognised and thanked already on this site - but once again, THANK YOU to everyone who financially backed the superb stand with which we were able to promote our sport at the NEC. 

A number of further people were very generous with their time and effort over the weekend of January 14/15 as well, in many ways, shapes and forms.  National Hot Rod racing would further like to add thanks to the following good folk:

Phil Spinks
for the time and work put into the design, manufacture and building of the stand itself.
Marlene Clarke
for taking the time and making the effort to organise a raffle to help finance proceedings - we’re pleased to announce that this raised a couple of pounds shy of £400 - well done.  Prizewinners here later.
Kenny, Carol and Kelly Jay
for their great help in manning the stand and general support over the weekend.
Nick Thomas, Spedeworth EA, Karsten Beilschmidt, Dave Smith, Julie and Colin Gomm and their team
for the support, effort, time and general contribution they made.
Team Haird:  Chris, Sarah, Chad and Slim
for all their work not only when the show was open, but also for their commitment in staying late Sunday night to dismantle the thing afterwards.
Ricky Hunn and Team Hunn Motorsport
for the lend of, and all the work that they put into, the new National.
Matt Simpson and Team Simpson Motorsport
for the lend of, and all the work that they put into, their National.
and most of all: David Haird
without whom it simply would not have happened at all, and Lesley, without whom David wouldn’t happen!
and a message from Marlene Clarke to all: “Just like to thank everyone who came to the Days Inn on Saturday night, and supported the raffle. Thanks to Kelly for selling the tickets, and to Dave Richardson and Barry Lee for compering the raffle draw. Many thanks to the donors of the prizes:- Days Inn, Spedeworth EA Ltd, David Haird, Mike Barry, Hoosier Tires, Just for Fun Leisurewear, Incarace, Colin Gomm, and JC Carpentry Services. Congratulations to the winners”.

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