The following is an interview written by Chris Clark for the Bolton News

Key
CC - Chris Clark
DF - Derek Fairhurst
LF - Lee Fairhurst

The 2008 season marks the 30th anniversary in the sport for Bolton based Formula 1 driver 218 Derek Fairhurst. It is also the second season in the Formula 2 ranks for Derek’s son Lee. (213)
Derek and Lee took time out from a busy afternoon in the workshop to speak to Chris Clark.

CC – Derek, you first competed in Formula 1’s back in 1978, so 2008 is your 30th anniversary in the sport. What are your favourite career moments from your last 30 years of racing ?

DF – That’s a hard one to answer as there are so many memories, but getting two 4th place finishes in World Finals are quite memorable. I would have liked to have got on the podium but came up just short. Winning two heats and the final at Bradford always sticks in my mind, because that night I don’t think I could do no wrong, the car was good, I was good and we were on form. There’s been quite a few memorable races that stick in my mind.

CC - What in your opinion has changed the most about the sport and the cars etc, over the last 30 years ?

DF – The tyres and the brakes are a lot better now, obviously the tracks are still the same, but the cars are getting quicker due to proper set ups and racing tyres. The rally tyres that we use have softer compounds than we ever used to have, so the cars have got progressively quicker, so you have to have a proper set up. Before you could get away with a lot, but today you have to have the right set up for the car if you want to finish in the top three.

CC - Are there any changes that you feel need to be made to improve the sport in future years ?

DF – Yes, I would like to see closer racing, a lot more help with other people who haven’t got their cars set up right. I think the racing would benefit if every driver had the same set up if possible, so that the racing would be a lot closer between everybody. There’s so much money on these cars now that some people that have more money to spend, they can just drive away from you on the straights.

CC – Do you think that the sport could benefit from a database of set up information, that is available to any driver ?

DF – Yes definitely, anyone who has a problem with their car could look up spring weights and other set up advice to help them with their car set up. We had the car clinic a few years ago and I learned a few things that helped me.

CC - Last season was quite a good season for you, with a 3rd place in The Scottish Championship at Cowdenbeath and 4th in the World Semi Final at Buxton. How would you sum up your season as a whole.

DF - I enjoyed last season, but the main problem is trying to keep up with the money side of things, which is something that we always have done, we are grateful to the sponsors that we have got, we don’t have any major sponsors, but to us any backing or help that we have we view as a major sponsor. I do feel that we did quite well last year on the budget that we had, because people don’t realize what budget we do run on. Some people think that because we turn out a really nice car that we have money to spare, but then again if they see what road cars we run, and how hard we work through the week to work overtime, how hard my wife Suzzanne works and what she sacrifices so that we can go racing, then I think that we can be classed as budget racers that go that little extra distance to try and make the cars look nice as well.

CC - You suffered a few niggling problems with the car during the year and suffered a major gearbox failure at Venray. Have all those problems been overcome during the winter ?

DF – I don’t think its just myself that had problems like that, if you look at anybody with a race car set up, they probably had the same problems as us, gearboxes, clutches, or just bad luck. You can have a run of bad luck or a run of good luck. I was quite pleased with last year, even when the gearbox went as I was relieved that it was the gear box that went and not the engine. The problem that we have at the moment is that this engine is quite a bit down on horsepower, it was built for ASCAR at Rockingham, so its not a mega horsepower or torque engine, so we are hoping to spend a bit of money on that this year time willing and hopefully we can get a little more out of the engine and get it going a bit quicker.

CC - And the bus has had a refurbishment as well during the winter ?

DF – We decided that it needed tidying up a little bit, we did the car area a few years ago so that is very tidy but we stopped and always meant to do the front next. So this year we decided to do the front with some very good help from Geoff and Wes Goodwin at Go Goodwins. We have re panelled the sides, sprayed it and took out all the interior and done a refit with a new kitchen. The windows have been replaced and we had a lot of help with that from Dave Russell and my mechanics. The bus might be an old bus, but it’s a very good bus and I wouldn’t want to swap it for a super modern thing, because it’s a really good bus that has served us well.

CC - You specialised in tarmac racing last year, with the exception being the World Final at Kings Lynn. With this years World Final taking place on the fast tarmac at Ipswich, how do you rate your chances provided you qualify for the main race ?

DF – I miss shale racing tremendously but I can’t afford to run two cars. The tarmac car is easier to maintain as you don’t have to clean it after every meeting and the damage limitation is less than on shale. So I went over to tarmac racing because we couldn’t afford the two. Ipswich is going to be super fast, which is why we really need to look at getting more out of the engine. We need more torque coming out of the corners and to be able to run the length of the straights without it running out of breath. At present, it’s a catch 22 situation. We either gear it to pull out of the corners and lose top end speed, or we have the speed on the straights but can’t get out of the corners.

CC - What is your previous form around the Foxhall Heath Stadium ?

DF – Not brilliant really. We have raced there twice and had a major problem at the first meeting and it rained at the second meeting and ended up more like a shale race than a tarmac race. I ended up getting sand in my eyes from the middle and couldn’t see properly so ended up doing nothing spectacular.

CC - Any new sponsors or support for the car this year ?

DF – Go Goodwins have been with us for several years now and Geoff has always helped me when we have asked him and this year we asked him a little bit more and he came up trumps with helping us with the bus. With Wes racing he has showed a bit more interest in the sport. Jamie Davidson has thrown some support our direction this year, which we have passed to Lee to help with the F2, MSL Recovery, Monaco Garage, TR Car Sales and Tranzparts are all still with us again for the season. I’ve had some good sponsors over the years, not major sponsors but every little helps. I’ve also had some bad sponsors that didn’t pay, so one finger up to them, they know who they are. We are looking to get some diesel sponsorship if possible, because with the racing as usual, if you can get to the track, then you can score the points. If you can’t get to the tracks then you can’t score the points. You see a lot of red tops that are always up there and I am not having a go at anybody, because I appreciate that they get to as many meetings as they can, but if you are running two cars then its easier to get to red top and easier to stay there. If you don’t do the meetings then you are going to be blue or yellow. There are some drivers up there at red purely because they do every meeting and you can see that in their averages, but good luck to them, they entertain us week in week out.

CC – What are your goals for the season ?

DF – I haven’t set any goals for this year, and haven’t set my sights on anything. I would like to qualify for the World Final if possible. I have found it hard just lately trying to keep up with the job and I get a little bit tired of having no money sometimes, but then you can have a good race which makes you feel a little bit better. I haven’t set goals, because if I set any they might be knocked down and I would be disappointed . My main aim this year is to help Lee to get as much experience as possible and hopefully as long as I can keep the tarmac car running then he can have a go in the Formula 1 and we will take it from there.

CC – Lee is making his Formula 1 debut this year, so does that make you nervous at all ?

DF – No not really because I know that he is a good driver and I think that once he has had a bit of practice that he will pick up the car pretty quickly and once I know how the car is handling, then I will know if it’s the cars fault or Lee’s fault why it does a certain thing. I’d be nervous when he’s racing because I think that anybody watching someone that they love would be nervous about it and doesn’t want to see them get hurt. But we build a nice safe car, and I make sure that everything is spot on with the car before it goes out, I tell him not to be an idiot and he drives well so I think that he will be alright.

CC – Lee, you competed in your first Formula 2 season last year in a car loaned to you by Gary Maynard. Please sum up your year and did you achieve your goals or surpass them ?

LF – The main objective was to gain some racing experience, because I hadn’t raced in Minis or anything before. I would have liked to have got some more race wins along the way, but did get a final win, so I am quite happy with how the season went.

CC - You came close to winning a couple of races at both Northampton and Birmingham, only to come undone by late yellow flags on both occasions. But your first win came at Birmingham later in the year with a flag to flag win in the meeting final. Please describe how that felt to get a final as your first ever race win ?

LF – Obviously it was nice to get a final as my first ever race win, but I take a race win as a race win, but it was great to get the final as the first win. I did come close on two other occasions, and the yellows came out but that’s stock car racing.

CC – How did you feel about having to move up to yellow grade straight away after the final win ?

LF – I was happy because it gave me more of a challenge which was what I needed to improve on my racing.

CC - Derek, how did it feel as proud parent seeing Lee get his first win ?

DF – We knew that he was getting quicker and quicker and as soon as we cured the misfire that the car had been suffering with, then he was away and getting really good starts and getting progressively better every meeting, so we didn’t think that it would be long before he got a win. A final win is absolutely excellent, flag to flag, he kept his cool. I was really proud.

CC - You got better results on tarmac than on shale last season, so is tarmac your favoured surface, or was it just down to a lack of experience on shale ?

LF – I did 3 meetings on shale and about 15 on tarmac, I prefer tarmac as I go a lot better on tarmac but shale is much more fun to drive though.

CC - You have a very well presented car that is new to you for this season, please tell us more about it and the cars history.

LF – The car is a 2001 Randall chassis which was originally Mickey Brennan’s and I think he won the Irish Open in it. The car was then used by another driver, before my mechanic Alan bought it off Dave Teal. Alan is letting me use the car this year and it has had a complete strip down and rebuild over the winter.

CC - What are your goals for your second season in the sport ?

LF – Keep having fun mainly and to gain some more experience along the way, if race wins come then that’s a bonus.

CC - You have also taken out a BriSCA F1 licence this year, so what are your plans and how many meetings do you hope to get to race at in the F1 ?

LF – Yes I will be racing under Rob Perry’s old number 217. I hope to race at least 3 meetings this season, but its about getting experience again and hopefully either next season or the season after I can have a proper go. If my dad has the money !

CC – Is there anybody that you wish to thank for helping you to get out on track.

LF – Yes, a big thank you to Alan and Sharon for providing me a car to race, my mum and dad for all their support, all the mechanics, they all know who they are ! My sponsors in no particular order, Jamie Davidson scrap metals, Go Goodwins, Stevenage Insurance Services, Hi Spec Racing, Monaco Garage, TR Car Sales and Teng Tools.

Lee and Derek, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule working on the cars to talk to me, and best of luck out on the track. Chris Clark