Sean’s up for crash & bang World Cup
… despite not managing to finish one yet
A West Lothian stock car racer says he is ready for the World Cup.
Experienced driver Sean McConnachie, from Wilkieston, has a Toyota Supra primed for this year’s event.
The HGV mechanic works out of his own garage, BM Recovery, by day but can be seen regularly wrecking cars on the ovals throughout Britain.
He said: “I got involved in stock car racing through my Auntie Jill and Uncle Derek who used to race Banger Rods at Barford.
“I used go with them to watch him race at the Barford track in the north of England and decided it was something I wanted to do.
“I was 17 when I got my first car. I thought it would be reasonably inexpensive to try the Prostock formula at the Cowdenbeath Racewall but it didn’t really work out that way.
“I had an old Ford Sierra and managed to survive the heats but skelped the wall pretty hard on my own during the final and that was the car wrecked.
“I raced Prostock for another four years before deciding to try my luck at Bangers.”
He continued: “I like the rough and tumble of the Bangers and don’t mind dishing out the heavy hits to anyone in the way.
“And I’m willing to be on the receiving end. If you dish it out you need to be able to take it.
“I have raced quite often in the Unlimited Banger World Cup at the Racewall but haven’t managed to finish one yet.
“I usually end up getting wrecked one way or another.
“I remember one World Cup where I didn’t even manage to get in half a lap before I was wrecked.
“If you manage to get around the first two bends than you are in with a chance.
“It can take around two weeks to get a good Unlimited Banger ready to race. The car must be strong so there could be a lot of welding involved. If the car is rotten, it may require a lot of work before you start to build it.
“Most of us are using 2.3 litre Duratec engine but there is no restriction on the size of engine that you are allowed to use.
“I remember going down to Ipswich one year for the World Final and didn’t even get a quarter of a lap. I got picked up at the start and driven straight into the wall. It’s a long way from Wilkieston to Ipswich just for a quarter of a lap.
“I quite often race a Micro Banger, which are usually Micras or something similar and they are good fun. I have won quite a few races in them.
You can get quite a bit of damage in these cars and it wouldn’t be the first time that I have done a few laps on two wheels after the back axle had been ripped out.
“The last time I raced them at the Racewall I won the Destruction Derby.
“Going from the small to the large I think the longest Banger I have raced was a couple of years ago.
“I had a Mercedes bus that I raced at one of the holiday meetings at the Racewall. It was really good fun.
“I finished the first heat but in heat two I managed to get the bus stuck in Lee Clarke’s van for a few laps and couldn’t get free.
“I finished the final and then went on to win the Destruction Derby.
“I had a Toyota Supra ready for last year’s World Cup and it is still there for this year’s event when it goes ahead.
“I hope to do a few Unlimited Banger races down south this year but we will need to wait to see what happens.”
I don’t mind dishing out the heavy hits… and I’m willing to be on the receiving end