about the driver
"i'm on the rev-limiter"
Name: Mike Winfield
DOB: 05.01.80
Lives: Newport Pagnell
Job: Professional Driver / Motorsport Instructor
Hobbies: Mountain biking, walking, driving
Mike is currently driving a Peugeot 206, contesting the Peugeot 206 1400 Challenge, which runs alongside the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship rounds.
Mike's big break...
"I was working at a rally school just seat belting guests into cars, and an instructor didn't turn up so I got put into the car to instruct for the day. The event manager knew I had done a bit of karting and stuff, so off I was sent! I instructed all day and even did my own passenger rides at the end of the day. I knew I was being watched closely, as I think everybody was under the impression I would throw it off into the field; to be honest, me included! From that day on I was put in a car every week, which was brilliant. I must have done something right!"
Q&A with Mike Winfield
Q: So Mike, you have just finished the end of the 2007 season, how do you think the year has gone as a whole?
A: I am really pleased with this year, still a bit disappointed that we did not get the result we worked so hard for but it has been so much fun trying. We finished in 2nd place in the TMS Peugeot 1400 Challenge, 8th Overall in the ANCRO National Clubmans Rally Championship which in a 72 bhp Peugeot is a great achievement, 3rd in the EuroRallye Cup and 2nd in the ANCRO Class 1 Championship. How many second places can a man have!
Q: Where do you feel it went wrong this year?
A: I could give you 100 reasons and excuses, but you would not believe me! The pure fact was that we did not get from A to B fast enough! Quite a massive reason I believe I that Martin Laverty has been rallying since before I was born, and Colin Hope is not far behind him, so they both have a lot of experience which you cannot buy. The bottom line is that experience counts for more than people remember. My experience is obviously coming along, but I am just a baby here, so to get so close to Martin and put in the same times as him in an identical car makes me quite pleased with our years work.
Q: Now that this year is over, what are your plans for the 2007 season?
A: I am not sure yet, the win in the Peugeot 1400 championship would have carried a decent cash prize which I would have used to go towards next year, so to finish 2nd has been a massive set back financially if I am honest. I will be keeping the car as it is a solid vehicle and handles quite well, so with more power it would be fun. There will be some fairly heavy development on it over the winter and we know what we would like to do and have been planning it since August. The problem is getting enough money together to pay for it! Depending how that goes, ANCRO Class 1 is an option, BTRDA 1400's is an option, even BRC Stars of Tomorrow is even an option, so we will just have to wait and see right now and decide January time. We will not be tied by Peugeot challenge regs anymore, so we can go mad and build a little screamer, which will hopefully chase the big 1400 boys. We have also been working quite hard behind the scenes at getting into four wheel drive car at some point in 2006 which has not happened as there were clashes with other rallying commitments, so now I have a bit of time to plan I can sort it out rather than running out of time like I normally do. Work gets in the way of everything doesn't it!
Q: You mentioned getting into a four wheel drive car, was that just due to be a one off?
A: Yes it was, it would have been a one off initially but you never know where these things lead to. I have 2 years experience of driving four wheel drive cars, I just have never competed in one. To be honest it is much harder to drive a low powered front wheel drive car quickly - you can never lift off the throttle which creates the obvious problems, but to try and be smooth and fast is a real challenge. The only massive difference in a Scooby or an Evo is the speeds which you arrive at and leave things.
Q: So what is your ultimate aim; where do you see yourself in 3 years?
A: I have always said that I liked to think I had realistic ambitions; non of this I want to drive in the WRC (World Rally Championship) and be Petter Solberg's team mate at Subaru. Some people would probably criticise me and say that I had no ambition, but that is rubbish. I don't know where some people get their ideas from, they are just dreams carried over into real life when they wake up! I would still like to drive a four wheel drive car in the BRC (British Rally Championship) which is an ambition I have had from day 1. Whether it happen in 3 years or not, who knows but I'd like to think so...
As an aside, I would also like to compete in WRGB (Wales Rally Great Britain), Britain's our own round of the World Rally Championship.
Well Mike, thank you for your time and best wishes for 2007.
Joanna Forrester.
