514 Paul Woods
Pauls Mk2
at the very first Barrow Grand Slam and same kind of motor for the
second Unlimited session of 2002
It was ineviatable that Paul Woods
would come into Banger Racing when you think about the history
surrounding the family. Pauls father was 513 Stan Woods who just a year
or two ago celebrated 35 years in the sport and it was just a natural
progression when Paul hit 16 that he would start racing in the
legengary Invader colours. 12 years later and Paul is one of the
leading lights in the sport and certainly one of the best drivers in
the North who can be seen at the majority of the big meetings up and
down the country. Paul, who runs his own recovery business in his home
town of Kirby, Liverpool, first started on August 10th 1991 at the
wheel of a Mk3 Cortina at Crewe and when asked how he got on, 'I
bounced off everything!,' laughs Paul, including the tractor!
This is
how it ended up after hard burial from 243 Dougie Thompson and heres
Paul getting stuck into 151 Steven Scurr Jnr at Warton domestic
Since then he has raced a rated line
up of cars which includes the usual Granadas and Cortinas plus Mk2
limos, a Mk1 and Mk3 Tina. Also on the list are Humer Sceptre, Oxfords,
Laurel, FSO, Bluebirds, Dolomite, Capris, Cressidas, Mazda 929 estate
and a Marina. In the current
stock pile
you'll be able to see plenty of Granadas, Bluebirds, A60s, a Series 3
XJ, Marina plus a Caddy Coupe De Ville. Paul makes no secret of for his
love of Granada estates and rates them as the best car to race but the
ultimate would be to race a modern shape Rolls Royce.
His Favourite type of car the Granada estate, heres two examples from
this years Metal Mania and from Barford Northern Championship last year
Pauls visit to Arena was for the the
2002 Firecracker and this is where he pulled off his best hit to date,
his massive shot on 557 Paranoid Paul which left the latters Humber
Hawk hearse a big mess. On the other hand the biggest oen he's taken is
a follow in from Rob Speak at Bolton not long after he'd just started.
The best meeting he feels he's done is one at Stoke where he won 3
races including the DD in a car which was built in the afternoon of the
meeting! The recent World Cup at Cowdenbeath comes high on the list as
biggest meetings he's been apart of while the Firecracker can't be far
away but the meeting he most likes being apart of is the Pre 68 at
Hednesford where its back to basics for the day, no race engines etc
and you can have a laugh and a good crash. He also loved the trip over
to Warneton in Belgium last year and rates that as the title he'd most
like to win.
The trip down to Standlake for the 3
Litre domestic earlier this year was one that he thoroughly enjoyed and
now rates the place as his favourite track Prestaton meanwhile is one
that he wasn't so keen on. Paul likes to have a race but can wreck when
he wants and succeses so far include winning the Silver roof at Warton
plus a couple of titles in the Bangerstox at Bolton.
Paul also
loves to travel and heres his cars from Buxtons King of the Peak last
year and from this years Standlake 3 Litre domestic in March
As we know Paul has always been apart
of the Invaders ever since the day he started and has no problems with
the team racing aspect of the sport. He feels its just part and parcel
and has always been there. Paul has also guested in other
colours, the Krazy Krew, the Northern side at the Civil War and
recently Team Crash Zone being
three of them.
His Mk2
limo in which he pulled off his biggest hit to date at the 2002
Firecracker
Looking at the other drivers who he
rated, the first one who came to mind was his Dad, 513 Stan the Man
while also from the Crewe old days came 535 Mally Oldham, 55 Smiggy and
49 Tim Horn. Looking at racing now 617 Jack Overy and 168 Ian Horsfield
are drivers admired while the Bears, Stinkbridge and the Blooz Boyz are
teams who come highly rated.
Pauls high points of his own career
is the laughs and travelling all the time enjoyed with the lads,
including the trips away to Belgium, Cowdie plus winning at Nutts
Corner. The lowest point however is travelling all the way down to
Mildenhall for a Pre 70 with an A60 that failed to run on the night.
Looking ahead now and another busy
year is planned, but hopefully a bit calmer than last year, appearances
are pencilled in for Firecracker and Civil War while they hope to
continue having a laugh all along the way! He'd like to see
scrutineering tightened up but is happy with the rules on the whole but
thinks the future will be all small cars as the big unlimiteds become
harder to get hold of.
Another
Mk2 limo, this time from a Warton domestic on 22nd June in 2003 and his
wreck after the final at this years Civil War
Finally the usual thanks, to Dad for
all his help and to everyone at Kirby, Carlos Perez plus the wife and
kids.
I'd like to thank Paul very much for
doing the interview. Certainly a driver who has come on leaps and
bounds in the past 2-3 years and now getting more noticed as they
travel around more. A great bunch of lads who are a great team and we
wish them all the very best success for the future.
