An Interview with BriSCA F2 Stockcar World Championship Semi Finalist 377 Daz Shaw
(interview published August 13 2014 in the lead up to the World Championship Semi-Finals at Mildenhall on August 23)

Age: 33
Home Town: Castleford
Occupation: Mobile plant fitter
Family: Wife Charlotte
Racing career: Started racing National Ministox aged 10 at Long Eaton, started BriSCA F2 Stockcars aged 19

Congratulations on qualifying for a World Championship Semi Final, was this a target for this season and are you pleased to be in your race?
I am happy to be in a World Semi Final, it’s always an achievement to qualify for a race like this but it was never a target of mine to get into one. I suppose it is better this year because the race is on shale at Mildenhall and most of the semis I have been in have been on tarmac where I haven’t started with much of a chance so it will be good to be in a big race on shale where I have a chance of doing well. Had the World Final been on shale as well then of course I would have probably been much more excited about the race and would have probably made a greater effort to qualify as best I could. As it is with the World Final at Cowdenbeath, it’s not the end of the world to me if I qualify or not but I will definitely be doing my best. The good thing about this is that I can go into the semi-final with no pressure because the result isn’t exactly life and death to me and so I can just enjoy the race and I’m sure I will.

You raced in all five shale staged World qualifying rounds this year, did that have anything to do with qualifying for the semi-finals or was that more about your dedication to the shale scene?
It wasn’t about the world qualifying rounds it was purely about trying to do as many shale meetings as I could. I had a busy run earlier in the year when I got to superstar for the first time and did my best to try and stay there for as long as I could. It’s always hard for the shale drivers to get to superstar because there are so many more meetings on tarmac than shale and I only race on shale so I was doing everything I could and that meant doing all the world qualifiers on shale. I suppose it’s turned out well thought because doing those meetings has got me on the grid.

Many of the shale regulars we have spoken to have shown little interest in challenging for a World Championship on tarmac but those who have yet to race in a World Final have shown a desire to race in one and see this as a good chance to qualify. You have raced in a World Final before so how important is it for you to qualify for this year’s final?
Yeah, I can understand that. I did the World Final the year it was at Arena and I didn’t really have much of a chance or do terribly well but it was a good feeling to be in a World Final and say I’ve done it because it is the biggest race of the season and I can understand why anyone would want to be in one. Of course, most shale regulars like myself wouldn’t fancy their chances at Cowdenbeath but at the same time there are a lot of shale drivers who have never been in a World Final, mainly because a lot of the time the semis are on tarmac so this is a great chance for them to get into a World Final and experience the big race and somewhere like Cowdenbeath that is likely to be a great atmosphere and a brilliant race to be in. I think it’s safe to say I’m not too worried about qualifying. Of course if I did I would go and do the best with what I have but it’s very unlikely I would be able to challenge for the win at somewhere like Cowdenbeath but it would be nice to be on the grid again. But again, I’m not too worried which is nice in a way because it takes away any of the pressure and allows me to just enjoy the race. Both the grids are pretty good with loads of top drivers in them so it will be good to race against them and see how I get on.

How do you feel about your grid position and how do you rate your chances of qualifying?
I’m quite pleased, it’s never easy in the middle but I’ve some good company with me, Andrew Palmer is on my inside on row nine and there are a few good shale drivers around me so that might help at the start because we have a little more experience on shale and at Mildenhall so having drivers like that around you might help you survive the start. But it’s like all racing, you never know what’s going to happen and something like a semi-final is even more unpredictable than usual. I think it will be very interesting because a lot of drivers are just going to want to get a top 10 I think. Especially with the World (Final) at Cowdenbeath, I suspect a lot of people won’t desperately want to be on the front row for that race so I think just qualifying will be the important thing to a lot of people so it’s going to be interesting and I’ve no idea what to expect on the first bend, we’ll just see what happens.

Does having the race at Mildenhall make the race even more unpredictable?
I think it could. Again I’m not sure too many people will be desperate to start the World Final on the front row but Mildenhall isn’t the kind of track where you can race to finish second. You have to push all the time and if you don’t you will probably get taken out so I’m not too sure any driver will be able to drive tactically, I think everyone is going to have to give it everything and just see what happens in the end, to be honest I’ll be more interested in trying to qualify for the Grand Final that night (laughs).

Who do you think are the drivers to watch in your race?
There’s so many. Again you don’t get in a race like this without being good or working hard so everyone has done well to get here and everyone will have their reasons for wanting a top 10 so you can’t really discount anyone. But with guys like Chris Bradbury and Barry Goldin up the front, if they make it through the first bend and lap they will be hard to beat I think because both are really good on shale. Admittedly it’s been a while since Barry has raced at Mildenhall but that won’t matter, he’s a very good driver and he’ll be on the pace I’m sure. Both of them will probably fancy their chances at Cowdenbeath as well so they’ll be looking to do well.

If we can talk about your season, as you mentioned you made it to superstar this season for the first time, were you more pleased at getting to superstar or staying there for another month?
Both really, it was both a great thing for me. Like I said it’s hard for someone who only races on shale to get to superstar and it really means not only doing all the shale meetings but doing well at them all and so to get to superstar for the first time was fantastic but to stay there for another month was really something I never expected and something I was really pleased about.

That form helped you top the World of Shale Qualifying points and you start the championship on pole position next weekend (August 16), how do you rate your chances?
I think I’ve as good a chance as anyone. The car has gone well at Coventry this year, we’ve a new engine for the race and I’m on pole so I think I’ve a decent chance. I’m looking forward to it, I just want to get on with it now (laughs). Again it’s trying to think of it as just another race and not letting the pressure beat you but this is the race I really want to win this season.

Despite this incredible shale form this season you’ve not had as much success at Mildenhall and are only just inside the top 10 in the track championship, is this something you are disappointed about?
Not really. The thing with Mildenhall is you can have the perfect car and do everything right and still get nothing because the track is so unpredictable and anything can happen and sometimes you have no control over your fate. The two day meeting was a good example of that, I had a great night Saturday and then Sunday was a disaster, it’s just one of those things. I’m winning the points at Stoke and in the top three at Belle Vue though so they are things I’m chasing in the final months of the season.

One of the talking points of the season was the reduction in prize money in the formula, what were your thoughts on this?
I wasn’t too happy but what can you do about it. If that’s what’s happening then that is what is happening, there is no point getting stressed out or worrying about it too much, especially over a couple of quid which I suppose isn’t going to make the greatest amount of difference in the long run anyway.

A question we’ve asked many stockcar drivers recently has been about the use of red flags to stop a race, something we see at Mildenhall much more than other raceways, are you happy for red flags to be used in certain situations or do you think only waved yellow flags should be used?
It’s one of those situations where when the red flag isn’t for you, it’s normally an inconvenience. You might have made a great start or being well and the flag ruins it and that is frustrating but then when the flag is for you, you are pleased to see it. I was in a situation on the Sunday of the weekend at Mildenhall and the red flags came out and I was glad they did so you can’t feel like that when it’s for you and be upset when it’s not, that’s how I see it.

Is there anyone else you would like to thank or mention?
My dad especially for everything he does, my wife for her support and Richard from Redline whose got me some great engines and looked after me a lot.