Next up for DSC’s 20 Question Challenge is Ginetta Factory Driver and current FIA WEC Team LNT Ginetta LMP1 pilot Mike ‘Bart’ Simpson.
Motorsport hero?
Graham Hill. something about Graham that just makes me smile. He came into it the hard way via working in the industry, which is just what I did with Lawrence.
Graham knew the ethic of work, demanded high standards from everyone around him to achieve his victories and titles. To me, he is the man who encapsulated that Golden Era of racing, a man who lived life to the full, brilliant sense of humour, very charming and knew how to make the most out of what he had.
Favourite circuit?
Very tricky question as I enjoy most circuits and they all provide their own challenges.
Best Atmosphere, Le Mans 24hrs
Best Circuit Layout, Mugello
Best Weekends Racing, Paul Ricard, there is just something about that circuit, the paddock and heading down to Bandol in the evening for a local Rose and some fresh fish… Happy Days!
Least favourite circuit?
Thruxton. I have never had a good race there, I find the circuit pretty boring, the degradation is too much on the tyres and it hasn’t moved with the times. Somewhere like Oulton Park has the heritage, wonderful layout and the safety element is vastly improved. Thruxton just doesn’t tick any boxes for me.
My first sportscar race was?
2009 European GT4 at Silverstone. Racing with Stewart Linn in Optimum Motorsports’ first GT race. We finished 2nd in the Ginetta G50.
Best teammate?
Lawrence Tomlinson. From 2010 through to 2016 we at least did 8 events together per season, even when I was contracted to other drivers/teams we still squeezed some racing in. He taught me a lot and turned me from being a Kart Racer to the endurance driver I am now.
It was a tough apprenticeship throughout Europe, but we shared many good times on and off the circuit together. We won plenty of races developing the next Ginetta product and even claimed a title in 2016. I have always said Lawrence is the best Bronze on the grid, his sole aim is to win without any compromise. If you weren’t on your game he was after you and I think secretly he enjoyed ending a few pro drivers careers! Haha.
I still to this day don’t know how he could operate so efficiently at the circuit while running his many businesses. I have no doubt if he had had the opportunity as teenager in motor sport he would have definitely made the grade as a pro driver – thankfully he didn’t and I have a job 😉
Favourite livery?
1992 Williams FW14B. That is my boyhood car, cheering Mansell on from the grandstand in 91/92.
Best current championship?
At the moment I am loving WEC. To be on the world stage and seeing how it operates globally is fascinating. Wonderful to see so many cultures and meet different fans. Also looking at how different the entire grid and classes are represented in machinery I think they do a great job with respective regulations and balancing of performance.
Away from my racing, I think the VLN is simply awesome, the commitment needed by the drivers and teams there to win is something else. It is one crazy fast adventure and really cool how they embrace the fans. I remember doing the 24hr in 2013 and getting out of the car after a 3hr stint and there was some random guy next to my helmet stand munching on a currywurst! Only at the Nordschleife.
The BTCC looks fun, not my discipline at all but it looks super fun, very tough and one of the best national championships in the world.
One big idea to improve sportscar racing is? (Can’t be BoP or driver rankings)
I think it needs to be more of a level playing field and clearly this needs to be performance and budget-related. The goal should be to increase the grid size worldwide which in turns increase the opportunities for drivers and teams. The more cars we have the more jobs are created across the business.
Sportscar racing needs to feature in national motor racing more and there is huge scope for this.
Currently limiting chassis manufactures I do not see any sense and I think it prevents a lot of major OEMS from coming to the party. Diversity is the spice of life and I think it will make much more of spectacle for everyone to have different interpretations to the technical regulations.
I think private car/team owners could be encouraged more to compete, it is healthy for the sport to have a good mix of manufactures, professional teams and privateers. What i have seen over my years in the sport is that the enthusiast privateer will always keep coming back year upon year. It is not a business for them and they are purely there for the spirit of competition, it is these individuals who purchase cars, employee mechanics, engineers, and give drivers their first opportunity.
It provides the entry-level platform into sportscars for all concerned and it shouldn’t be forgotten. I see all too often championships promoters favourite the big manufactures, large teams which is all well and good in the ‘heyday’ of a series until the market changes and they jump ship in other platforms of motorsport. The privateer is usually the stalwart you can rely on to keep the numbers up, but unfortunately, they are the least spoken about which I think is a mistake.
My driver ranking should be?
Always a tricky subject and I don’t think you should have driver grading if I am being honest. If you are a driver you should want to do the best job you can and keep improving. I don’t agree with AM – PRO/AM categories. As a driver I race to win, there will always be someone who is more experienced, bigger cheque book, better engine etc. It shouldn’t need to be balanced out, you do the best job you can with what you have. If a manufacturer or a large team has the budget, they should be allowed to fund pro drivers as we all have to earn a living, exactly the same applies to a privateer team who may have good personal backing/sponsorship and want to fill a car with pro drivers to take on a major OEM….why not?
Why shouldn’t two Platinum driver be allowed to race LMP2 for example? If the funding is there everyone is earning a living and it will be a great spectacle for the fans and TV. Personally, if I was in the same race as this pairing I wouldn’t want a separate podium, I would work my absolute hardest to go and beat them!
Being a racing driver is just like any other industry and it is a commercial game. You may be very good at sourcing funding and putting deals together, racing a car is your catalyst to unlock this business deal, and grading shouldn’t get in your way. I look at it simply, you are either very good at your craft and people will want to pay you for your driving service, or alternatively you are very good at finding funding so you can secure yourself a seat in the race that way. It shouldn’t be any more complicated, whoever does the best job at finding the best seat, with the best teammates in the best team, should win. That is how it has always been.
Personally, I have always been poor at finding funding and came to work in the industry to pay my bills. I was very lucky to be able to demonstrate my driving ability within my job role and that skill got me to where I am today. But without that chance, I would have needed to find the funding opportunities to get me in a race seat or I would still be in the industry working hard but not from behind the wheel.
Gold grading is absolutely right for my experience and my performance in the car, but it was, and still is my effort out of the car that gets me the opportunities, so under the current ranking criteria I would say that falls as Silver, or even at my age of 36 Bronze haha
Favourite racing movie/documentary?
Favourite racing movie is Days Of Thunder, some great lines in there that we will all say for many years to come. It’s a proper Hollywood predictable racing roller coaster with some great actors.
My favourite documentary is a tough one as the last 6 years have been brilliant for motorsport geeks like myself. I am a big fan of the ‘Crashed and Burn’ Tommy Byrne documentary which is a fantastic profile of an individual. My favourite OEM documentary is the BMW, One Team, One Target.
Favourite racing book?
No Angel, Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone. Fascinating read into the mans life. Talk about seizing opportunities and playing the game!
Best team manager?
Elisa Maioli formerly of Nova Race. I met Elisa back in 2009 at the European GT4 Nurburghring Race. Elisa was instrumental in finding drivers, purchasing cars and running a successful Ginetta racing championship in Italy and Europe.
She knew how to deal in motorsport and look after all of her clients. Nothing was too much for Elisa, she would be happy in race control talking technical matters with the stewards and the next moment she was planning leisure trips for the male drivers wives to go on while the husbands were racing. She understood the full industry and managed everything very well.
Favourite song before a race is?
You may have seen some of my WEC dancing antics, I love a bit of a soul groove. I often have Fatback Band – I Found Lovin’ playing somewhere. Got to get in the mood!
My racing superstition is?
Taking a leak! I have to have a pee just before I put my helmet on, it has nearly caught me out a few times with the car coming into the box a lap early and I’m on the loo!
My favourite piece of racing memorabilia is?
I’ve got two, one is the driver’s medal for being part of the 2018 24hrs Le Mans. As any driver will tell you, it is the play of dreams and I am so grateful to have had the chance to race there in LMP1. Something I will cherish forever.
The second is my original helmet from May 1991 in karting. It is not in the best of condition, but somehow it has survived, and I don’t know why because I haven’t actually kept it on purpose. All of my other karting helmets have gone but this one still appears from time to time – very weird!
Racing rival?
I suppose it would be Mark Litchfield in karting. We always seemed to knock 10 bags of $$$$ out of each other on the track, but never had a bad word to say to each other in the pits.
I have never really done single-make racing in cars, it has always been multi-driver sportscar racing so it is very rare you are doing battle with the same driver each race. I have never feared anyone in car racing and I don’t think I ever will, as a pro you are paid for your services and that is what I give.
I’d like to get drunk with?
Well, I’ve had a beer with a lot of them! I would have to go back to question 1 and say Graham Hill. With his larger than life character and humour, you would have a scream I am sure. I would have loved to of been in some of the old F1 dinners and nights out. They knew how to live!
Toughest driver to face?
I remember when Charlie Robertson got his contract with Ginetta at the end of 2015 it was while I was laid at home with a broken back.
If you ever want to recover from an injury quickly, reading a press release (didn’t even get a call!!!!) that a quick teenager is joining your ranks, which you have solely run for years is serious motivation! We get along great together, I have taught him a lot and he definitely keeps me on my toes! I think we get the best out of each other.
If I could compete in one race in racing history it would be?
I have been really lucky to race at Le Mans, Bathurst 12hr, Nurburgring 24hr, Dubai 24hr etc… In terms of sportscar events, they are nearly all ticked. Daytona 24hr would be high on the list for sure.
Chris Dyson keeps going on about something called the Chilli Bowl… high powered midget cars on dirt in an arena with 20,000 fans sounds pretty cool!
I think the 1999 LM 24hr would have been epic in the top class, Audi where the new boys in town against Mercedes, Nissan, BMW and Toyota. A quality grid in amazing cars!
I’d like to be in lockdown with?
Katherine Jenkins… don’t need to say anymore
