183 Charlie Guinchard – Paul Tully Photography
Like many, Charlie’s family has always been around motorsport, mainly Short Ovals but circuits too. Charlie says he “started racing was because of my dad, and went racing with him since I was a baby, so I grew up watching him race in the F2s. We travelled to most places and I have always considered my Dad as my idol. I suppose that’s the reason I’m so passionate about my racing and especially BriSCA F2".
Having raced Minis since the age of 11, Charlie has had his fair share of ups and downs in the formula. We asked If you could go back and relive one thing from racing Minis, what would it be?
“I wish I could go back to September 2016 at Stoke for the World Final. It was a feeling that I will never forget. To see my Dad running on the track to hug me and to say how proud he was…well let’s just say it’s an overwhelming subject”, and continues to say that he “saw the race as a normal heat, and I went and drove it like a normal race. I wanted to experience the feeling, and it was honestly the best feeling ever”.
National Ministox – Colin Casserley Photography
National Ministox are very different to BriSCA F2 Stockcars, as Charlie explains, “the obvious change is that F2s are rear-wheel drive. You can keep it on as long as you want with full control, you let off and the car is still stable but as soon as you hit the throttle to accelerate off the bend that’s when it becomes tricky. The car wants to drive with full right-hand lock.” BriSCA F2s have much larger 2 Litre Engines of Ford Pintos and Zetec’s than the 1000cc Mini engines Charlie was used to, along with being open-wheeled; meaning no bumpers are in place stopping other cars from hitting the wheels. Charlie says, “the hardest part of racing these cars is coming through the traffic. Open-wheel cars aren’t so fun when you bang wheels and your heading towards the burger van!" He continues to say that “you can’t just hit someone and go” in an F2, “there are so many more tactical ways to pass”.
Charlie continues by saying that the “car setup is very different too. F2 tyres are very temperamental so you always need to keep an eye on them. There are also so many ways to adjust the settings - I normally leave that to Dad at the garage or Dave at RCE!”.
In Winner's Lane – MSF Stoxpics
Like many F2 drivers, Charlie travelled down to Taunton for the British Championship, winning his heats and having great success on the Sunday too; we asked how racing in the West Country is from a drivers point of view. “The racing is totally different. We went there expecting absolutely nothing and we were gobsmacked with how the car performed and how I performed. I never give myself any praise, I always put myself down, but after that weekend I came away thinking that I tried my hardest and I done well!”, he continues by saying that the "atmosphere in the pits is fantastic and the racing is ridiculously hard. I love it, and I think if you want to become the best in the sport, you must race there week in week out”.
It’s fair to say that given the number of meetings Charlie has done, he is doing very well, taking a heat and final win at Buxton recently. We asked if there’s any pressure coming with that. “I don’t think I have much pressure,” says Charlie, “I go racing to enjoy myself and to win. I think if my surname was a lot more well-known, I would have a lot of pressure, but I don’t. The task of trying to make your surname well known is one of the toughest tasks going, but that’s what I’m hoping to do and that’s what I’ve put ahead to succeed”. Charlie feels that F2s haven’t been as hard-hitting as they used to be, he believes it’s important to “rekindle the Stockcar part within the sport. I’m not going out there to wreck anyone, that’s not within my nature”.
Up to Red – MSF Stoxpics
The 183 machine has notably put some decent hits onto other drivers to move them out the way or to try the last bender, including putting the bumper in on 7 Gordan Moodie, who many describe as untouchable. Charlie says that he’s always "seen Gordon as a hero of mine and I still think he is. I look up to him in many ways and I’ve always wanted to drive like him. When you’re on track you have no heroes, you have no mates. We are all racing for the same thing and that’s too win”. In the British Championship, Charlie thinks he was too excited and underestimated a hit on Moodie massively, but that’s “a part of learning”. He continues with “I didn’t feel proud to do him, and it wasn’t a planned thing. He is untouchable in the sense of his driving – I think he is way above everyone else currently, but we will see. I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to be the best, so we will see what happens. We will take every meeting as it comes, and hopefully, over time I can become like Gordon – a very successful F2 driver”.
The introduction of RCE’s in F2s spiked a huge change on Tarmac, with it being the car of choice for the majority of the field. Charlie says he “personally feels that RCEs are the perfect car for me. They are very fast, they handle a dream, parts are available to order. Everything works as a package. Dave is a very smart man and is very dedicated to becoming the best F2 chassis builder. I cannot thank him enough for what he has done for me”. He continues by saying “without my Dad taking me racing, Dave has always been there to help, and is always there to help me progress as a driver; even little Rhys gives me tips!" And with the recent craze of smaller wings, “it was a case of what will be the fastest. I’m not too bothered what wing we use, if it has my number on it and I can go racing, that’s all that matters”.
On shale it’s a different matter completely, with many different car builders cars’ and self-built cars racing on track, we wondered what Charlie's plans were for shale. “We raced shale at the start of the year, but we came across some problems with the engine. We never really had the time to fix the problem, but we have hopefully managed to fix the engine for this weekend at Northampton for the European Championship”. As Charlie says, shale racing is hard to get to grips with and “takes years of practice so I’m not expecting anything spectacular to happen. I’m going to enjoy myself and to try and gain some points to hopefully maintain red grade at the end of the grading period”.
Moodie and Guinchard – Colin Casserley Photography
And lastly, it’s common knowledge that Charlie has two BriSCA F1s sitting in the garage, we asked if they’re sat on a back burner whilst the F2s take priority? Charlie says, “at the end of the day, I am really enjoying the F2’s at the minute”. Continuing with, “F1s are becoming way to expensive. We have the cars sitting there, but there are so many barriers you must overcome before starting. Who’s going to help with the car? Who’s driving it there? How are we going to get it there? So many factors to worry about. As well as that, promotors can see we want to do F1s, and I believe I have a lot to offer to the sport but it’s like they don’t want to spice the sport up! I don’t know what will happen but we will see”. Time will tell if Charlie joins such recent ex-Ministox drivers of Courtney Witts, Frankie Wainman Jnr Jnr and Charlie Sworder out on track, but for now, he is shaking up the F2 world.
Charlie would like to thank so many people for all they have done for him, including, Rob Smith, Pete Bartram, Mark Kiff, Nathan Roberts, Dave Richardson, Steve Shaw, Mick Sworder, Malcolm Burton, Peter Mason and Richie Bowyer. Along with saying a massive thank you to “John for everything. He has been a massive part of our team since I started Minis. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to go racing. I’d like to thank my mum for putting up with me and supporting me in every way possible. I’d like to thank my Dad for everything he does. He works constantly trying to produce the funds for me to race. I cannot thank him enough. Oh yeah, I better thank my gorgeous girlfriend Paige who supports me in every way possible”.
We wish Charlie all the best for the future and thank him for taking part in this interview.