Episode 1 Fast and Fearless: Britain's Banger Racers

This programme contains some strong language.

For the last 35 years, on Sundays and bank holidays,

thousands have descended upon the site

of an old cement works in Essex to share their passion for crashing.

Banger racing. The rules are simple.

Be the first to get round the track 15 times.

No hits allowed to the driver's door.

But other than that, anything goes.

Oh, no!

Competing comes at a price.

I've basically broken every bone in my body apart from my spine

and my pelvis. I've broken all my legs, top and bottom.

My collarbone, jaw, skull. The list goes on.

Drivers not only race, but build their own cars.

Where's Phil? I don't know how he's wired the car. I can wire it up.

Then you can cut in like that.

It is a family affair.

It is definitely passed down.

Everyone you know, either their dad's done it,

or their uncle's done it.

Someone in their family has always done it.

And the drivers often start young.

-How did it feel?

-It feels lovely.

I'm inspired by Nigel Mansell, Formula 1 driver.

He says there's no friends on the track.

Go on, Alf. Pull your finger out, son. Go on.

The rivalry is unbelievable, the hatred.

Once we're out there, it's time to go into battle.

This is going to be a day none of us will ever forget.

Golf's boring. Fishing's boring.

But then some people who do fishing or do golf

might think banger racing is pointless.

I can see it from their point of view.

Banger racing, you're spending two or three weeks building a car

to smash it up, and it might last ten minutes.

But you're getting enjoyment out of it.

If you're a fisherman you might stand with your waders in the water

for two hours waiting for a fish what's never ever going to come.

But that's what they enjoy doing.

Sweet, man.

Paul Korpiela and his brother Ricky are well-known faces at Arena Essex.

They've been coming down to the track since they were kids

and competing since they were teenagers.

There goes the green flag. We are racing into turn number one.

241, Paul Korpiela, takes the lead.

In bangers there are two types of competitor.

The rodders, who come to win the race,

and the wreckers, who everyone else comes to see.

Either you win or you crash.

You're either a winner or you're a crasher, and that's it.

INTERVIEWER: What are you?

I'd like to think I'm a crasher.

Here comes Paul Korpiela. He's out there with his brother as well,

but in comes 382 Jack Foster Jr

and he's spun out Paul Korpiela into the wall.

For a wrecker, the crash is everything.

They build their cars strong, and drive with just one thing in mind...

Oh, my God.

..the biggest, most spectacular crash.

COMMENTATOR: Look at the Korpiela brothers out there

doing what they do best.

Wreckers through and through, and don't they entertain us, folks?

The Korpielas always put on a show

and they really do entertain the crowd.

Spice it up. Entertain people. That is what people want to see.

Go on. Inside, inside.

Just a few laps into the race,

Paul Korpiela's car is smashed out of the running.

But wreckers like Paul don't come along to make it to the finish line.

Spot on. Everything about it was perfect.

That was good. That was good.

INTERVIEWER: How many laps did you do?

I only done about five. That was good. That was good.

Ten miles from Arena Essex

lives two-time world banger champion Bill King.

-Film me with it(!)

-Why not? What's wrong with that?

-I'll put it on the back of the truck, then you can film.

-Don't be silly.

-Nothing's wrong with it. I look like I'm showing off.

-Don't be silly.

His headquarters is a yard where he and other drivers

convert unwanted cars into race-ready bangers.

INTERVIEWER: Show me your car, Bill.

How do you set a car up for a banger race?

Ship everything out, all the interior,

so you're down to the driver's seat.

Put your roll cage, your H frame in.

Bolt the doors, secure all the doors, bolt them all up,

weld them all so that they're safe.

And you're ready to go.

There's not really a lot else to it.

Some of the drivers here are rodders like Bill,

making their bangers lighter, faster and more responsive.

The wreckers are after a heavier, stronger and more durable car.

-Look at him cheating. Cheating.

-I ain't cheating.

He's hiding things, look. He's slid something up there.

Now he's rolling it all up so that you can't see it.

-INTERVIEWER: I don't understand. Why is it cheating?

-He's armouring.

-He's armouring the car. So it don't bend as bad.

-Really?

-Yeah.

INTERVIEWER: You look a bit hands-off, I have to say.

I'm waiting for my engine. Rat picked one up this morning.

-Who's Rat?

-My mechanic. Ratty Matt.

-It's a bit like Formula 1.

-You've got a team.

-Yeah, without the money.

Rat can't come down here too early

because the gypsies next door want to kill him.

That's why he has to wait till they all go home.

-Genuinely?

-Yes.

If I didn't do this, what else would I do?

-I'd be in the pub, sit in the pub all day.

-Look at him.

He's already got an alcoholic's face.

I like a drink. Nothing wrong with that.

It keeps the kids off the street.

Ricky and Paul Korpiela, they was naughty boys. They was bad boys.

Were they?

Yeah, it took them off the street and give them something to do.

Showed them round cars and learnt them about cars,

taught them about cars.

-Taught them how to nick better cars.

-Yeah!

And it's kept them on the straight and narrow. Sort of.

Look at that. That is the bollocks, man.

We'll be driving down the road and a car will catch your eye.

Even though it would be good for racing, and you know

you are never going to get that car, you're still going to look at it.

It's like looking at an absolutely fit, fit, fit bird, isn't it?

You know you're never going to get nowhere with her,

but you could still look.

Paul and Ricky Korpiela work as scrap merchants in South London.

Although they both like to race,

it's Paul's fascination with crashing that's drawn him

to enter one of the biggest banger meetings of the year.

Today he's brought Ricky to pick up the car he'll be competing in.

A rare American Pontiac.

-INTERVIEWER: What's this car for, then?

-Firecracker.

This is a big, unlimited, where it's unlimited...

There's no limit to what you're allowed to use.

So obviously you want the biggest car or the best car.

These are all right for crashing, these cars are.

For more than 20 years, the Firecracker race meeting has

provided some of the most exciting moments in Arena Essex's history.

It's the only race in the banger calendar that is unlimited.

You can race any car, with no restriction on weight or size.

That one needs holding with mole grips.

That car there is worth nothing. It's only worth something to me

because I do the racing, but apart from that the car is worth nothing.

That Yank is worth nothing.

But if you can take it out in its last blaze of glory,

paint it up, make it look nice,

do a few good crashes and things like that in it,

and it's still going to end up in the scrapyard anyway.

But someone's got something out of it

rather than just taking it to be squashed.

-I love it.

-INTERVIEWER: Do you love it?

Yeah. Racing, it's good. I love it.

If we never had hobbies, what would we do?

What would we do with our life?

-INTERVIEWER: What would you do?

-I wouldn't know.

I wouldn't be doing fishing or golf. Let me just help Rick load this up.

I wouldn't be doing fishing or golf, I know that.

I can't even stand crazy golf. I think it's boring.

Come on. Come on then.

INTERVIEWER: Who's this?

This is Peppa. This is me daughter's pig.

That's a full-grown micro pig.

Something what every little girl wants, isn't it?

Like a little tiny pig.

Paul was taught how to build and crash bangers by his dad Steve.

That's my dad there and that's my uncle.

He had a brain tumour.

He obviously never knew it was there.

And they cut it out and he was never right after that.

And obviously we lost him two years ago now.

Everyone you know, either their dad has done it or their uncle

has done it. Someone in their family has always done it. I don't know...

INTERVIEWER: Or it's been a friend.

Yeah. I don't know someone who's just woke up and thought,

"I'd like to have a go at that." Like no-one. No-one.

Tommy, do you want me to show you

Daddy's best-ever crash on the video, on the DVD, yeah?

Yeah? Yeah.

I can't remember what Firecracker it was.

It was when the limousine went right up in the air

and they put it down as crash of the century.

In 2004, driving a converted Lincoln limousine

with a 4.2 litre Jaguar engine, Paul made Firecracker history.

COMMENTATOR: '..He picks up Paul Korpiela...'

Ready, watch, look.

'What a crash!

INDISTINCT

'One of the best things you will ever see in your life.

'Fan-blooming-tastic!'

-You nearly went over the fence.

-Over the fence.

'My God. They're wetting themselves here.

'They're starting to take their clothes off.'

What do you think of that?

It happened so quick, but it was all in slow motion.

It felt like I was in the air for two, three minutes.

Obviously it was about two or three seconds and then it just stood up

and then it fell over to one side.

But I was buzzing that day. I really was buzzing.

Here it goes. Look.

You'll only ever get one shot like that.

I don't think anyone would get a limo that high.

They sell, obviously, photos, and Tommy's got a lunchbox with it on.

Tea coasters. Mouse mats. They put it on whatever you want.

Jigsaw puzzles.

Paul Korpiela, our special award winner.

-How are you doing? Are you all right?

-Not bad.

It's like the FA Cup, winning, the final score,

like the final goal.

You've made it happen. I like that. That was good.

That was good that.

-Well done, mate, we'll see you on Friday.

-No probs. Thanks a lot.

Most banger racers at Arena Essex

start in one of the junior divisions.

In the Ministox League, kids as young as 11 can get

behind the wheel of a race-modified Mini capable of speeds up to 55mph.

INTERVIEWER: What were you doing there?

I'm telling him to push himself.

He's not pushing himself at the moment.

I told him to do a few laps just to warm the car up,

now he can start pushing it.

What do you mean, "pushing it?" Get more aggressive?

Yeah, more aggressive, brake later for the bends,

as if he's in an actual race.

He's still got to get right out to that fence so he can

swoop into the bend more.

-That last lap, I done it with no brakes.

-All right.

I'd come off slightly and go back on.

-How did it feel?

-It feels lovely.

It's not slipping, pushing on.

What we want to do now, I'm going to try and alter your tyre pressure,

see if we can improve it. All right?

Come here a minute. I need you to help me push.

13-year-old Alfie Jones

currently stands fourth in the championship table.

His dad has recently bought him

a title-winning car in a bid for victory.

..Shake it side to side.

It's flying now and I've set it up for me, just right for me.

You find when you buy cars off of other people it's not right

set up to you. You've got to set it up to you, the driver.

Cos my driving's different to Brandon Osborne's.

Brandon Osborne's could be different to Stephen Gilbert's.

Stephen Gilbert's could be different to anyone's,

you know what I mean? You have to set it up to yourself.

If that was at 31, we drive at 26, we've took off 7lbs, ain't we?

-Go to 26 with that.

-26, yeah?

This is what we normally run on your other car.

-What was it?

-26.

INTERVIEWER: There's not many 13-year-olds

doing this kind of thing.

No, that's right. Yeah. But he's learning as he goes.

He's got to learn.

Right, I'm ready.

We want it about four foot forward, yeah?

Tell me when to stop.

Alfie's racing career is entirely sponsored by

his dad's drainage business.

A former wrecker himself, Darren knows all about the commitment

required to make it in the sport.

INTERVIEWER: What would you like to see him achieve?

Maybe a Formula 1 world champion,

or at least be up there with the big boys.

Up with the top drivers. But he's got to keep pushing himself.

He's got to keep pushing himself harder and harder.

We found from racing before, he don't push as hard.

So now I was pushing hard, putting all the hard work in

and he ended up pushing himself, so now I push as hard as he will.

So if he eases off I ease off.

-You'd love to see him in the Formula 1?

-Yeah, definitely, yeah.

-You got it?

-Yeah.

-Holding on to it?

-Yeah.

Let it slowly twist. Slowly.

And pull back. Slowly as you go.

-INTERVIEWER: What would you like to do when you're older?

-Formula 1.

-And if that doesn't work out?

-Drainage.

I've always said that to him.

If he don't like the racing then just park the car up,

say, "It's not for me," and walk away from it.

In two months, Alfie will chase his biggest challenge yet.

The Essex Ministox Championship.

Although not as dangerous as bangers,

Ministox is a contact sport.

Spins and rear nudges are allowed.

All the cars must be adapted to ensure

the drivers are as safe as they can be.

INTERVIEWER: How is this Mini

modified from a road Mini in order to race?

Obviously anything that can burn is taken out of it.

No glass. Anything that can harm the driver or that is dangerous

is taken out. There's one seat left in it.

There's the bare minimum wiring. Just enough to start the engine.

That's it, you're in line now. Go on.

You not dead straight. Lift it upwards, the back of it up.

-It's good you're doing this.

-Why?

Cos you'll soon know that you like mechanics.

I'll need to take me hoodie off cos there's a load of grease here.

I don't want to get my hoodie in the grease.

Right. Now you know why I did plumbing.

He's got a four or five point harness in there

that straps him in nice and tight.

You've got all the metal bars around the car for protection

if they have an accident, or they use them

to nudge each other out of the way.

They take a hell of a lot of time because, you see,

if you are judging a race on 100%,

then 10% of the car is what you see on the track.

The rest of the time is in the workshop with it,

really making sure it's performing when it gets out there.

All Ministox cars must run on the same one-litre engine.

Apart from a few minor tweaks that the Joneses can make to

improve the engine's performance, it's down to Alfie.

-INTERVIEWER: Are you in with a chance?

-Yes, I think so.

With how my driving style is and the car's running right now

-and I don't panic, I should have a good chance.

-Do you sometimes panic?

Yeah, I sometimes get a bit nervous

and that's when I started to muck it up.

I've just got to learn to keep calm.

The way I look at a car... You look at a girl -

a lovely figure, nice bum, legs.

It just curves and it just flows nice.

That, it's just a lovely looking motor. I love the look of them.

# Yeah, yeah, like I said You are really fit

# But my gosh Don't you just know it... #

COMMENTATOR: 210 Tommy Parker is your new race leader.

I could get in any motor, take it on the track

and I'll be quick straightaway.

It's just flat to floor and give it shit.

# I'm not trying to pull you Even though I would like to

# I think you are really fit

# You're fit but my gosh, don't you know it? #

Not being funny. What other young lads in the country do this? Me.

COMMENTATOR: Let's hear it one more time

for our race winner Tommy Parker.

# You're fit but you know it. #

Tommy Parker is one of the sport's rising stars.

Shit hot, mate. This is flying.

He comes from a long line of banger racers

passed down from father to son.

This year his dad Darren is planning to end his career

as a wrecker in spectacular style at Firecracker.

This is a photo of my dad racing. This is probably mid-'70s.

No roll cages,

no door plates, just literally put a bit of foam round,

put a harness on, take it out and smash it up.

So it was quite scary in them days.

INTERVIEWER: It still is to a degree. People lose their lives, don't they?

People do lose their lives. I think three died last year.

They give you a sheet of paper, so you actually sign it.

When you're younger and you sign it you just don't worry about it.

You just sign your name. You know you've got to do it to race.

As you get older you start thinking about it

and it's like you're actually signing saying,

if you die or are seriously injured, you take responsibility for that

because you are in a dangerous motorsport.

And it sort of brings it home as you get older

and you start thinking, "Oh." I've basically broken

every bone in my body apart from my spine and my pelvis.

I've broken all my legs top and bottom.

Knee joints, wrists, hands, collarbone, jaw, skull.

So, yeah, the list goes on.

Darren's son Tommy won't be competing in Firecracker.

But he's agreed to help his dad get ready for the big race.

He reckons this is his last banger. So we'll see.

I think he's broke most bones in his body.

He had a certain percentage of burns and skin grafts

and he's just smashed up. His knees only bend so far.

He shouldn't be getting in a banger, really.

He shouldn't be doing the Firecracker.

I'm not going to let him do it in the future.

He shouldn't be doing it.

If you could take it and bottle it and sell it,

that impact that you have, you'd make a fortune.

You can't explain it.

INTERVIEWER: Crashing?

Crashing. It's adrenaline.

Your body... It's unbelievable. It's just so exciting.

You can't describe it.

-Did you try and describe it?

-I did once.

I made the mistake of saying that crashing a car was better than sex,

and that didn't go down too well, but it's true.

Hang on a minute. Then we'll lift the back up.

Get something to lift the back up. A couple of blocks.

A couple of four by fours or something.

-Go on, then. I can't get past.

-I'm helping you out here.

-Here we go.

Him and his mouth again.

Over the years I've retired and said I've had enough,

and bits and pieces and stopped.

And for financial reasons and bits and pieces.

And I still sort of seemed to go back to it,

but I really have got to draw a line underneath it

and this is definitely going to be the last one.

INTERVIEWER: Why is he so keen to do it?

I think because who his mates are. He wants to go out in it.

He's bought it now, so...

He...

-Wants to be one of the boys.

-Yeah.

But he's one of the oldest boys now. He ain't so nimble any more.

He's got arthritis in his knees.

Tap him on his knee, and his knees are no good.

If he turns funny his knee will pop out and he'll be on the floor.

It's a nightmare.

It worries you. If he goes to come out and a car comes in

and he goes flying, his legs get caught up in the bulkhead,

and he goes flying, it's going to pull his knee.

It's going to be a nightmare.

As soon he's on the track I won't be watching the race.

I'll literally be watching this car, just staring at it and watching him.

And if he gets stuck in something I'll quickly run round

and make sure he's OK.

If I have to I'll go straight on the track and drag him out myself.

I reckon that's about right. Get comfy.

Trust me. This is going to be solid. I'm confident.

I don't think it's going to be massively fast,

but I'm going to have a go with it. I've never done a Firecracker yet.

It's one of the biggest meetings you could ever do.

And if you're going to go out, I want to go out on a good one.

Bought from a breaker's yard, Darren will be racing

a 1970 Daimler Vanden Plas limousine.

A highly collectable car.

£300 for this one. You buy a car for a purpose.

Whether you bought it to do up cos you love the car or

whether you bought it to smash it up because you enjoy smashing them up.

It's what you do. This car is going to serve a purpose for what I want,

which is to race it and smash it up.

Some people can class it as a shame.

I class it as a good thing because it's a nice, good, solid car

and it's going to do me well, hopefully, in racing.

It's a big day for the both of us.

It's obviously the last day for me in racing.

It's the last day for the car

because once it's finished it will go for scrap.

So as a car, it's going to end its life,

and me as a banger racer, it's the end of my career.

INTERVIEWER: He's promised you he's going to give up.

Banger racing, yes. Definitely.

He's sitting there smirking,

but he is.

-Yeah, he is.

-You'll make sure of that?

I will, definitely.

-Aren't you, Darren?

-Yes, babe.

He's sitting there grinning.

Oh, dear.

On your own. I'll give you one minute. OK. Come on.

We must have things that we worry about,

that we're not sure about. OK?

The tests next lesson.

OK, in the scheme of things, is one little topic test

from one subject really that important? But it can worry you.

It's just a month until Alfie's big race at the Essex Championship.

It comes at the end of a tough year for him

both on the track and at school.

I was getting a bit picked on. Calling me Ginger and all that.

Saying things about my mum and dad. How I'd always be a lowlife.

But I get it. You've just got to deal with it.

I'm not as much a lowlife as them. They ain't got the Minis I have.

They don't race. They don't get treated as much as I do.

He used to come home crying. in tears.

I used to sit here, pick the pieces up. Give him a cuddle.

Tell him it will all be all right.

He used to beg me that he didn't want to go back to school.

It would break my heart sending him out the door to go to school.

He asked me my opinion. "What would you have done?"

I said, "I would have hit them, but I can't tell you what to do.

"You either stand up for yourself or you can't.

"That is the choice you're making in life.

"You have to choose your own path."

From our sit-down chat he still went on with another

three months of bullying until he just cracked one day.

I just lost it. I went up and I hit the boy. A fight broke out.

All the school was there round him, round us and all that.

Then I did get in trouble. Yeah, I did. I admitted it. I hit first.

"I shouldn't have hit him. I should've come to you."

Cos I didn't report it then.

He shouldn't have hit him.

But he just can't take being picked on no more.

And it's ended.

It was just really, really bad. Yeah.

There's always someone waiting to be bigger than someone else.

I didn't want to lose my temper. I just did.

So yeah.

I grew up in life having to do that. I stood up for myself all the time.

I still do. "So what are you going to do about it?

"What do you feel like you should do?"

We have these conversations, we have these chats with him.

The same thing as on the track.

INTERVIEWER: He's having to stick up for himself on the track as well?

Yeah. Yeah.

There's no friends on the track. I'm inspired by Nigel Mansell,

Formula 1 driver. I've been reading his autobiography

-and that's what he says.

-INTERVIEWER: What does he say?

He says, "And there's no friends on the track."

People have got to, not teach a lesson,

but to show that I ain't going to put up with it.

It's the Morpheys, really.

Alfie and his parents see brothers Will and Charlie Morphey

from Suffolk as his main rivals for this championship.

INTERVIEWER: How serious are you about racing?

Quite serious.

It's what we spend most of the time doing.

I ain't got no PlayStations or anything like everyone else.

-The contact always livens up a bit.

-You enjoy contact?

Yeah, definitely.

You're not afraid

-to make a few enemies out there?

-Nah.

The Morpheys have brought their cars to a track simulator

called the rolling road to measure the performance of the engine

at high speeds.

We're here on the rolling road to get the most out of the engines

because they're only one-litre engines

and you've got to squeeze the most out of them because they're all

roughly the same on the track and every little horsepower counts.

It's very competitive out there, yeah.

INTERVIEWER: And you want to do well, do you?

Yeah, as well as I can, really.

Out on the track, Alfie

and the Morpheys have collided several times this season.

Right, take over.

They took me out at the Eastbourne Sussex championship

and now they're starting to, like, keep lunging at me

and that's so I've just got to show my authority back.

They won't push me about no more.

ENGINE REVS

I suppose it's a bit like school.

If people are going to make contact with my son out there,

I expect my son to make contact back.

I ain't there to be picked on, pulled about everywhere.

I'm there to win. I'll just do the same what they done to me.

I'll just take them out of the race completely.

Bring it around.

Straighten up, as you are.

Like Alfie, Paul Korpiela started driving at an early age.

INTERVIEWER: What were you like as a kid?

I was a bastard. Definitely.

Always mucking about.

I got suspended from school, kicked out of one school.

Just mucking about, mucking about, mucking about.

I never wanted to learn. Then I started joyriding.

I got into a lot of joyriding.

That's what kids do in this sort of area.

Obviously, when they got up behind you and put the blue lights on,

when you took a chase for about ten minutes,

you knew you weren't losing them, you thought...

when they're coming from everywhere, you thought,

"Oh, I'm fucked here. They're going to nick me."

But, like, you still get out and try and run.

You're never going to get away from them. There's too many of them.

-Did you enjoy the chase?

-I loved it.

I was ramming police and everything.

I think that's where the fascination come.

Where I knew how to drive at a young age,

I was out joyriding all the time.

Did you get put away for any of this?

-Yeah, I've been away a few times.

-Oh, yeah?

-Yeah.

-When were you last in?

-Two and a half years ago.

But that was for something else. That weren't to do with cars.

What was that?

I tried to nick some money off a cash machine,

a cash delivery or something like that.

So they tried doing me for armed robbery.

Hang on. Hang on. Hang on.

I'm not seeing it. Hang on.

I never want to go back to prison. Never want to go back to prison.

Going to visit your dad in jail, in my eyes,

he looks like a scumbag sort of thing.

I don't want that for my kids. I want them to see me when they want.

Since he's come out of prison,

Paul takes his youngest, Tommy, to every race meeting.

Like, obviously he thinks it's brilliant holding the trophy

and the flag. He thinks it's blinding. You can see...

And he's happy. He's really happy,

like, with what I've done and it's good.

That's better than winning a race, I think.

I want him to look up to me,

not think any different of me.

And crashing is a way of doing that?

Crashing is definitely a way of doing it.

Paul has just a few weeks to prepare for Firecracker.

Before the final paint job,

he's welding extra reinforcement into the Pontiac.

Some people say it's cheating - I call it competing.

You get other people that, like, they'll weld the death out the motor

and obviously where you haven't welded as much or you haven't

welded anything in your car, obviously your car is gone to

be the one to give rather than their car giving cos their car is so hard.

As I say, some people call it cheating - I call it competing.

What would be the ideal result for you at Firecracker?

What could you do... What do you train for?

I'd love to get best wrecker. Best wrecker.

Or best crash of the day, that'd do me. I'd be over the moon with that.

Absolutely over the moon.

It's almost like you're not paying attention to the start of the race.

It's the night before the Essex Championships

and Darren and Alfie are analysing his racing tactics.

Whenever I put the clutch up, it goes, "Brrrrrrrrrr."

Look, see? They're up and gone. See?

I do the videos - all of the racing -

come back, we download them

and then we sit down as a family and watch them.

And then Darren sort of tells him where he might have gone wrong,

where he could correct it, what he done right.

You know, lots of praise for that.

So, yeah.

When there's a car there and you go like that,

you get past, come into a bend, do you just swoop out and then in,

-or do you just go like that?

-Out. Just out.

Cos when it's coming up to the bend,

-I, like, swoop out and in to just get that little bit faster.

-No.

He sometimes seems to stay in the middle of the track

when he needs to come out into the faster lane.

That way, the car doesn't turn so hard into the bends,

otherwise you have to turn a lot sharper.

So you take the track at its biggest width,

come out to the fence

and you're not so sharp coming into the bend.

It seems that when someone who's a bit tasty comes behind you,

you seem to fall apart a bit and, once they get past you, you

pick up the pace and try and catch them but, by then, it's too late.

They've got the momentum and they've gone.

It's almost like you got to show them a bit of authority,

slap the side of their car, stamp your authority on them, Alf, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Let them know you're there,

-put them under pressure how they pressure you.

-Yeah.

He has to stand up for himself out there. You know?

There's only so much poking you can take before you poke back.

This is what I'm saying to you, all right? As you're coming in now...

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-..they can cut in like that and they're still flat-out.

Get back in at that end, get into like that then push

on the front of their car and then just...that with the steering wheel.

Yeah? Yeah?

It's hard cos they're only children, still, at the end of the day.

They are kids and you don't want them to be bullies or nothing like that

but if people are going to do that then they have to do it back.

-If you're stuck on the inside now, yeah?

-Keep them to your right.

Keep them... Keep them like that and you can do that to them. Yeah?

-Do you understand?

-Yeah.

-Yeah?

You can even be up to him.

We can even keep him on you like that all the way.

If you're quick enough, yeah, to go into reverse, you can

keep him there all the way. Yeah?

And then he's going to do...

I...I feel nervous on race days

but I think it's just natural to feel nervous.

I mean, not many people...kids get to drive cars as contacts

but you should always think positive.

Sometimes it's just not for the people, banger racing. It ain't.

It's just not in 'em.

Alfie, I want to see your aggression just improve a little bit more.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-You're not aggressive cos you hate them,

-you're aggressive cos you want to get past them.

-And I want to win.

It's not that it's your friend in front or you know him

-and you talk to him.

-There's no friends on the track.

There's no friends on the track, as such, cos you're all there to win.

So you just push each other out the way to win.

How are you feeling now?

-I've got some butterflies in my stomach, but confident.

-Butterflies.

That's good. Butterflies are the adrenaline starting to form, yeah?

-Yeah.

-There's a difference between being scared and adrenaline. Yeah?

The nerves and the adrenaline, yeah?

I did a race once where I physically felt sick.

I was shaking, I couldn't think straight. It was just like...

..like you've been told you've got half hour to live sort of thing

and, you know, your life depended on what you was going to do out there.

-OK?

-Yeah.

-Other than that, just enjoy yourself again. OK?

-Yeah.

HORN BEEPS

-I'm feeling confident today.

-INTERVIEWER: Are you?

-Yeah.

-Let's have a look. Have you got your game face on?

-Yeah. Yeah.

-You could call it that, game face, yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

And if one of those Morpheys gets on you, are you going to...?

Yeah, I'll just give them a punt, really.

LOUD REVVING

The Essex Championships

attracts competitors from all over the country...

..including Alfie's long-standing rivals, the Morphey brothers.

I'm just going to enjoy my day.

I'm not going to let the Morpheys spoil it.

If they want to pick on me, I'll do them back.

ENGINES ROAR

The Morphey brothers have done a bit of punting on Alfie at the bend.

They've tried to launch on him at the bend

and they've actually spun him out as well. Not sure why.

As far as I know, Alfie hasn't touched them,

and think Alfie got took out by them at another track as well.

So, you know, it... What comes around goes around, I think.

-How's your visor? Dirty? Clean?

-Dirty, probably.

-Well done.

ENGINE STARTS

All right? Be lucky, son. Enjoy yourself, yeah?

COMMENTATOR: 'So, a big welcome to all of you out there today for

'the Ministox Essex Championship here at Arena Essex Raceway.'

Alfie Jones is the next driver up - 552. Sitting fourth in the points.

Fifth in heat one last time out.

'Looking good as a strong contender for today's Essex Championship final.

'Will Morphey next up onto the track is 529.

'Ninth in the points currently.

'And Charlie Morphey there as well, his brother - 592.

'11th in the points.

'Just behind him on this season-ending race for the Ministox.'

20 of the country's leading child drivers go head-to-head

in 1,000cc classic Minis.

Championship standings are put to one side in this

first-to-the-line, winner-take-all, 20-lap showdown.

COMMENTATOR: 'There goes the green flag.

'We are under way of racing into turn one. And 517 takes the lead.'

Alfie gets away to a good start.

An early collision from the youngest Morphey brother

allows Alfie a way past.

Go on, Alf, through. Go on.

'And it's a really good effort from 552 Alfie Jones

'making his way up through the field.'

Well done, Alf. Close the door on him, Alf.

He's hitting the bends lovely, coming out to the fence.

He's driving perfect, actually.

Just a few laps in

and Charlie Morphey makes his way back up to Alfie.

Flick him, Alf. Now, to do him.

'Oh, look, Alfie Jones 552

'having a right go at the Morphey brothers there.'

Yeah, he's doing what he is meant to do.

-A bit of punting going on but that's racing.

-Go on, push, Alf, push.

But by lap eight,

Alfie finds himself up against the elder Morphey brother, Will.

Take him out, Alf, as well. Spin him now. Push him.

Watch him, he'll do you.

'529 Will Morphey has a right go at Alfie Jones there

'and he's passed him on the inside.'

He's just slowed down a little bit. I'm not sure why.

It seems like he's slowing down. He should be speeding up.

He's not...not pushing himself now.

Come on, Alf.

'Well, 517 Lauren Overy has caught right up on 552 Alfie Jones here.

'And she gives him a clip going into the bend

'and she's passed him.'

See, he's going backwards or they're pulling right away.

Too cautious, I've said that.

-What?

-Too cautious, Alfie, all the time.

'Just not been Alfie's race.

'A great start but he's fallen right out of contention.

'I don't think he's in it.'

About eighth, isn't he?

'Very disappointing race for Alfie there.

'He won't be happy with that at all.'

Yeah. Eighth.

'So, coming round now for your applause,

'let's hear it for third-place 529 Will Morphey,

'runner-up 907 Cameron Lawrence

'and race-winner 986 Sophie Fasey.'

CHEERING

The race deteriorated with him as he got on.

And I feel like I'm always bollocking him.

Alf. Either something was going wrong with it,

but once they got past you, they fucking got away from you, Alf.

I don't know what it is.

We've got to do something, because you're going from worse to worse.

They've got the same engines as you so we've either got to

do something with the engine or something with your driving.

I don't want to do it so I'm putting you down every time but it's just...

Again, either we throw the engine away...

We take it back, we're not happy with it.

I don't know what to do or what to say

cos if you was flat-out then this engine needs scrapping...

cos it's shit.

HORN BEEPS

-What did I get in the end?

-Well, I don't know...

-Fifth?

No, you joking? Way back. Eighth. Eighth tonight.

I don't know what to say to you apart from just take it back.

I don't know. But I can't...

Before I go and say there's something wrong with the engine,

-how do I know it ain't you?

-It can't be me on the straight

cos if they're pulling on the straight they must have better

engines or this engine's breaking down cos it's not the bends there.

If it's on the straight, foot to the floor and I'm in a straight line.

-Are you on that fucking throttle, Alf?

-Yeah, flat out.

Well, I don't know. I'll set light to it, I will. Fucking thing.

Getting fucked off with it all.

A cautious driver only makes the numbers up but that ain't

going to make a champion, ain't going to make a winner.

It feels like I'm always telling him how bad he is doing

rather than bumping him up.

But if I don't tell him, and lie to him, you know,

what sort of person am I?

If he's got to make it, he's going to need to be told it.

INTERVIEWER: Do think it's the car or you or what?

I think it's a bit of both, really.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

What is it, are you just not pushing it hard enough, do you think?

I don't know. Not sure.

-I'm a bit disappointed, really.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Are you sure you want to carry on?

-Yeah.

Don't know, really.

-I'll sleep on it now.

-Oh, Alf, you look really down, mate.

-Yeah.

Are you looking forward to it, Tommy?

Are you going to tell me to smash into everything?

No, cos I don't want you to crash. You get a trophy if you don't crash.

Yeah, but I might get a trophy for crashing.

Finally resprayed in the Korpiela colours,

Paul's Pontiac is ready for Firecracker.

He'll be competing for best wrecker.

But the competition is stiff.

These are the biggest and heaviest bangers raced at the track all year.

Right, Tommy, wait here while we unload the cars, yeah?

Good boy.

-How are we doing, matey?

-Yeah, not bad.

Hoping to challenge Paul for the title of best wrecker is

Darren Parker in his last ever race.

I think he's nervous now so I'm starting to think,

"Oh, bit nervous." Just walked up there with him

to get something to eat and he's definitely nervous but he's

been kind of looking at all the other cars and thinking, "Oh, dear."

Firecracker attracts rare and unusual cars.

Many of them haven't been driven in years, and they're often unreliable.

For Darren, this will mean racing

with two or three crucial missing parts.

The car's in a good shape. Bodywork-wise, it's strong.

It's all been welded up. It's really... It's not rotten at all.

It's a really good shell. But it's got no brakes.

Yeah, when we originally picked it up and lifted it up,

the back axle come off so we got no rear brakes on it at all.

This side is not connected,

so there's no brakes on this side either.

All we got, literally, is the front driver's-side brake.

And that works a little bit.

So that'll probably be him round the bends and just wait and see.

Paul and Darren may not plan to finish all 20 laps

but they'll still need their cars in working order to give them

the best chance of the winning crash.

There's no brakes, still. No brakes.

-INTERVIEWER: So, it's not braking?

-At all.

Not looking forward to that. Not looking forward to that.

What, that you might not be able to stop the car?

Oh, no, you can't stop the car. There ain't no brakes on it.

COMMENTATOR: 'It's Sunday, it's ten to one,

'this is Firecracker 22'

at Arena Essex.

'It is a dangerous sport, but even though you might get hurt, Tommy,

'he does, he looks at me as a hero.'

INTERVIEWER: Does it make you feel proud of yourself?

Oh, yeah, definitely. Definitely makes you feel proud.

The more times you injure yourself on old injuries,

it takes longer for you to heal up. But you get there.

You have to get on, don't you? You have to move forward.

And I've managed to get hold of a big car

so we'll go and have a bit of fun.

COMMENTATOR: '212, next up on to the track is Darren Barker

'racing in his Daimler DS limo today.

'Seventh in the Super Banger points.

'He's got all his family here today supporting him.

'He's racing out there for the Metal Wreckers'

in what could be his last day of racing here at Firecracker.

-Do you reckon the old man will retire, then?

-Yeah, he well.

-Yeah, he's going to. Definitely.

-He's said that about six times.

Well, he's getting too old now.

ENGINE STARTS

INTERVIEWER: Paul, good luck out there.

Good luck, mate. I'll need it.

-Is he in the zone, do you think?

-Yeah, he is.

He's out there now, boy.

-He's got killer eyes.

-He's got killer eyes!

I've just got mud in it.

THEY LAUGH

COMMENTATOR: 'He's back up again. It's Paul Korpiela.

'Mashing crashing his limo a few years ago.

'I'm sure plenty of us don't forget that one on turn number three.'

Looking for the best entertainer trophy today.

At the meeting, he always loves to put on a show for the fans.

'43 unlimited bangers on the track for Firecracker

'and we are under way and racing into turn number one.'

And already some big hits going in on the pit bed.

'241 Paul Korpiela is looking to get something going

'down there in his big old Yank tank.

'241 still getting stuck in down on the Tavern turn.

'He's backed away. He is revving up for another one.

'Oh, and he's stacked him right up.'

I'm looking for someone who I can crash into straightaway.

That's what everyone who comes to watch wants to see,

is cars crashing into each other.

I want to crash, crash, crash, crash, crash.

All the time, crash. Not race, just crash.

Once you go on the track, you can forget about everything.

You can be a hero.

It does take a lot of courage to keep your foot down.

No matter who you are, it's going to hurt.

It's going to hurt you and it's probably going to hurt them.

'Look at the demolition down there on the Tavern turn.'

212 is getting picked up. That's Darren Parker.

Hang on, hang on, hang on. Oh.

Someone's just done a head-on on him. What the fuck? What the fuck?

935 and 212 involved in a head-on on the centre and 212...

Oh, my goodness me. Puts it right into Sidney de Poorter.

Halfway down the home straight.

MUSIC "I Shall Be Released" by Bob Dylan

# They say every man must need protection

# They say every man... #

Just a few minutes into his final race

and without having completed a single lap,

Darren Del Boy Dipper Parker signals to the marshal

that he's had enough.

His bid for best wrecker is over.

# Any day now

# Any day now... #

That's it now, for the bangers.

I've had a good life and everything so whatever happens, happens

but, yeah, I want to be there as long as I can

and know that they can rely on me if they need me so that's a good thing.

He's definitely done something to one of his arms.

He's holding one of his arms, yeah.

# I shall be released. #

I wouldn't change anything in my life, to be honest.

It's been a hectic life but it's been good.

After surviving nine major crashes,

and causing four separate drivers to retire,

Paul's Pontiac finally comes to a halt.

INDISTINCT TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT

Right.

All right. What did I get?

INTERVIEWER: Hey, Paul. Have you won something?

-Best wrecker.

-What?

-Yeah. Yeah, I done it, finally, eh?

-Do you feel good?

-Yeah. Brilliant.

Does that make it all worth it?

Yeah. Let me just get Tommy. You all right, Tom-Tom?

You all right?

Stand there, yeah? Is this mine?

-This is yours for best wrecker award.

-Oh, how's that?

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

Watch the fireworks, Tommy. Look. There, look.

FIREWORKS CRACKLE

What do you think of them, Tom-Tom?

-Winner!

-Winner, yeah. I'd rather win this than a race.

-Would you?

-Yeah, definitely.

And where will you be in ten years, do you think?

God knows. God knows. God knows.

As long as I'm not in prison, I don't care.

'Come on, then.'

MUSIC: "Goodnight Sweetheart" by The Overtones

# Good night, sweetheart Well, it's time to go... #

You all right?

# I hate to leave you but I really must go... #

Another trophy, eh?

# So good night, sweetheart Good night

# Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo... #

-Are you left or right-handed?

-Right-handed.

-You're a good customer here, aren't you?

-Yes.

# Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo

# Good night, sweetheart Well, it's time to go... #

-What about when I pull the other way?

-Not so bad... Ow. There.

# Doo-doo, doo-doo

# I hate to leave you

# I really must say

# Oh, good night... #

Arena Essex Raceway 2013, ORC Championship Ministox heat winner.

-Hey.

-HE WHISTLES

Can you put that back in the van, please, without dropping it?

Next week, legends from the glory days of banger racing

dust off their helmets...

Sad, really. This could be my last ever race. All them years.

..for one last showdown.

At the end of the day, it's payback. Them's bullies.

# Doo, doo-doo, doo, doo-doo Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo

# Good night, sweetheart Well, it's time to go

# Doo, doo-doo, doo-doo

# Good night, sweetheart Well, it's time to go

# Doo-doo, doo-doo

# I hate to leave you I really must say

# Oh, good night, sweetheart Good night. #