‘Little Legs making a big impact’ – 594 Mason Burdett Interview

Mason Burdett is one of the sport’s rising stars, and has gradually been improving with more race-craft as each and every meeting goes by.

Like many, Mason got into the racing through his family roots, although had a slightly different path than others on route to finding bangers. ‘I was about 11 or 12 when Dad (Drew 595) first got back into the sport after a long break, and started racing again in Back To Basics to get the feel of racing again. After a couple of years watching him, he got me a Junior Rod for Swaffham, which we got tired of the constant repairs, as there used to be more crashing in them than Junior Bangers,’ Mason laughs. ‘He put me out in a banger and I’ve never looked back since.’

Mason certainly preferred the racing in the Bangers as opposed to the rod side of things. ‘I enjoyed my time in both the Junior Rods and Junior Bangers, but I enjoyed the thrill of contact more. It was unfortunately cut short due to Covid. By the time I got the hang of it, it all stopped, and I was thrown in the deep end racing in the adults alongside Dad.’

It was growing up watching his Dad where Mason’s earliest memories come from. ‘The weekends away at Swaffham watching Dad race every week across all the banger formulas; sometimes doing all three formulas on the same day, as well as the weekenders where we would stay at the track in our caravan; sorting and practicing in the cars on the Saturday making them 100% ready for the racing on the Sunday.’

‘The first time out in the adults was at Northampton, where I won a race with Grandad Tarny watching on from the middle in his tractor.’ Mason now emulates his Grandad, regularly racing in The Predators, previously Luton Banger Club in Tarny’s days. Mason admits that his Grandad was an influential figure to his racing. ‘Grandad was a massive influence on my racing. He was always at the house every Saturday morning at 7am waiting for a coffee before me and him would spend the day down the yard working on my cars, ensuring they were ready to go and all running properly; even though he never agreed with the money we spend on cars nowadays.’

‘The Preds are a really good group of people with a heart of gold. It is special to me to race in my Grandad’s colours and really means a lot to be alongside the boys on and off track – building cars with them, there really is no better feeling. I really can’t thank them enough for what they have done for me already, and I’m buzzing for the future racing alongside them and excited to see where it goes.’

Mason has certainly been plodding away since his debut, and gradually improving with more on track time which currently sees him sit as a Blue grade driver on the Trackstar scene. It was also at Trackstar, where Mason recently swept the Best Newcomer Award. Mason acknowledges these achievements and progress himself, ‘it’s gone a lot better than I thought it would. I’ve won a fair few races that’s for sure, and been part of some top meetings. There’s no better feeling than being on pace.’ He mentions being on the pace, but this isn’t fully essential to Mason. ‘The aim for this year is to do all of the 1500 and 2L meetings as possible, and maybe a few Unlimiteds to hopefully get the feel for them! I just go out and enjoy it, and whatever happens, happens. If I get into the championship races then so be it, but this year I’m going out to have fun and enjoy it.’

Although it looks set for Mason to have a busy year, there’s only one meeting he has his attention set on. ‘The only meeting I’m really looking forward to is my Grandad’s memorial meeting at Northampton on June 10th. It’s going to be a mega meeting and there will be some mega tin attending for that. I have nothing too special for it,’ Mason says humbly, ‘I’ll be using my Mk2 Granada I got for my 16th Birthday – it’s about time I dusted the cobwebs off and raced it and I’m still not decided on the Pre 70 car.’

It doesn’t get much better than racing a Mk2 Granada, but other dream cars that Mason would like to pilot ‘a Crown or a big cool yank are definitely top of the list of cars I’d want to race.’

I thought I’d revisit something that Mason mentioned earlier in the interview about his Grandad complaining about the money involved in bangers these days and whether this was something he would change. ‘I love the way bangers are now, but personally for me I would clamp down on the constant rule changing, but other than that, it’s good how it is.’

The question that every interviewee gets asked had to come up at some point. I asked Mason to pick another 5 drivers to form a dream team alongside him, and there’s no major suprises when it comes to his selection. ‘178 Kieran Bowman, 294 Alan Tarn, 341 Andrew Jones, 401 Steve Hemmings and 595 Drew Burdett – it really needs no explanation!’

Mason would like to conclude the interview by thanking his Dad, ‘as without him nothing would be possible and there would be no racing without him.’ We wish Mason all the best for tonight’s action and for the upcoming season ahead.