ONE TO WATCH - ALEX SALMON
Image - Lawrence Chay
Alex Salmon is a familiar face at Bouley Bay, and, having held the Road-Going Specialist Production 1401-2000cc record for nearly 4 years, Alex and his distinctive ‘Custard Cream’ Westfield have delivered many thrills. More recently he has shared an entry in a mighty Gould GR37 racing car and quickly found strong pace, falling just over half a second short of another record.
How did you get into motorsport and at what age?
I’ve been around motorsport from birth, really, through my dad, Steve, and his involvement as an organiser, Clerk of the Course, and even with Normandy Rescue back in the day. I’ve been attending hillclimbs, sprints, kart races and rallies for as long as I can remember. I first started racing myself in 2008 when we got into karting, and I’ve competed in some form every year since.
What are your goals, if any, for this year at Bouley Bay?
My goals each season are fairly consistent—I just want to make small improvements with every run. It’s amazing how much there is to learn in a 45-second run, so as long as I keep progressing, I’m happy. Obviously, the long-term dream is to qualify for a run-off in July, but it’s all about taking baby steps.
The Gould question – talk us through what it’s like to pilot such a powerful machine up the hill.
It’s certainly intimidating. Jeremy has built an absolute monster of a car, and you have to remember it’s the only one like it in the world—there’s no handbook for it. The main thing that gets your heart rate up is the engine. On start-up, you can feel every rotation of the crank through your bones, so you know exactly what you’re in for before you even set off.
At the end of the day, though, it’s still a car. When you break it down to basics, you can treat it as such. Looking back at what I’ve driven before—from gearbox karts to the Westfield and even the TR7—they all share traits that the Gould reminds you of. So it’s not quite as alien as you might expect when you first jump in.
Favourite moment at the hill?
Of all time, it has to be the feeling after setting my record with the Westfield—it was such a great moment to go sub-45 seconds.
Worst moment (or biggest scare)?
Probably the last hillclimb. Nothing to do with the car itself—just me falling flat on my backside climbing down the bank, only to be spotted by Beddoe and James in the commentary booth. Pretty humbling…
Favourite section of the hill and why?
Everything from turn-in at Sleemans through to braking for Radio. When you hook that section up properly, the flow is incredible—it almost feels like one continuous motion.
