Getting to know Chris Buncombe
British Le Mans race driver Chris Buncombe is very passionate about cycling when he is not behind the steering wheel of his Aston Martin race car. He also runs and word has it that swimming may not be very far behind, maybe not in skills but certainly in terms of interest. He is great friends with Jenson Button who is considered to be the fastest race car driving triathlete.
Slowtwitch: Chris, we know you followed the Tour de France, but do you also get to check out the Vuelta a España?
Chris: I normally manage to watch the Eurosport highlights of the days stage each evening when possible, which is really good coverage here in the UK.
ST: What is the next race on your schedule?
Chris: My next race is the British Round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup at Silverstone early September but no doubt there will be some testing scheduled before that.
ST: Although you are now racing an Aston Martin in the Le Mans program, you actually got your start in the dirt and on two wheels. Is that correct?
Chris: Yes, I grew up supporting my father through his racing career but I actually started myself in schoolboy Motocross. I got my first dirt bike when I was about 5 and in those early days I loved watching Supercross on the TV! It was a good grounding for all sorts of motorsport but ultimately I wanted to end up on 4 wheels and I think my parents were pleased to see the back of the bikes, having had so many friends injure themselves in motocross races!
ST: From there you jumped to carting and it seems that is the path most people take who end up as professional racecar drivers.
Chris: In general terms I started karting quite late – I was 14. Karting teaches so many important aspects of racing that are required later in a racing career so really it’s the necessary grounding for any young driver. Kart racing is so close that you soon learn the important lessons of race craft!
ST: Did you always think you'd end up racing cars for a living?
Chris: With my family background in the sport I always had a passion and therefore always wanted to form a career in motor racing in one way or another. I’m also a founding Director of Halcyon Events which is a business specializing in hospitality and experiences at Grand Prix weekends so even out of the race car, my business interests are still attached to the sport.
ST: You are known to be an avid cyclist. Is that something you always have been involved with?
Chris: I’ve been cycling as part of my routine training for the past 8 or 9 years but it’s always been the discipline that I’ve enjoyed the most. I was fortunate enough to ride a few times last winter with the great Lance Armstrong which has definitely inspired me to try and spend more time in the saddle!
ST: Running is also part of your fitness training, correct?
Chris: I generally try to maintain a decent level of fitness training and running forms part of that. Whilst traveling a lot, running can often be the easiest session to fit in as I can do it anywhere, anytime! I have to say that I don’t consider myself to be that good at it though and find it quite easy to pick up injury from a lot of running.
ST: Most of us can probably not really imagine the stamina it takes to race a 24-hour race, even if driving is shared with other drivers.
Chris: The demands faced in an endurance race are pretty tough – normally due to cockpit temperatures and mental fatigue over a long period of time. Race fitness really comes from driving the car but base fitness really helps with focus and of course recovery. Often the time out of the car between stints is not that long so it’s important to recover well and be sharp and ready to get back into the race again.
ST: You are a pretty good friend of Jenson Button, another driver well known to be very fit. How competitive are you guys when you are riding together?
Chris: I do most of my training with Jenson, in fact we have a fun tri team called ‘Ichiban’. He has really raised his fitness levels in the last couple of years and is an excellent triathlete. For sure it’s competitive whenever you put racing drivers together in any situation but we are very close mates and so it’s enjoyable to help each other in training.
ST: Jenson has done quite a few triathlons and I think you joined him in a relay. Any chance we'll see you competing in a triathlon?
Chris: I need to sort out my swimming – then one day I would love to! We have done a few events as teams, one of the last was the Miami 70.3 last year. I have huge admiration for anyone who has completed a full Ironman distance and although I have such a long way to go with my swimming, it would be great to think that perhaps one day I could compete in one!
ST: Is swimming really such a hurdle, or is it more so a question of time?
Chris: It’s really an issue I’ve had from a young age. I grew up with all sorts of ear problems, which prevented me from going underwater and hence spent very little time swimming. I now need to just get over my fear of this but it’s really a case of starting form scratch! If I’m thrown in the water I’m not going to drown, but I’m certainly not confident enough to jump in the sea with hundreds of other athletes climbing over the top of me!!
ST: Assuming swimming was no issue and fitness was spot on, would you rather race the triathlon in the Olympics or the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, and why?
Chris: Haha, if I could swim, and assuming I could improve my all round performance I would love to do the Ironman WC in Hawaii. I see any Ironman distance as an amazing challenge in itself and to qualify for Hawaii is something very special for athletes. I’ve spent a bit of time in Hawaii and love it there. I’ve also done quite a bit of riding over there and loved it!
ST: What bike are you currently riding and how many bikes do actually have floating round?
Chris: I ride a Specialized, I really like their products. Currently I just use a road bike even when doing the bike leg in competition, but would love a nice TT bike!
ST: Anything else we should know?
Chris: Since driving for Aston Martin Racing and Jota Sport, I have worked with their training partner, Peter from Driver Performance. The great thing with them is that we have a mobile gym and massage room at all of the races, which has been fantastic. During Le Mans week this year I used a turbo trainer for warm up and we worked in a few TRX sessions on the quiet days just to keep on top of things. Massage and stretching is very important for driving so it is always nice to have a physio on hand to work with over a race weekend.
Start the discussion at slowtwitch.northend.network