Kent’s Andy Wilmot made his Dunlop British Touring Car Championship in the last round at Rockingham.

He enjoyed every moment of the time in the car and out on the track racing for Gravesend’s Team HARD.

Kent Sports News caught up with Andy after the racing once he had time to reflect on the experience to get his exclusive thoughts.

“The whole weekend was just like I was living a dream and that dream couldn’t have gone any better, every goal that I set I achieved.

“The three goals were to finish all three races, to then finish all three races with no damage and to not be last.

“The reason I set those goals was to add to my CV and it is something to give to potential sponsors for next season. I went into it relatively nervous when I agreed with Tony Gilham to drive, I knew that it was quite a brutal playing field and that I was going to need a bit more money for damage.

“I kind of tested the water and it wasn’t as bad as I thought, you kind of make your own problem out there, like the first crash that happened in turn five and six, I think that they people were driving a bit too fast on cold tyres.

“One of the first things that I learnt in racing was to get your tyres warm on lap one and see if you’re the car will come to you and then start pushing. You try and fight for position in the first lap as well I guess.

“I managed to keep clear of the accidents and not cause any and that was good for me and enjoying the racing.”

Whilst Andy was down fighting for 18^th place he was enjoying every moment and enjoying the racing that he was involved with.

He added: “I learnt a lot that weekend, and that was the plan. I hadn’t covered any laps in the car before the weekend. I sat in the car in Free practice one, I didn’t really know how the car would behave.

“It was damp as well and I was relatively on the pace and I gave myself a pat on the back for that, free practice two dried out and it was about learning the car, braking and gear changes and that was another learning curve for me.

“Qualifying was about staying out of everyone’s way, as I am not really involved in the championship and I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s lap that was. I think I could have bettered my qualifying lap and I wasn’t last and again that was the target.”

The racing was interesting for Andy as he had more than one track condition to deal with on in his first BTCC race.

He said: “Race one was damp and I thoroughly enjoyed that, and I was battling with Howard Fuller for the majority of it. There was a huge amount of respect there, he gave me room and I gave him room.

“He is a bit more clued up and knows how to drive the lines and deal with situations in touring cars, I just wanted to follow him really, and I did try to nip him on the line in the second to last and last lap but he got the better of me.

“Race two I got held up a little bit at the back and eventually came through and kept it clean, and it was a steep learning curve racing in the drive. In this race I actually had a good battle with Liam Griffin which actually got me some good air time.

“The final race I was battling with Lea Wood on supersoft tyres and I didn’t realise how quickly they would go off and you have to really look after those tyres. I didn’t do that and I lost a bit of time and then my teammate Warren Scott went off in front of me and got back on but I had the chance to close up on him.

“It was a great weekend and I learnt loads and I want to be back there next season, I would like to be out for Silverstone and Brands Hatch but that is all dependent on sponsorship. It is all well and good being out there living the dream, the money is key and when you are short of that it is tough to make it happen.

“I have a marketing company that are emailing out for me about sponsorship and at the same time I am getting a website made, as well as a portfolio and a brochure and I have a manager also who is helping me with this.”

If Andy doesn’t raise the sponsorship to make the BTCC grid for next season he is looking at a number of alternative plans to keep racing.

“I have a sponsor that I have just developed a Ford Focus RS that is being entered into Britcar and I will be racing in that. We also have a very special little ex Clio Cup car that has been converted to paddle shift and we are going to run that in Team Trophy.

“I am doing the Britcar into the night race at Brands Hatch in November with Perry Winch, and then racing the Clio in a Trackday Trophy.

“I want to get out there for the BTCC and I have pretty much got half the money to buy a touring car I just need an investor for the other half of it. I can then out being out racing a lot sooner with my own card.

“There is a lot that comes with running a touring car, it is the team that is key and I hope there aren’t any issues with that, obviously it would be an independent team. I am fully focussed on getting out there for 2014.”

Main picture supplied by Phil Laughton.