Nick Foster ready for season opener

There is just a week to go until the first round of the 2012 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and the whole team has been busy fine-tuning the car in time for Brands Hatch. In the past seven days I have had my first opportunity to drive the newly developed car and it is very exciting to be back behind the wheel.

During pre-season we have done testing at Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Rockingham and that has given us a good feel of the car. It certainly takes a bit of getting used to the increase in power that comes with the new turbo engine. The eBay Motors team of mechanics should be given a lot of credit as they have been working around the clock to ensure that our car is competitive and ready for the opening weekend.

On a personal level, I have been keeping fit and healthy during the off-season so that I’m in good shape to drive. I have taken up swimming which helps me to remain focused and improves my fitness levels. Hopefully this will give me an added boost as I am aiming to qualify in the top ten at Brands Hatch and perform consistently throughout the season. Brands Hatch is a circuit that I particularly enjoy and I hope to be on the pace from the very start.

I have always been into racing and last season was a massive step up for me after my previous experience in rallying. There is a big difference between track racing and rallying – during my first season in BTCC I had to learn a whole new skillset as I developed my race craft and tactical driving. This should set me up nicely for the coming year with eBay Motors as I look to replicate my maiden BTCC podium finish at Croft last season.