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are getting to the point where you are<br />
dangerously close to usurping me and<br />
putting me out of a job, so I have to pull my<br />
socks up so to speak! When you’ve put in a<br />
fast time, I think “bloody hell Kelvin”, now I<br />
have to go back out there and put everything<br />
on the line and take big risks to restore world<br />
order!<br />
KF: Naturally I want to be as fast as possible and put<br />
in a fast lap time, but to win a championship there<br />
are so many dynamics away from just one quick<br />
lap. Can I stay out of trouble? Can I stay consistent<br />
with my times? There are so many more factors with<br />
endurance racing that I’ve had to understand and<br />
realise that there’s more value in those than in just<br />
setting a fast time.<br />
For me, when you get in the car and set a lap time<br />
and if I’m there or thereabouts I’m happy with that,<br />
regardless of what the other cars are doing, because<br />
if Martin Plowman does that time in that car then<br />
that’s what that car can do. I know it’s the limit of<br />
the car. That’s a relief for me really because I only<br />
have to focus on being close to you.<br />
MP: I’m going to make that the bold quote!<br />
KF: Exactly! Make that the headline.<br />
MP: What’s the one track that you want to<br />
win at and why?<br />
KF: I think looking forward to British GT again next<br />
year, the Silverstone 500 is the one that I want to<br />
win. There are no particular tracks I want to win at<br />
and I would gladly take a win anywhere, it’s just that<br />
for the last two years I’ve had my best performances<br />
MARTIN PLOWMAN WITH<br />
FORMER EMMERDALE ACTOR<br />
AND TEAM MATE KELVIN<br />
FLETCHER<br />
at Silverstone, but the win has always eluded me<br />
through no fault of my own with punctures or<br />
other gremlins holding us back, so I have unfinished<br />
business there.<br />
MP: Motorsport history is dotted with<br />
success by high-profile celebrities such as<br />
the iconic Steve McQueen and more recently<br />
Patrick Dempsey. What lasting impression<br />
do you hope to leave on motorsport?<br />
KF: I guess, I want acknowledgment and respect<br />
from my racing peers. To earn that respect, from<br />
people like yourself who turn around and say “yeah<br />
he was good”. I don’t know if that’s the wrong thing<br />
to chase because I don’t even know if I’m ever going<br />
to get that or for it to be as credible as I would want.<br />
As an actor I feel confident, although subjective,<br />
an opinion or a reputation can be based on my my<br />
talent of what I’ve done, whereas with racing no<br />
matter how well I do, no matter how quick I could be<br />
I feel it’s hard for people to see past me as an actor<br />
and take me seriously as a driver…<br />
MP: Do you feel that you have a chip on your<br />
shoulder in a way? To prove people wrong?<br />
KF: Yeah I guess so, but the only people I have to<br />
prove myself to are my team, the people I’m racing<br />
with at the time. Whatever reputation that creates is<br />
out of my hands. In five, 10 or 20 years time I don’t<br />
know how people will speak of me in the motorsport<br />
realms, but I certainly want it to be more than “he<br />
did a bit of racing, he had a go!” for me it means a<br />
lot more than that now. Yes, I did start out racing<br />
for a bit of fun, but I’m at a level now where it’s way<br />
beyond that and I do<br />
kind of want some<br />
recognition for the<br />
ability and skill that<br />
I’ve shown.<br />
MP: All those<br />
guys have gone on<br />
to perform on the<br />
world stage either<br />
in the driving<br />
seat or as teamowners<br />
such as<br />
Dempsey, who is<br />
now a successful<br />
Le Mans-winning<br />
team owner in his<br />
own right. Guys<br />
8
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