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Motoring talks to Jack Lemvard, the 2008 Asian Touring Car Series (ATCS) champion on why he did not get the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) drive this year.

Jack Lemvard is hopeful for full-time drive in 2010.

What happened to the WTCC drive with Team Engstler?

Well, after I won the Asian Touring Car Championship last year I was supposed to get the WTCC deal, but the world economic crisis hit us and nobody could fund us for the whole season. My sponsors had to refocus on their business and the budget for me was cut down to only enough for one or two races, so we decided not to race at all; everything stopped from then on.

Then why didn't you continue another season in the ATCS?

At the beginning of the season I saw the entry list and it was so small. To go back and do another season with the same amount of money as last year _ with a small grid _ basically just wasn't worth doing. So I decided to stay in Thailand and try to find sponsors to go abroad next year.

What are you doing this year?

I am doing Honda Civic One Make Race and the SuperCar series with Toyota Team Thailand in the non-turbo class.

How are you doing in the SuperCar series?

I qualified first in all the rounds and came in first in most races with one second place. Going into the last round in Bangsaen I think I will just need to start the race to take the title there.

And the Honda Civic Cup?

My pace was really good at the Kaeng Krachan circuit because I was lapping everyone by six- to seven-tenth seconds faster and I was 12 seconds ahead of second place when my engine's conrod broke! I don't know why. But the team did a wonderful job changing the engine within two hours to put me at the back of the grid for the next race and I went on to break the lap record.

No one has ever raced there, how did you manage to do that?

I learned a lot from Engstler Motorsport and BMW in Germany where they used data logging to show me what I could do to improve lap time and also with the car set-up. On the new tracks in Germany and Spain I walked the circuit like everyone else, took notes and asked for advice from the more experienced drivers, so even before I was driving on the track I knew which gear I should be in at a particular corner. I did that here, too. While others drivers were still going about their way I already knew what gear to be in and where the corners were, so I was able to get ahead. Figuring out how to set the car up for the track is also just as important.

What's your plan for next year?

Well, I hope to get in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in the future, but since that would be very expensive a campaign, realistically I am looking forward to race the Aston Martin Cup Asia with another Thai driver in 2010.