And he believes Rangers can make a move from the back of the grid — starting today against relegation rivals Southampton at St Mary's.
Townsend, 21, is obsessed with speed. If he is not beating defenders with his pace on the flanks, he loves watching racing car drivers tear around a circuit.
QPR's new winger, on loan from Tottenham, gave me a few go-karting tips at Rye House circuit in Hertfordshire this week. And with the season reaching the last few laps, he says rock-bottom Rangers are not an old banger on the relegation scrapheap yet.
Rangers are a massive SEVEN points adrift of safety and Townsend insists the team need to win at least six or seven of their last 11 matches.
He said: "This is make-or-break. We've got six 'relegation six-pointers' now. Everyone wrote QPR off this time last season and they pulled it out of the fire. So why not again?
"There were a lot of positives to take out of the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United last Saturday. It took a worldy from Rafael to unlock us and we were in that game until Ryan Giggs popped up late on.
"We didn't get battered by the best team in the country and must take that into the games against Saints, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Reading, Wigan and Newcastle.
"Everything looks good defensively and all the new signings, including me, are gelling. A victory at Southampton and suddenly we might only be four points adrift with 10 to play. Then it'll be about getting back-to-back wins."
But he said: "I'm pleased they have as it's less pressure on us now. There's a siege mentality and a steely determination to get the job done."
One player who will be looking to stop Townsend burning rubber down the flank today is his old pal Nathaniel Clyne. The pair came through the ranks together at Tottenham before Clyne switched to Crystal Palace, where they came up against each other many times.
And Townsend said: "We've known each other since we were 3ft tall! Every time I've played against him, he's performed well.
"We both know each other's games inside out so it's going to be a tough battle. Hopefully, I can chuck in a few surprises for him."
Townsend, who was named Rangers' player of the month yesterday, is grateful his former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has now given him a crack at the big time.
Redknapp blooded the winger for Spurs two years ago — in an FA Cup third-round match against Charlton — and also started him in several Europa League matches.
Since joining QPR, Townsend has made his full Premier League debut against Norwich — where he was named man of the match — and also impressed in the defeats at Swansea and against Manchester United.
Up until now, unfortunately for Townsend, he has had to live in the shadows of wing wizards Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon at the Lane. QPR is already his 10th club and ninth loan spell. But he said: "I can't keep harping on about Bale and Lennon being great players. It's time for me to make a name for myself.
"Yes, Bale is one of the greatest players in the world and he's playing in my position. But I'm 21 — I've got to find my own path."
Bale's exploits at Tottenham do not surprise Townsend. He revealed the Welsh wonder hits goals like the one he scored at West Ham in almost every training session.
He said: "Since he got me hooked on F1, I must have watched every race on TV. I'm a big admirer of Lewis — he's the best driver. Some of my mates reckon I look like him. I was fortunate enough to go to Silverstone last year and watch the British Grand Prix.
"There are only two pedals, brake and gas. It's a laugh. But I don't think I'll ever drive an F1 car — not during my football career anyway!"
Townsend needed no introducing to QPR owner Tony Fernandes, who founded the Caterham F1 team. And he admitted: "Even before I came here, his passion impressed me. Just look at how he interacts with the fans on Twitter. It's refreshing.
Townsend's dad, Troy, works for football's anti-racism campaign Kick It Out. And the winger, himself, had the misfortune to experience vile abuse in Serbia when he played in the England U21's infamous match there in October.
He said: "I'm able to channel such things out — but the monkey chants got to Danny Rose. "Thankfully, in England, that behaviour is rare."
While Townsend is a sport nut, who also plays tennis and cricket in the off season, do not rule him out as a future X Factor contender.
Two years ago, he starred in a YouTube video with academy team-mates doing a cover of Ben E King's classic Stand By Me.
He laughed: "No one will ever let me live that down. We decided to do a song for Christmas and see how many hits we'd get.
"It became an internet sensation and I was getting texts from people in France and Spain, saying it made the newspapers there. It was mental."
But the winger wishes to have the last word. He said: "Two seconds? You've put journalistic spin on that. It was two LAPS and two seconds... you drove like a granny!
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