Thruxton Driving Day

I'd been praying for good weather all week for this and watching the forecasts like a hawk with a driving license. Luckily all that happened on the track was the odd flurry of drizzle. So after 2 and a bit hours of M25 and M3 traffic we made it to Thruxton, the other side of Andover to do my birthday present from Kerry.

After a long briefing video, three of us were driven around the track in a Mazda 3MPS (hatchback) by an instructor who pointed out where to brake, accelerate, positioning of the track etc. The track had some useful cones to mark these useful points which were greatly appreciated later.

Porsche Cayman
The next bit was to drive myself in a Porsche Cayman with an instructor pointing out when to brake etc. Whilst I was driving he was marking me on my performance. The car itself was very smooth and quick but driving on a race track was so different to the road you almost lost the speed sensation. There were a few places where you couldn't really floor it like near the grid/pit area where everyone was watching from. 4 laps was all we were allowed.

Ferrari F355
Shame it was yellow, left-hand drive and there were other, more modern Ferraris going around the track but that didn't stop me smiling from ear to ear. Unlike the instructor before, the older guy took time out to point a few more characteristics of the car and how to drive it. Again, driving it around the track was slightly unreal as I normally get good feedback on what the car can do. The accelerator was really stiff so it was as raw as an Italian beast could be as the car would lurch with a delicate push of the foot. I could have pushed it so much more without fear of spinning off the track. Four short laps was still not enough.

Formula Renault
Although they quote it was a Renault, all the decor was Mazda so slightly confusing. They didn't look much but driving the single-seater car around was more memorable than the Ferrari. First off was being kitted out with racing boots, gloves and a helmet. Next was getting in it - 'imagine sitting in a bath' was the advice as there was no proper seat just extra back cushions (looked like swimming floats) to move you forward. After an embarrassing engine stall I was out on my own. The gear shift was slight nightmare as I realised I wasn't close enough to the clutch but the acceleration, g-force and against the open elements blew me away. I even managed to overtake some cars along the way and the in-car video (a whopping £30 for the dvd) was worth buying. I even got to wave at Kerry, James and Emma along the way as I approached the start/finish line. By the 5th lap I really started to find my confidence but that was my lot.

Mazda RX-8 Instructor lap
The last part of the experience and everyone was having a go at it. For £20 you could pay on the day for an instructor to scare you silly around the track for a lap of which Kerry, James and Emma did. The driver pushed the Mazda to the limit whilst having a small talk along the way. It was a world away from the speeds I was doing.

Wanting more...
That was it as far as driving went but I was slightly tempted at adding on the Lamborghini Mercielago experience but at £125 for 3 laps it was wee bit extreme.