Testing, testing

The business of reviewing new cars has taken me to more upmarket places over the years.

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Michelin-starred restaurants in prime riviera locations in Cannes, Marbella and Monaco. Mountain lookouts in Spain's Serra de Tramuntana or on South Africa's Kouebokkeveld. All very nice, but you don't really want to read about them - and in any case, some of the rougher eateries that you find in just the right locations, and with just the right clientele, are the truly special ones.

Race circuit diners are what I'm talking about. Official and unofficial, nearby and farflung. Those canteen-style nosh houses where proper enthusiasts loiter on track days and race weekends, often in their fireproofs or leathers, to munch on hearty, carbohydrate-rich fare, tell tales, swap set-up notes, trade banter and cop flak. The rest of us just enjoy witnessing it all and generally being in the bosom of the hobbycum-sport that we love.