Learning to drive like a pro

Guided by an expert driver, Sean O’Grady rips round the Goodwood Motor Circuit in no fewer than four racing cars

- 

The press invite from the people at Goodwood was, I imagine, designed to be an irresistible challenge to stir the blood: “Are you ready to follow in the tyre tracks of Hill, Stewart and Fangio?” The answer to that question, directed as it was at this particular paunchy, ageing and frankly jaded motoring hack, was clearly going to be “no, not really”.

However... I remain dutiful, and so I bounded down to Goodwood Motor Circuit – sequestered in a particularly picturesque corner of Sussex – in a Subaru Forester press car.

The idea was that I should have a driving lesson. Not like the first one I had, which, as memory serves, was in a Ford Escort Mark 1, at the introductory offer rate of £7.50. Yeah, it was that long ago. No. This lesson would cost a punter from £1,950, although for that you get a proper racing car, some highly expert tuition and a whole afternoon spent learning and developing your skills. That includes four quarter-hour sessions in one of their specific race cars (there’s a choice) and plenty of charts and videos to go through with your coach, showing where you went right and wrong. You end up doing about 150mph down the short straight, a bit less on the corners and chicane, and an enhanced sense of finding your racing “line” and, above all, staying as safe as possible.

Terrified as I was at the prospect of being let loose in such powerful machinery, even with an expert/guardian angel by my side, I soon found myself more exhilarated than frightened, and growing in confidence. The professional drivers are part of DTO Motorsport, and they know what they're doing.