Driving a Ferrari

I don't own a Ferrari.

But I have loved them since Miami Vice, now that was a TV Show, the glamour of cruising around Miami in a Testarossa.

As a small gift, my wife bought me a Track Experience from Everyman Racing at Prestwold Hall. It's the closest place to do this since Donington Park cancelled the events there.

Being 50 & grumpy, I was not that arsed about doing it to be honest. I got it booked in for a Saturday morning, driving a Ferrari F430.

On the way I had zero excitement about doing this. Not sure why, as normally quite a happy chap to be fair.

Arrived at Prestwold Hall, pulled up into the car park, & the excitement hit me, right there in a Car Park full of normal cars you could hear the exotica cars whipping around the track.

After checking in to do my circuit at 11:30 I had to do a briefing at 11:00.

Whilst waiting I found time for a cup of tea and watched the cars whizzing past.

Have to say that the plethora of cars on show was amazing, every conceivable exotica was here.

Is it a man thing listening to those big V12 engines purring away?

I entered into the briefing to get an understanding of the car & the track. SHIT JUST GOT REAL.... I'm about to drive a Ferrari.

I made my way out to the track to await my calling. My wife & daughter were there to support as if I was Lewis bloody Hamilton.

"Frogson" gets shouted out and my co-driver arrives, much to the delight of my wife who instantly fancied the good looking Yorkshire fella. 

I followed him to the Car and took my instructions.

"Plant the left foot into the carpet & don't move it. You don't need it"

Paddle Shift all the way.

I climbed into my Ferrari and it dawns on me right there, that you become part of the car. It's not just a car, you're the man that makes this work, you are part of the machine.

My co-driver was awesome to be fair, he wanted me to get the most out of this beast with my limited experience. Fuck me, they fly, they grip like a roller-skate to the track.

"Shift up, shift up, brake, shift down, aim to the cone, then move lanes to the middle and shift up, shift up."

It was all over in a flash. Not sure my brain had coordinated what I had just done but somehow 3 laps in a Ferrari had just passed me by.

As I pulled up to park the beast I was not sure what I felt. Excited, emotional and every other feeling rolled into one.

Amazing.

If you have never done a Track Experience, just do it. I want to go back and drive every car there.