19 Jul 05
Now, I'll admit I've not got a great deal of track experience. My inaugural track outing involved a Renault Megane 225 and a trip across a rather large gravel trap, and my second try was on a little twisty French circuit surrounded by acres of open run-off. This time, I'm at Cadwell Park - a track described by some as a mini Nurburgring. This daunting circuit has a flurry of long, fast curves, some very tight bends and one rather nasty hairpin. And while I'm used to sedately-driven Micras with BSM cones on the roof, this one's a totally different beast. This Micra packs an insane 306bhp, which rockets it to 60mph in under five seconds and on to a bonkers top speed of 150mph. Mirror, signal, manoeuvre? I don't think so...
Michael Mallock, Ray's son and an accomplished racer, will accompany me. He's given me some advice on how to emerge from Cadwell in one piece. "You must remember to come off the brakes before turning in to a corner," he tells me as I get strapped in, "otherwise this thing has a tendency to flip itself round."
Duly nervous, I punch the starter button and the V6 erupts into life - its manic sound envelops the stripped-out cabin. I engage the extremely heavy clutch, "it loosens up when we're at speed", select first gear and move rather slowly out onto the track. I'm through Hall Bends (a quick right/left chicane) without any drama and increase my speed (at Michael's instruction) into the hairpin, hard on the brakes, turn in, and on to the power into a longer right-hander and - oh bugger, I've not come off the brakes before turning in. Luckily Michael was on hand to grab the wheel before I managed to stuff the priceless Micra into the banking. We're now facing the wrong way down the track, which if I had it to myself wouldn't be a problem, however round the corner comes a Micra 160SR being driven in anger by another enthusiastic hack. Thankfully, he spotted me - although to be fair a wide-arched red and silver Micra isn't exactly easy to miss - and drove round without incident.
Michael restarts the Micra and I gently turn it so we're facing the correct way down the track. I'm reminded to brake, then turn, before told to give it my all on the back straight. I lift off before the left-hand Coppice corner (incidentally the Micra 160SR will happily go through at 80mph; I'm barely doing half that speed, and I've got nearly three times the power) and onto the long sweeping right-hand Charles corner. Then back onto the power hard up the Park Straight and over the crest before slowing slightly for the Chris Curve, back onto the power, slowing for the Gooseneck chicane before barrelling down the hill towards Mansfield. I feed the car gently round the tight left-hander, before giving a quick burst of power before the very technical Mountain. The crest is completely blind, but Michael signals for me to put the power down before we complete the lap.
