IN THIS FEATURE Pleasure and pain Unique supercars Melting trainers Accessible motorsport Adrenaline junkies

The manic turbocharged engine barks once more and yet another corner is swallowed whole by the Escort. Then it's fast into a left hairpin; the Escort runs wide, Pat drops back to first and plants the throttle and the car squirms its way back onto the track. Donk! Donk! My head bounces off the roll cage and my arms are flailing around. I'm not sure whether to hold on like I'm on a rollercoaster or just let myself get thrown around. I choose the latter because it's more fun.

It's getting a bit warm in the Escort's cabin, with the uninsulated transmission tunnel throwing off loads of heat. I try to move my leg away from the tunnel so my trainers don't to melt. But no sooner are they safe than Pat hits another bump and back goes the leg to trainer-melting mode.

Indeed, the short circuit is doing no favours to the Escort as there's not enough air getting forced over the engine, so it's overheating. Pat pulls over and his team waste no time in whipping the bonnet open to give the engine some much-needed air. I unbuckle myself and haul my battered frame out of the bucket seat. My head's buzzing, and my internal organs are attempting to find their rightful places. 0-60mph in less than two seconds takes its toll, much the way a giant tumble drier on maximum spin would.