Racing day thrills with Silverstone’s driving experiences
Ferrari experience at Silverstone
BUYING a Valentine’s Day gift for someone who has everything they need and wants nothing in particular can be a headache, but those looking for a more unusual present for someone this February 14 should consider one of Silverstone’s driving experiences,
The Northamptonshire race circuit offers thrills to suit adrenaline junkies of all ages, and when I told my boyfriend we were going to test out the Ferrari Thrill I got some serious girlfriend points.
Arriving at the circuit early on a cold Sunday morning it seemed quiet, until we got into the experience centre, which was packed with thrill-seekers and spectators.
After a friendly welcome we had a 20-minute briefing, during which our instructor told us to forget everything we had learned about how to drive on a road, and taught us how to drive like a racing driver.
He explained the science behind how to drive both slow and fast corners, and taught us about braking points, turning points and corner apexes.
By the end of the briefing we were desperate to get behind the wheel, and soon we headed to where our cars were waiting.
We had been told we would drive the 360 Modena and our only thought was a shared fervent hope we would get to drive a red one, with our feeling being that is the more “authentic” colour for a Ferrari.
But it turned out that although the paintwork would indeed be red, we would be driving the F430 instead (unsurprisingly we didn’t argue).
As I headed out on track the paddle-shift gearbox felt strange, as I had never driven an automatic, but I concentrated on listening to my instructor and braking, changing gear, turning in and accelerating as instructed.
As any petrol head will appreciate, the engine noise of the F430 is immense . . . it sounds fantastic.
Hitting 120mph on the main straight (I am told the pros can do 140mph) I got a massive rush of adrenaline, but in truth I was on a high for the whole experience.
Sadly all too soon it was time to head back in, but I didn’t mind because I knew I was about to hand over the car to my boyfriend, and I was excited for him to experience what I had. Returning, he had a big grin on his face, and I could tell he had enjoyed driving the Ferrari as much as I had.
All together we were probably at the circuit about two hours, but spent about 10 minutes of that out on track, as you only get three laps with the Thrill experience (there are experiences where you get to drive for longer).
But the experience is designed to do exactly what it says on the advertisement . . . give you a thrill. And that it certainly does.
Where: Silverstone race circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 8TN
Price: Ranging from £50 to £738. The Ferrari Thrill costs £120 per person
Availability: Silverstone driving experiences run all year round, but are weather dependent. For the next available dates and for information on the full range of Thrills and Experiences available, visit the Silverstone website.
Times: 7.30am till 5.00pm in winter – 7.30am till 7.00pm (roughly)
Contact: www.silverstone.co.uk or call 08443 728270
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Augustine
Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 11:10 AMyes...we accepitng tis.............. "Mark... prcompanionpr@gmail.com www.prcompanion.com"
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