IN my five years of driving, I have never reached more than 80 miles per hour, until I took to the track at Croft, writes Richard Bellis.

I was taken for a spin in a Honda Civic Type R – which I was told was the fastest on the track - as we hurtled round the North Yorkshire circuit The car had been completely stripped of its insides so that it could be as light as possible, enabling it to reach high speed but also brake quickly on corners.

I was pretty nervous about it, anything that needs a helmet, and a harness-style seatbelt should not be tried at home!

The car was loud, the engine roared and the whole thing vibrated. It stank of fuel at the start, due to the unique way it is refuelled, as they have to open the boot and pour the fuel using a jerry can.

This smell was later replaced by burning rubber as the tires screeched around the tight corners of the track.

The ride itself was not the most comfortable, even with the harness on I found myself being thrown against the door as we turned corners. Several times we overtook slower vehicles, some of them on corners, which to me seemed crazy but shows the talent of the motorsport drivers.

By the end of my four laps, it is certainly something I won’t be able to forget for a while, but there’s no doubt I would do it again