It is the most shattering experience of a young man's life when one morning he awakes and quite reasonably says to himself: ‘I will never be an F1 driver’. However, there was a morning not that long ago where I awoke and, quite reasonably, said to myself, ‘I am going to drive a Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo like stink around the Goodwood Motor Circuit.’
As compromises go, it is a good one. This Ferrari 488 has a twin-turbo V8 engine, can spit out 670bhp, a top speed of 200mph and reaches 60mph in 2.9 seconds. It is white, has a big spoiler and is covered in aggressive looking scoops and fins. It is not easy for a 6ft 4in man to get into, but not impossible. It is much easier for the bubbly Jody Fannin to get into, because he is smaller than that. Jody’s usual job is driving this monster around the Nürburgring. Today, his job is keeping me alive and teaching me to drive it fast. The fact that I am writing this from the comfort of my own home, rather than a hospital bed, is evidence that he is very good at his job.
The Ferrari 488 is one of four cars myself and Jody terrorised Goodwood with that day. The others, in no particular order, are a Ginetta G56 GTA, a BMW M2 CS Racing, and a McLaren 570 GT4. These are all race cars, on slick tires, with roll cages and a noted absence of BBC radio. They are not for the road.
What hideous crimes had Jody committed, you might reasonably ask, to be strapped into these cars and driven around by a novice such as myself? None. He is one of the drivers that works with the events company DTO Motorsport which, along with Goodwood itself, curates the ProDriver Experience, where budding motorsport enthusiasts can briefly step into the world of professional racecar driving and see what’s what. Maybe, after Jody (or one of the other many overqualified instructors) has had his wicked way with you, you might decide that you would like to do something like this more regularly. Or maybe you will realise you are too tall for all that and go back to being a journalist.
The day began with a meet and greet trackside at Goodwood, where you can enjoy many cups of coffee and a light breakfast and prepare yourself for your impending day on the asphalt by either practising in one of the simulators or preparing your Last Will and Testament. I chose the simulator, and soon realised that I would need quite a lot of instruction. But that is what the simulators are for. After a quick safety briefing from the chief instructor, and a wriggle into some overalls, it was time to begin. I was introduced to Jody, who as discussed is very wise and kind, and we were ushered towards the McLaren. Once I was twisted up and stuffed inside, we turned on the engine and got to work.
Now, you might have sensed from reading this far that I may have been a little anxious about my trackday. You might be right. In my opinion, it is not an unreasonable thing to feel. These cars are formidable and they are fast. But one of the interesting things about fast cars is that, when you drive them fast, you don’t have time to remember that you are anxious. You are too busy concentrating on being fast and avoiding walls. Combine that with Jody’s expert and calming influence, speeds began to build up, apexes were slowly crushed under slick rubber and lap times came tumbling down. The McLaren is a hell of a machine. Also powered by a twin-turbo V8, it can accelerate to 60mph in 2.7 seconds, and puts out a relatively restrained 413bhp. Those numbers, when compared to road cars, are not too diabolical. What sets this track machine apart from the Surrey toys is the grip, which is endless. If there was a limit to the McLaren, I never got close to finding it, which I imagine was some relief to Jody in the passenger seat.
While the McLaren was calm, collected, refined and fast, the Ginetta was anything but. This is a car built exclusively for the track. It is ‘slower’ than the rest of the paddock we were presented with that day, but when it came to feel, there was nothing that compared. You can smell the petrol, you can taste every bump, it was pure unadulterated racing. In everything else, there were bits and pieces to help you; in the Ginetta, if its job isn’t turning left, right, stopping and going, then it was left off. It was as raw as carpaccio, and just as delicious.
The undisputed alpha of the group was the Ferrari. It was the one time where Jody had to be a bit serious with me. ‘This thing is a beast,’ he said, ‘and you need to be careful.’ He made it quite clear that with the considerable power underfoot, it is easy to think you are somewhere and then all the sudden you will find yourself somewhere else. ‘When I say brake, brake.’ He didn’t have to tell me twice.
But, oh, what a feeling. Having ‘warmed up’ in the McLaren and Ginetta, I was feeling brave. And going around that track, in that Ferrari, was ecstasy of the most legal kind. The power, the speed, the cornering — gravity bends to the will of the prancing horse. This is why people do this. I asked Jody if he had the best job in the world, driving this car, for money. ‘Pretty much,’ crackled the response over the in-helmet radio.
But what use is a racecar driver without his team? The ProDriver Experience is more than just the driving, it is the whole package. Between runs, we would sit at the computer and I would look at graphs, and then Jody would tell me what they mean. I could be quicker here, I could brake better there, I am losing speed consistently on this corner where I shouldn’t be, here’s a better line, and so on. Combine that with a tailored lunch and various ‘energy balls’, everything felt precise and professional, which I suppose I should have expected given the name.
For me, it was a fantasy that I was happy to indulge for a day. I am too tall, and too busy, to become a racing driver. But what about you? Might you fancy taking on a Ginetta, or a BMW M2, or the McLaren or the Ferrari? It’s a bit of a commitment, which is why the ‘try before you buy’ nature of the ProDriver Experience is there. Maybe a bit of racing suits you. There’s only one way to find out.
Goodwood ProDriver Experience, presented by DTO, from £1,950 per person
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