One is with Richard Hammond and the other with cars, so when the offer to enjoy one of the driving experiences at Rockingham Motor Speedway came up, only a date with the Top Gear god himself would have stopped me from going.

There are several choices of supercars available but naturally I opted for one of Mr Hammond's favourite vehicles and picked the Porsche 911 Turbo – and on a March Saturday morning I turned up with a friend and my dad in tow ready to convince everyone that I really am The Stig.

It appears many other people have a desire to do this too as, despite the grey skies, the place was packed with eager, fellow petrolheads.

As with all racing experiences, it begins with a group briefing with one of the instructors, who explains about the cars, their capabilities, where to and where not to drive on the circuit and what will happen if you overcook it and steer your car off the track.

The beauty of these race days is that your guests get to go where you get to go, so when it was time for me to head over to the paddock area and finally get up close and personal with the Porsche, dad and Russell were also able to join me and catch the magic moments on camera – sadly including the one where I had to wear a hairnet under my helmet!

Before I was let loose in my chosen supercar, all participants were taken around the track in a Mini Cooper by a professional driver who explains where the braking and acceleration points are. And that was it, my mind was blown!

All of a sudden I wasn't sure I could even remember how to drive, let alone which bit of the track I was supposed to be on and at what point.

As I walked back to where my beautiful blue Porsche was parked, I'll admit I had started to feel quite apprehensive.

All my talk of how I was going to "burn it" round the track now seemed a little bit of bravado. Thankfully my instructor, a delightfully patient and funny man called Pete Comerford, at least made me feel at ease as I took my position behind the wheel.

The circuit you actually drive on is one full of twists and turns that is sited in the middle of Rockingham's famous oval track.

As I pulled out onto the circuit the truth hit me: It turns out I am not The Stig. But after about three laps I was finally getting to the point where Pete wasn't having to keep nudging the steering wheel for me to make sure I wasn't going to go hurtling through the centre green.

Finally I started to gain my confidence and by the fourth and fifth laps I barely needed any help at all!

Even dad and Russell said they could see me getting faster with each passing lap (each experience amounts to about five laps of the circuit).

So did I enjoy it? Well yes, of course, I am a petrolhead who loves pretty cars, so what's not to like? But I am also a speed queen and for me personally, I'd still rather be given the opportunity to have just driven the Porsche with its magnificent turbo on a straight piece of track at brake-neck speed than have to keep negotiating all the corners.

As part of the experience you can pay an extra £30 to be taken round the circuit three times by a professional racing driver in an exceptionally nippy little Lotus Elise.

OK, it might not be the cheapest way to spend about five minutes of your life, but it'll be one of the most exhilarating.

The racing days start from about £125 and if I'm honest, it is expensive for the time you actually get in your chosen supercar – which is roughly 15 to 20 minutes.

However, if you take your chances and just turn up on the day, you could find yourself taking part for less.

However much you end up paying, though, for any car fan it truly is an amazing experience and one that is already at the top of my Christmas present wish list.