Rockingham Mini-Cooper driving experience

I have been waiting for this for over a year and a half. It was a case of third time lucky, as the saying goes. Not that I believe in luck, if I hadn't kept trying to get it booked, I would never have got to the third time. This time round there was no bad weather, no traffic jams - there or back, no real idiots on the roads. Apart from some less than pleasant coffee at the Little Chef, the day went really well.
Remembering the route a little bit made getting there easier - we followed the signs, and ended up at a locked gate, the gate looked familiar, but not the scene behind it, so we drove off to look for the entrance we had used last time. We soon found that, and were admitted by a much friendlier guy with a very strange (northern European?) accent.
We booked in, and wandered round the pits. While we were looking at Lamborghinis and Ferraris there was a screech of tyres, followed by a cloud of smoke, and a strong smell of burning rubber. We went back to look at the scene, one of the single seaters was in the wall. The ambulance went out, and the fire truck, they were there a long time, the single seaters were called in. Eventually the ambulance pulled away, and disappeared into the middle of the track somewhere. Later we watched as the car was carried back, with both its left wheels missing.
Then we came to the drivers briefing. A bit about Rockingham – one of only two banked ovals in Europe, it was built for Champ Car (Indy Car). We would be on the in-field, not on the banking. How to drive a fast car round a track - brake before the corner, run round it across the apex, and once past start to accelerate out. Sounds familiar, it what they tell you on F1. Then down to the pits proper, where the minis are. Here we are split into groups, and have to find helmets. The instructors do up the helmets. They are uncomfortable, and too tight round the ears. There are three to a car, but only one travels in it at a time.
Andrew went first in his three, I went last in mine. I went to watch, although there isn't much to see. You can only really see what the cars are doing on the pit straight, I timed a couple of his laps - about two minutes a lap, but difficult to tell if it was good or not because you can't tell how much traffic there was on the rest of the circuit. All the cars came back and swapped to their second driver, except car 1. About five minutes later car 1 returned, it later transpired that Andrew was in a group of two, not three, so benefited from extra time! Andrew got out of the car beaming, with the instructor telling him he wished he had driven that well at 19. His score: an impressive 85%, and rated 'A' in a number of categories. Something for me to beat.
Car 2 came back in again, and I took my place at the wheel. We started going round in third, braking at the cones, stopping braking at the next, and hitting the third (well almost). I was enjoying myself, and getting faster each lap. Half way round the second lap I realised I didn't have my seat belt on! The instructor asked what car I have, and if I'd done anything like this before. I haven't. He helped be get the racing line improved, and the first time I drove almost straight through the chicane, I was amazed at the speed we took into the next corner. There was also an unbelievable long left hander, which you just seem to be able to go through at any speed, it forces you against the side of the car. There's a lot to do on each lap, and you cannot loose concentration for a second. I made two errors - probably lots more, but two I remember clearly. I missed third in a change down, and went across the apex in neutral! The other one was more serious, I approached the tight right hander much too fast, and the instructor had to use the dual controls, or they would have had one less mini.
I'd been on the course for about 15 minutes, though it didn't seem more than five. I was just beginning to have enough time to start enjoying myself, and the track time was over. My score: 90% - I think that deflated Andrew a bit, but one of the other instructors did mention that 30 years extra experience must count for something!