Kent motorsport fans are spoilt rotten with Brands Hatch and Lydden Hill on their doorstep, but venture further south and Goodwood’s historic estate is well worth a visit. Dan Wright tried the circuit’s Ultimate Driving experience.

If you have a good run and the M25 behaves itself, the picturesque Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex can be reached within about two hours from mid-Kent.

The 2.4-mile track, which was officially opened in 1948, closed in the late 60s when circuit bosses did not want to modify the venue with chicanes and other safety apparatus to cater for modern racing cars.

But it was reopened in 1998 and, when not hosting the Members’ Meeting or renowned Revival event, organisers give anyone with a licence the chance to try their Ultimate Driving day.

The experience offers a full range of BMW M Series road cars – designed by the German marque’s motorsport division – and allows people to lap the track for three separate 15-minute sessions with an expert instructor.

Included in the line-up is the high-tech i8 hybrid model, as well as the larger M6 coupe and 3.0-litre M2.

My guide on a crisp but sunny afternoon in November was racing veteran Paul Sleeman, who has lived in Brookland on the Romney Marsh for more than 30 years, winning numerous titles in saloons and single-seaters.

After taking a Mini to the low-grip skid pan to learn how to regain control of a car that is starting to lose traction, I joined Paul – a man with 160 race wins to his name – in the pitlane.

“When I started instructing at Goodwood the circuit was dishevelled and the pit garages were made from a tin roof,” he says.

“But it is very different now and the cars on offer are not tampered with – they offer their full horsepower and as it is a quick circuit it is a unique experience.

“We do have to be on top of everybody here because people have got to respect the circuit.”

Personal tuition is key to producing a solid lap at Goodwood and Paul, 66, is just one of a fleet of active and former racing drivers on hand.

As I left the pit lane strapped into an M3, the former Formula Ford star, who started racing in 1972 and regularly enjoyed success at Lydden Hill near Canterbury, immediately started calling instructions.

Madgwick, the first turn, is followed by a long burst of power through Fordwater, another rapid right-hander.

"Goodwood is a glorious place..." - Paul Sleeman

Although built around the edge of an airfield, the circuit is surprisingly undulating in parts, most notably at the tough St Mary’s section.

The double-apex Lavant turn offers another challenge – particularly because it leads onto the long back straight, which circuit bosses punctuate with a temporary chicane on experience days to keep speeds manageable.

“I know the circuit like the back of my hand and as soon as a person turns into a corner, I know whether they are on the right line or not,” Paul says.

“It is a glorious place and is hard to better on a nice sunny day, but the real difficult bits are at St Mary’s and Lavant.”

Any BMW in Goodwood’s collection has its brakes seriously tested at Woodcote, which leads to the famous chicane at the end of the lap.

“You were quick – we couldn’t have gone much quicker,” Paul said, after I tried the M3, M4 and stunning diesel Alpina model, reaching 130mph down the pit straight.

“You got the Alpina moving and I have never seen anybody do that before, but that is a negative, not a positive thing.

“That car is rock-solid, but it moved at St Mary’s and then at Lavant – you need to know where your limits are and you do not want to find out the hard way because the hard way hurts.

“But we did not go off and not once did I think we were going to, you are just lacking experience.”

I may be short of know-how behind the wheel at speed, but Paul’s tuition was incredibly valuable and Goodwood’s Ultimate Driving experience certainly lived up to its name.

GOODWOOD ESTATE

Goodwood Motor Circuit is part of a 12,000-acre estate just a stone’s throw from Chichester in West Sussex.

Owned by Lord March, eldest son of the Duke of Richmond, the track is little more than a mile away from the Grade I listed Goodwood House and historic racecourse.

Since 1993, the annual Festival of Speed hillclimb event has been held in the grounds of the stately home, attracting more than 100,000 people each summer.

The event – which starred recently retired world champion Nico Rosberg this year – plays host to numerous Formula 1 and World Rally Championship teams.

The Ultimate Driving experience costs £349 per person. It includes a 30-minute driver briefing and about 45 minutes behind the wheel in three 15 minute sessions. Visit www.goodwood.com for more details.