Rallycross at Silverstone: Scared witless in a race car that leaves F1 in the shade ... and flies

Bang-bang-bang. The gearchanges are brutal, as you’d expect in a car that can out-accelerate a Formula 1 machine.

A tyre wall is 300ft away, 200ft, 150ft and we’re still accelerating then, as I brace for impact, we swing round 120degrees and are pointing at another tyre barrier, drifting past it sideways at god knows what speed.

On to a short straight, bang-bang-bang go those bump stock gears then, as what looks to be a wall of concrete rears up in front of me, the vaguest dab on the brakes and … we’re airborne.

I’ve been strapped into a Rallycross car to experience the new circuit at Silverstone and it is the most violent experience of my car-loving life.

I barrel-rolled my old Shogun backwards into a field last year and that was plenty violent – but not as brutal as this blast round the Silverstone Rallycross track.

0-60mph in 1.8 seconds. Yes, you read that right

In some of these cars, power coupled with stupendous traction means you can accelerate from 0-to-60mph in 1.8seconds – an F1 car will take around 2.5seconds. Wussy F1.

But, as impressive as that figure is, it is the braking that really takes the breath away … literally, as you are forced up against your race harness and then launched sideways into a corner.

In fact, the only respite from the violence comes at the most terrifying part of the circuit – the jump.

Now, I used to watch slo-mo’s of the Dukes of Hazzard jumping their orange Charger and, occasionally, I’d catch the nose of the General Lee starting to crumple just before the camera cut away.

Nothing as brutal befalls Rallycross cars – as disconcerting as the first jump is (after the first one, you learn to whoop, holler and enjoy), the truth is that the landing is as smooth as any aeroplane landing, and a whole lot smoother than some I’ve experienced. It’s almost disappointing… almost.

The thing about my trip around the circuit is, well, we had the place to ourselves.

During a race, all the violence I experienced is there, with added chaos, dust and, yes, car-on-car contact.

Rallycross – suitable for motorsports fans who like a bit of rough

I’ve seen Rallycross cars shedding body parts with abandon, I’ve seen them on fire, I’ve seen them being driven with a bonnet flipped up over the windscreen.

Remember, these are not bangers, they’re supremely-tuned, 600hp beasts designed to survive and flourish in the heat of battle.

And there’s a lot of battling to get through. A Rallycross weekend will involve more than 50 heats (four laps each), plus a couple of six-lap semi-finals and a grand final.

There is, then, a lot of track action to take in. It’s mad, and you’ll need a spare battery for your camera.

If you’re a petrolhead who hasn’t been up close with Rallycross, your next chance is coming up soon – the Bank Holiday weekend of May 25-28 (book your tickets in advance here and save £20, don’t say I’m not good to you).

A weekend of motorsports with added music… go Dizzy! Go Razorlight! Go Craig Charles!

There’s a pile of other stuff going on away from the track – Silverstone has taken over from what was Rallycross’s oldest venue, Kent’s Lydden Hill, and they’re keen to put on a particularly good show.

Expect iconic car collections, circuit test drives, paddock access, on-track displays, passenger drift rides – and a heap of live music as well.

So, if your other half isn’t sold on the idea of a Silverstone trip, try them with the first ever Speedmachine Festival, featuring the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Ministry of Sound, Basement Jaxx, Razorlight, Lethal Bizzle and (my own favourite) a funk and soul spectacular from cheery chappie Craig Charles.

Or, of course, abandon them at home, leaving you to marvel at the closest racing you’ll see anywhere, over a mix of asphalt and gravel, and with a mighty jump in the shadow of Stowe and the Silverstone Wing. Throw in a bit of Speedmachine music and beer, and you’ve got a pretty fine weekend.