THE MARSHALS CALL us forwards once again, this time up to the start line. The flag drops, the lights are green, Phil has wound 5000 up on the ’tacho, and all hell breaks loose as the brakes go off and the clutch comes up and 3.7 litres of twin turbocharged 750hp warp drive is engaged. I’m smacked in the back by the ”g” all the while trying to hold a camera, then 6,500 again, and it’s 2nd gear, and every time we change up, that dump valve does it’s work, and crash-”waaang” it goes, and now we’re exiting the first right hander and Phil grabs 3rd, then brakes, drops into 2nd at Crossroads, then 3rd again at the start of the Park Straight, but damn, he was too fast for the synchros and it baulks and it doesn’t go in, Phils tries the gear again, and I’m thinking that this’ll cost some time, then it’s in and we’re off again - 7,000 –”WAAANG” goes the dump valve, and into 4th now under the Bridge, Phil’s feet are dancing on the pedals, braking, down into 3rd, and braking all the while, into 2nd, kink right, and then the lefthander at Molecomb, Phil accelerates the Edonis, up into 3rd, then 2nd, and then it’s there - THE WALL! - The famous bloody Wall, flick right, flick left, that V12 engine yowling, all 60 valves doing their pieces, some very expensive tyres screaming. Phil, like an orchestra conductor, with flaying arms all over the place, has the back end sliding - first left, then right and then we’re through. Buggeringwell magnificent! And then the right kink past Pheasantry Hill, then the gentle left, but carefully in 3rd at full wack, then it’s grab 4th at 7,500 and we scream through the damn timing point and WE’RE THERE! We’re there.

And that was it, and the adrenalin is pumping through the veins, and you want to do it all over again and you can’t, so you come back down to earth, and get a grip.

- And so that was it. That was the Goodwood Hill. In the Edonis.