The Catalunya Circuit, home of the Spanish Grand Prix, has seen plenty of thrills and spills but perhaps none quite so literally gut wrenching as my exit on the first hairpin. Sliding the souped up Audi from left to right; I slam the anchors on before depositing six tequila slammers, a jug of sangria and half an octopus across Iberia's most hallowed tarmac.

Since the aim of the afternoon is to get a taste of racing a touring car, and not of last night's excellent Barcelona tapas, a return to the pits and a clean up is called for.

Thankfully, World Touring Car driver Jamie Wall is on hand with a few tips. "Don't worry about speed, just concentrate on your technique around the corners. What you're aiming to do is straighten out the corners which means you'll be able to drive at maximum speed through them."

After one false start and a fresh go-faster stripe, I hurtle the Audi into the first bend. Following the racing line around a corner involves breaking at the last minute, careering across the track to hug the bend and exiting in a straight line to the opposite side of the track.

Piece of piss. Particularly as I've got cones at each bend indicating when to brake, when to steer into the bend, when to stop steering and when to exit and head across the track. If there'd been a cone indicating when to stop swearing and hurling my guts I'd have been made. Truth be told, even with the cones it takes buckets of concentration to get it spot on - touring car drivers have no such help, and what's more have to contend with a dozen other mental petrol heads trying to shove them into the grandstand.

As I exit the final bend, hell-bent on achieving fastest lap of the day despite the tequila still pumping from my sweat glands, my mobile phone starts to ring. I desperately wanted to answer it. Only I can't remove my hands from the steering wheel. Some might call it nerves, adrenalin paralysis or cold unadulterated fear. Me, I'm putting it down to a sticky mix of octopus, sangria and tequila.

— Graham Wray 18.07.00

If you fancy having a go at grand prix racing without having to worry about the liquid yawn, check out Codemasters' Toca World Touring Cars game available on the PlayStation from August 25th.