IN THIS FEATURE Pleasure and pain Unique supercars Melting trainers Accessible motorsport Adrenaline junkies

It's not all mad four-wheel-drive power in Rallycross, though. There is the Supermodified category, in which road cars with rear-wheel-drive running the same sort of power as Supercars are eligible. Cars competing in this class include the Porsche 911 and Clio V6. Even more accessible is the entry level Rallycross category called Stock Hatch. This is where many drivers start their careers, with eligible cars being at least three years old and on general sale to the public. There is a category for engines up to 1.6 litres with eight valves, and another for those up to 1.4 litres with 16 valves. Eligible cars include the likes of the Citroen Saxo VTR, Ford Fiesta XR2 and Peugeot 205 GTi.

Simon White

Simon White, a postman by day, drives a 205 GTi in the Stock Hatch championship. The technical regulations limit the modifications that are allowed to the cars' engines, mainly to a free-flowing exhaust and a superchip for the ECU. Because of the closely matched specs of the cars racing, Simon regularly tunes his 205 on a rolling road to eke out every last ounce of power.

To keep weight right down, Simon has removed every piece of unnecessary interior, leaving a bare-metal cabin. All that remains is part of the dashboard and a couple of racing seats. These guys are serious - even the windows have been replaced by Perspex sheets and the sunroof has a metal sheet welded over it. And in the event that hubris gets the better of him, a full roll cage protects Simon.