Jonny Kane is a young driver with exceptional talent. He has won practically every championship in every formula he has entered and secured the title of Rookie of the Year in the 1999 Indy Lights Championship. But nothing comes close to his latest challenge – driving the MG Lola EX 257 sports car for the XPower team at Le Mans. This is what he has to say:

"As I cross the start line, I drive alongside the pits. It’s great to see the Union Jacks in the crowd – a real morale booster!

Up to fifth gear before the first corner, Dunlop Curve. Into Dunlop it’s a little uphill. Drop down into second gear, around 70 miles per hour. Exit Dunlop Curve – watch out for the high kerbs. Running downhill, up to fourth gear before I hit the Esses.

Exit the Esses, straight into Terte Rouge, a right-hand corner - one of the most important of the circuit. Must have a high exit speed to achieve top speed on the straight. Watch out for the bumpy kerbs.

Exiting Tertre Rouge, up to sixth gear, reaching a maximum speed of 210 miles per hour. Next the Nissan Chicane, the first chicane on the backstretch. I brake pretty hard going in, down to second gear. You can always tell an experienced Le Mans driver in this section as they are much quicker and smoother than the rest.

Onto the second straight. I reach about 200 miles per hour before I hit the next chicane, La Florandiere. This has the same design as the Nissan Chicane, but reversed.

Very hard breaking brings me into the Mulsanne Corner – first gear – very slow then into a long stretch with two kinks, the second of which I take at about 180 miles per hour.

Just before I get to Indianapolis, there’s a quick kink – shift down to fourth gear. After the kink, brake hard for Indianapolis. A banked corner means I can carry a pretty decent speed through here.

Next, down into first gear for Arnage – a 40 miles per hour right-hander. This is the slowest part of the track. Accelerate out down a long straight, flat out until I reach a right-hand corner – the beginning of the Porsche Curves. Right, left and then left again. This is a great place to make up time but careful does it – no run-off areas to either side of the track.

Next is a short straight, a quick chicane and then the Ford Chicane – left, right, left right and very tight. It helps to know your way around this section. For the inexperienced Le Mans driver, it’s easy to brake too early.

Three minutes forty should be a good lap time for the 8.45 miles. We’ll be averaging over 135 miles per hour, so it’s certainly fast and daunting. But what a blast, wild!"