A LAP OF SPA WITH SAM HIGNETT THE GREATEST TRACK ON EARTH? Spa Francorchamps. The name, even the very intonation strikes an emotional chord with anyone who loves the sport of motor racing. From the glorious track itself to the volatile climate and luscious setting, the place has a hold on you before you arrive at the circuit. Passing the signs for Malmedy, Stavelot and Blanchimont sends slow gentle shivers down your spine as you search through the early morning fog that hangs stubbornly on the panorama of pine trees that make up the wonderful Ardennes Forest. Some still mourn the passing of the original 8.76 mile track and all it's legendary dips and weaves - the Masta kink, the terrifying Burneville right hander and the long curling Stavelot sweep that brings you back towards the modern day circuit at Blanchimont. However the circuit we know and love today more than keeps the spirit of the old with its fast, sweeping nature only broken by the tight Bus Stop chicane. A lap around Spa is an exhilarating experience for any driver and at the Spa Racing Festival's Media Day next Thursday a lucky group of people will be able to sample it from the bird's eye view of the cockpit in either an SR1 or SR2 car. Team Jota will be one of the participants in these 'rides of a lifetime' and the British based teams rising star Sam Hignett, who is joint leader in the 3-litre category points table takes us for a flat out lap round the world's most spectacular circuit. Sam Hignett: " Spa is without doubt my favourite track. I have raced here in the 24 hours and also in Renault Clio's but to be here in sportscars next weekend is going to be just awesome. We start the lap with the exit of the Bus Stop, which has been modified slightly for this year. As you may have seen in the Belgian Grand Prix a few weeks ago the exit is not as tight as it was which will mean we will approach the La Source hairpin a lot quicker. Over the F1 grid and past the pits we will get a quick glance of the pit board before getting right over to the left handside and hitting the brakes just after the 100-metre board before swinging in to the apex. You get as close as you possibly can to the wall on the inside before powering out and over the old tarmac on the exit where you have to be careful as there is also a drain here and it can be very tricky, especially in the wet (think David Coulthard 1998!)." Eau Rouge/Radillon "Up through the box and keep very close to the right. When we were using the old pits in Clio's last year you almost took the pit boards with you because the further to the right the better it is for the entry in to Eau Rouge. The turn in point is critical and you turn hard left, harder than you think and you also go across another drain. You then take a deep breath and go right, much later than you think it is possible to do. This is where you need a lot of faith in the car as you are sucked up and over the left hander and then you drift out to the right, where now they have now put tarmac instead of gravel that in turn gives you an extra sense of security. Still, this is Eau Rouge we are talking about and at the exit you still let go of that breath you've been holding for a few seconds." Les Combes/Rivage "Up the long Kemmel straight everything seems to labour a little as it is deceptively steep here. Over to the left for the entry in to Les Combes and brake slightly after the 100 metre board. We take the first part of Les Combes in 3rd gear and flick right and then left and then halfway through the next right it is hard on the power and in to 4th gear. This is a very important corner and you can be really aggressive, although it is very easy for the back to step out here. Up the box and power down to Rivage, which you come upon very quickly as the track descends rapidly. Hard on the brakes and downshift to 3rd gear and really attack the apex. Again there is some old tarmac here which gives more grip on the inside, although there is a certain amount of understeer mid-corner and on the exit. Use as much rumble strip on the outside as you like and then back over to the right of the track for the ideal line in to the second part of Rivage which is relatively easy to just power through and prepare you for what in my mind is the most satisfying corner on the circuit - Pouhon." Pouhon/ Fagnes "The key to Pouhon is to trust the car because there are so many G-loadings going through here. You try not to brake as you go in and turn in sharply and try and take some kerb on the inside which gives you some oversteer to drift to the outside of the corner. The kerbs on the outside are just as important to use as the ones on the inside and you can notice that the kerbs are well worn and have plenty of rubber on them, this in turn helps a little with extra grip as you exit with your right foot flat to the floor. You then pull the car over to the left for the quick Fagnes chicane and go down to 3rd gear. On turn in there is a lot of grip and you have to change direction really quickly and get over to the right for the following left hander where you just dab the brakes and then power out and ride the kerb on the exit." Stavelot/Blanchimont "The two right handers at Stavelot are very different from each other, but both need maximum concentration. The first one is a very technical corner in as much as you cannot afford to overdrive it because it dictates all your speed up to the Bus Stop chicane. It's a fairly slow 2nd gear right hander that usually induces a bit of understeer. Then you go up through the box and through the second sweeping Stavelot right hander, which goes past you in a blur. It is then easy flatout through the two right hand kinks at Blanchimont which also give you a bit more confidence now, as they have removed the gravel and replaced it with tarmac in a similar manner to Eau Rouge." Bus Stop " This chicane asks for some compromise because although it is sometimes better to brake for the entry in the middle of the track due to the overhanging trees hiding moisture or dirt on the tarmac, you want to get over to the right for the ideal line. Turn in to the first left and then before the right give a quick blast on the throttle as this settles the car and prepares it for the next clattering over the kerbs which then lines you up for the blast over the newly re-profiles exit. Then it's over the line to begin another lap on this exhilarating race track." That was a lap of the greatest circuit on earth with a future sportscar star. During the two and a half hour race next Sunday he will be completing approximately 40 of those before handing over to his team mate John Stack. If that were not enough to deal with there is also the fact that he will be racing hard with among others, the Italian Lucchini squad who tie with Sam and John in the title race. Then there is the constant checking in the mirrors for the quicker SR1 cars and the distraction of three mandatory stops, one of which will see Sam go through the drill of handing over to his team mate as his mechanics then set about re-fuelling and possibly changing the teams Goodyear tyres. All this adds to the frantic action of FIA Sportscar Championship racing.