Anyone who loves driving has probably dreamed of racing around a rally circuit at some point. Rallying is the most dynamic of all motorsports, involving open air racing on all kinds of surfaces, manoeuvres like slides, flicks and jumps, and speeds that rival those of even Formula racing. It’s also one of the most accessible motorsports. The fact that the vehicles are based on production cars means that anyone with a driving licence will feel at home behind the wheel of a rally car, and there’s a much lower financial barrier to entry. While some competitive rally events take place on public roads, if you want to try your hand at this sport you need to find a specially designed venue and, as luck might have it, there are a couple of excellent ones in Oxfordshire.

Although Oxfordshire is better known for the academia and history of the city of Oxford, there’s high octane action in this county too. Not far from the dreaming spires of Oxford is Standlake Arena, a venue which is used for a number of events and experiences of a number of motorsports and there’s rally driving school outside Bicester. Both of these facilities boast high quality tracks, with a variety of surfaces, and fleets of cars of well known models. If sliding round a corner and getting air on the crest of a hill are images that have been playing out in your dreams, you can make them a reality by booking a session at one of these tracks.

Where are the best places to rallying in Oxfordshire?

• Standlake Arena: The oval circuit and dirt track outside the town of Whitney host all kinds of motorsport from banger racing to motocross. Competitions attract hordes of spectators, but when there’s no event taking place, you have the chance to get into the arena and take a rally car for a spin. This is where you can do something with a car that you never get to do on public roads - drift. Drifting is cornering a car in such a way that the vehicle moves sideways, throwing up dust and quite a bit of smoke, until the driver powers out of it down a straight. It’s not straightforward to get the hang of, but you’ll be in the expert hands of competitive racing drivers who’ll take you through the techniques involved.

• Pool Farm: This farm has been converted into one of the best motorsport training centres in England. Real, competing or ex-competitive rally drivers await you here to show you the tricks of the rallying trade on a track that’s been specially designed to present you with all kinds of corners and surfaces. With the addition of top level and well maintained cars, this is a place where you can take it to the limit, whether you’re taking your first laps around the circuit or finding out what it’s like to be a copilot in a professional rally race by taking a ride with one of the instructors.

What cars can you drive?

The drifting fanatics at Standlake arena have a fleet of Lexus IS200 cars. It makes sense to have models from a Japanese manufacturer when you consider that Japan is the home of drifting as a form of racing, and this is also a well known name in rallying circuits.

The venue at Pool Farm has more of a flotilla than a fleet, with several models of production style cars that have been modified and kitted out for rally driving. One of the most popular is the Ford Escort RS2000, but the Subaru Impreza and Peugeot 206 Super Cup can give it real run for its money. These cars include front wheel drive and back wheel drive models, which require totally different driving styles. Which will you prefer?

What are the options for organising this experience?

All kinds of rally driving experiences are available in Oxfordshire. If you’re not sure if this is the sport for you, you can ride with a professional pilot as a passenger for a couple of laps to get a first hand feeling of what it involves. Then there are short, 1 hour taster sessions which are ideal for getting your hands on the wheel and having a go.

But rallying is a sport that you can really get your teeth into, and the longer sessions on offer in Oxfordshire are perfect for that. You can spend half a day or a full day at a race track here and complete a whole lot of laps in different makes of car, while receiving expert tuition for the instructors, and combine that with the real thing - a ride in the passenger seat of a car going at full tilt in the hands of a pro.

Who can get involved?

As this activity involves driving, it’s not available for those under the age 17 years old. However, you don’t need any previous experience of racing in order to get behind the wheel of a rally car and take it around one of the circuits. As long as you have a licence, you’re welcome!

Like in any motorsport, the individual and the team are equally important when it comes to rally driving. There are activities to suit both. You can arrange one to one tuition, where an experienced racing driver will coach you on the track, from the passenger seat of the car. If you want to improve your technique and learn how to handbrake turn, power slide, or pull off a Scandinavian Flick, this is the option for you. But if you’re looking for an activity to enjoy as part of a group, you’re in the right place too. Whether it’s someone’s birthday, a hen or stag party, or a corporate event, rallying is an experience to make an occasion special. You can learn the ropes together, cheer each other on, then try to smash your mate’s lap times.

If you want to put your pedal to the metal and show us what you’ve got, the only thing left to do is make a booking!