OMAC-UK

The moment you walk into OMAC-UK, you're looking at one of the region's proper facilities for motorsports and track days. Based just outside Nottingham, it's a dedicated venue where petrolheads can actually get behind the wheel and push their cars to the limit on a closed circuit - no public roads, no speed cameras, just you and the asphalt.

What you're paying for is track time, typically booked in advance. The whole operation caters to everyone from absolute beginners wanting to experience what their car can do, through to experienced drivers hunting their personal best. Some folks come for specific training days; others just want a day out doing something that'd get them arrested on the M1.

It's not a spectator sport in the traditional sense - you're either driving or you're not. That said, if you've got a passenger seat and the courage to use it, watching someone else tackle the corners at speed is genuinely brilliant. Allow a good half-day minimum, though most people block out the full day to justify the journey and cost.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby caravan parks - Shelford Nurseries, Peacock Lake, or Gunthorpe - this makes for a cracking day out that's utterly different from the usual park routine. Check their website for availability and book early, especially weekends. Bring a helmet if you've got your own; they can provide one, but having your own beats queuing about.