Flooring the accelerator on the white Italian hypercar, a thought flashes through my mind – "This is where Top Gear's Richard Hammond nearly died after crashing in his jetcar."

It doesn't have time to linger as I'm hurtling towards a chicane at what seems like the Lambo's 215mph top speed — it's actually nearer 100 – flying past a blurred white sign that I'm sure said 'Brake'.

Instructor James Wilson, who's sat by my side, then calmly commands that I do "brake", and then "brake harder" and "turn".

The four-wheel drive lurches to the right, shaves a green traffic cone, and, adrenalin-fuelled, I forget James's instructions to keep both hands on the steering wheel and try to change down a gear, momentarily losing control as I exit the left hand corner.

A split second later and I'm tearing out of the chicane on to the next life-threatening driving mistake.

Simon George, one third of 6th Gear Experience, put me straight into the Lambo not long after me and my better half parked up in our battered 10-year-old Peugeot at the airfield, telling me "this is a man's car". The £228,000 motor is Simon's pride and joy and also the reason he set up the company with pals David Scholes, also from Leeds, and Andrew Cummings from Staffordshire.

The 36-year-old property developer, who lives near Wakefield, said: "6th Gear all started with me buying the Lambo three years ago.

"I'd remortgaged everything I'd had to buy the car but realised it was going to be astronomical to run.

"So I took my Racing Instructor's Licence and hired it out at track days. I already knew Dave, who had a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, and through the Lamborghini Owners' Club I met Andy. We decided to link up to offer a supercar driving experience. All the motors have six gears hence the company name. We're entrepreneurs who run their own businesses and this was just to pay for the cars and fund our hobby."

Their hobby now has a £1.5 million turnover and 20 staff operating at both Elvington and Kenilworth near Coventry.

As well as owning three Lamborghinis (the LP640 is one of only 17 in the UK), 6th Gear has two Ferraris, an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, a Porsche 911 Turbo and an Ariel Atom, which is the car that had Jeremy Clarkson's jowls wobbling with the G-force.

Simon said: "All the cars we use are owned by the drivers who also instruct on the day."

Packages start from £99 for the Caterham Thrill to the Extreme Supercar Experience at £495 (you drive four laps each in five supercars of your choice). There's even a £79 Ferrari Thrill for children (minimum height 4ft 10ins) who can drive a dual control Modena.

All of the adult packages start with a sedate demonstration lap in a BMW M3 CSL, to familiarise you with the track, and end with a 'hot lap', which amounts to a skilled instructor doing his best to make you part with your breakfast. In between it's your turn.