On the road in China: Racing with Champions 

Source: ONE SportFormer F1 driver David Coulthard (R) and tvnz.co.nz's Michael Burgess (L)

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"You might be in luck, it seems like someone has dropped out," came the fateful words.

At the Bird's Nest to cover the 2009 Race of Champions event, I was somehow now being offered the chance to be a co-driver.

Earlier, as we waited in the media mixed zone, in the hope of a quick chat with Michael Schumacher, Jenson Button or David Coulthard, I had wondered aloud about a glamorous Chinese driver that wandered past us.

"Are there female drivers as well," I said with surprise.

Not quite - VIPs and celebrities get offered these prime seats next to the superstar drivers.

"Would you like to give it a shot?" asked the affable media officer.

"Yeah, love too," I said virtually automatically before my brain added "Do I get a helmet?"

After the approval came I was sent off to find a racing suit.

I chose Ferrari red, in the fanciful hope that Michael Schmacher might choose me.

But it didn't really matter who it was - there were superstars here from every racing discipline.

From Formula One (Schmacher, Button, Coultard), Rallying (Marcus Gronholm, Mikko Hirvonen), Moto GP (Mick Doohan) as well as champions from Touring Cars, Paris-Dakar, Le Mans, X-Games, Supercross, and Formula Drift.

I was paired with 2008 World Touring Car champion Yvan Muller, representing Team France.

As I sat in the surprisingly roomy cockpit I wondered how much pre-race talk was appropriate, as he tested the steering wheel and other instruments.

And as well, what exactly do you say?

But he was a friendly chap, sharing some memories of Bathurst when he heard I hailed from down under and recalling his team victory at Wembley last year.

Strapped in with four seatbelts across my chest and lap not much could go wrong but I continued to check and re-check them.

It was a similar feeling to my first Bungy jump.

Were they tight enough? They couldn't be forced apart could they? How far through the air would I fly if they were? These were just some of the irrational thoughts that kept popping into my head.

Then we got the signal and were off, careering through the bowels of the Bird's Nest, with Muller lurching the car from side to side as he warmed up the tyres and tested the brakes.

We were going full bore - skidding and sliding as it felt like we were going to hit one of the many officials or media lining the corridor.

It was quite a buzz already, and we hadn't even reached the track!

Out on the asphalt it was quite surreal to be looking up at the vast stands all around.

I looked across at Muller as we zoomed up to the start line, giving him the thumbs up.

The lights went red, orange, green and we were off hitting the first corner at pace while my stomach was still back on the start line.

I had come tonight to cover my first ever live motorsport event and somehow ended up in the car.

It was hard to comprehend just how close we came to the side barriers and the speed that Muller was taking the corners.

The speedo read 190km as we hit the long straight and he would regularly manage over 90km/hour round hairpin bends that would have a 30km/hr limit on normal roads.

As we hit each curve at incredible speed your brain is saying, "Hey wait a minute, this is impossible" before somehow with brakes, drift and judicious timing it is negotiated.

The Beijing track is wider and longer than its Wembley equivalent and our drivers were certainly making the most of it.

Muller, ably assisted by co-driver (or panicked passenger) Burgess won their heat against the 8-time Le Mans champion Tom Kristenen.

Getting out of the car, your body feels quite weightless for a time.

The four-lap contests are relatively brief, but I still had a sore neck from being jolted around - which gave me a small appreciatation for just what the drivers go through - and blisters on my right hand from gripping the side handle so tightly.

It had been an unforgettable experience and a real insight into the skill of these technicians.

I thanked Muller for the experience and wished him good luck for the rest of the night.

While he was poised to test his wits and skill against Schmacher, Button or Gronholm later in the evening I had to head back to reality - a busy media room and an unreliable laptop.