There have been many critics of the WTCC over the last few years, especially from the UK who see the BTCC as a far superior category. Perhaps a few years ago I would have agreed, but while 2011 was slightly buttock clenching as organisers regrouped, the move to the USA has prompted a wave of new interest and 2012 looks even healthier than previous.

3 weeks ago I headed off, from a fantastic Holiday in Kenya, to the other side of the world for a race named after a country it doesn’t visit. But EVERYONE knows what the Dakar is and what it means for each and every single competitor and employee of the rally – The Greatest Adventure in the World.