HEART pounding, fingers clenched, eyes repeatedly darting to my watch.
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This was how the agonising minutes ticked by before the start of my ride-along with the Team Isuzu D-Max precision driving performance at the Royal Bathurst Show.
As a journalist for the Western Advocate, I've been privy to many great experience, but I think my professional driver for the session, Jack Monkhouse, summed up this particular experience best.
As we waited in the main arena for the start signal on Friday night, he said: "Do you know how many people would kill to sit where you are?"
I will admit, my nerves were getting the better of me at that particular point.
I'm not a rev head, I've never been all that adventurous and, quite honestly, I would have been just as happy to be sitting on my couch at home in my pyjamas watching bad TV and eating tacos.
The situation wasn't helped by Jack casually informing me that he, as the lead driver, had just made up their routine for the evening while we were all sitting in the cars in the arena.
There would be no rehearsals.
However, despite the nerves, the rarity of the experience was not lost on me.
After the initial minutes of our performance, during which my grip on the seat tightened significantly, I began to really take in what was happening.
Here I was, tearing around a sodden track at high speed, doing stunts that flung me all around the cab of the ute, as the drivers of the other cars flew around us.
Jack reversed around the track at 60 kilometres per hour, did flick turns and took me over kickers (ramps) where I was met with two oncoming Isuzus.
It was insane to say the least, but I truly loved the adrenaline rush and felt a little deflated when the terrifying, exhilarating trip came to an end. In saying that, though, I don't think I'll be putting my name down for this assignment next year.