Living just a few minutes from the UK's best-known quarter-mile drag racing venue can't be a good thing. Especially when I've just bought a slightly modified Peugeot 205 GTI, and have a free weekend to take it somewhere. The fact Octane's sister magazine evo decided to host an event at the re-formed World War II airbase sealed the deal. I was off to Santa Pod!

There's always something exciting happening at Santa Pod Raceway, especially during the summer months. Attracting thousands of Volkswagen Campers and Beetles to BugJam, or equally huge numbers of modified Japanese cars heading to the annual JapFest show, the surrounding area is often crawling with interesting cars. For me though, you can't beat the the long-standing and hugely popular 'Run What Ya Brung' days.

The beauty of RWYB is the truly eclectic mixture of cars that turn up on the day. Small hatchbacks, executive saloons, trackday specials to full-on supercars, they're all here, and completely welcome to join in. For just £35 (£10 entry and £25 sign-on fee) you can have as many runs you or your car can take, and as soon as I hand over the cash, fill in the form and flash my driving licence, it's all systems go.

Peugeot 205s running non-standard engines, such as the Mi16 in this one, are notorious for destroying their driveshafts when performing standing starts, especially at Santa Pod, so I decide to take it easy for the first couple of runs. Hold the revs at about 2500rpm, ease out the clutch and bury the throttle. Sounds easy, but the extremely grippy surface takes a bit of getting used to, and as the 185-section tyres fight for traction, the slightest miscalculation will see you either bog-down, or light up the tyres, losing precious tenths in the process.

Thankfully the little Pug is quite easy to get rolling, and it picks up speed surprisingly rapidly. First-second-third gears are dealt with quickly, into fourth for the final push to the finish line. It certainly feels quick, but the Nissan GT-R along side crossed the line in a touch over 12 seconds, a totally different league...

As soon as I rejoin the back of the queue it's time to go again, and with a few different starting techniques, I finally manage a 15.3510 second run, crossing the line at a fraction under 92mph. Not bad for a 25 year old Peugeot! After doing four successive runs, I park up to give the car time to cool down, grab a coffee and spectate for a few minutes.

I got talking to a fellow 205 GTI owner, and after comparing notes on cars, we decide to run against each other. Each time my car just noses ahead, and we conclude that even though his car has slightly more power, the shorter gearing in mine just gives it the edge. Following a few more runs, I fail to beat my earlier time, so just sit back and take in the atmosphere for a while longer.

It's extremely easy to get carried away and over-do it, or even get obsessed to the point of removing bits of trim and the spare wheel to shave a few more tenths off, but I managed to resist the urge this time. It's addictive stuff though, and I seriously doubt this will be my last visit.

www.rwyb.com