So many lawyers dream of jacking it all in to pursue the impossible dream of a life which doesn't involve crunching endlessly dry documents and dining on cold pizza in your office, alone at 2 pm.

A brave few have the cajones to actually throw in the towel - to walk across the US with their dog Mabel or maybe to pen a literary hit.

But perhaps none of these career changes is quite so glamorous as that of Michael Crichton (a former Freshfields corporate associate rather than the late author of Jurassic Park). Crichton quit his life of due diligence and airless data rooms to plough his life savings into fulfilling childhood dreams of becoming a racing car driver.

He's managed to get himself a racing licence, secure himself a spot with a team in the 2011 Formual Vee season and set up the Racing Diaries blog to share with the world his racing successes and failures. Sadly for Crichton his first foray onto the track was a bit of a damp squib - he failed to even start the race as (in his words) the car's engine "truly crapped itself" in qualifying.

But with plenty of races still to come this season, there's hope yet and RoF Towers wishes him all the best in his racing endeavours. Crichton's next race is at Swanley's finest Brands Hatch - follow his preparations here: http://theracingdiaries.wordpress.com.