george_seamons Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Myself, and a few of my friends are looking to go to the Nurburgring later on this year, was just wondering if anybody on here has been? Pretty sure Prawn has, and possibly Steve (OD404)? Just looking at simple things, like cost, where to stay, hints/tips about the track etc etc, and if its worth going really. I've always been interested in doing it, and now I'm in a postion to do it, I figured why not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Gav on here has been i ithnk his name is mad gav, gavo or mad gavo... posted some pictures up on here aswell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Metcalfe Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Thats awesome mate, My dad and his mate went in his testarosa when he won the lottery, lucky sod, my dad said it was such an experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolver Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Tom Booth has also gone. I've picked up one piece of information from him that's stuck - do not break down on the track, you will have to pay through the nose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borat Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 The racist Jew hating Prawny has been too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skoze Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 Just looking at simple things, like cost, where to stay, hints/tips about the track etc etc, and if its worth going really. I've always been interested in doing it, and now I'm in a postion to do it, I figured why not! I'll speak to my mate Gus about it tonight, one piece of advice he'd have is don't crash. Cost him ~6000 euros and a wrecked car he'd poured his heart into over the last 2 years when he went last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey1991 Posted January 12, 2010 Report Share Posted January 12, 2010 I'm also interested in this, we know how to get there just not where to stay or the general rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomm Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Apparently there's about a million things you can be charged for. Hit the barrier, it's £400 per metre of barrier. If you properly take the fence out, it's £2000. Spilling oil on the track is £4000 or something ridiculous. Summink like that anyway - but I'm sure if you drive carefully enough it'll be very fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolfa Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 (edited) I've been! Spilling oil on the track is £4000 or something ridiculous. SO glad we weren't caught with a blown gearbox! We're looking to go again sometime around Easter as long as you don't drive round the track like a total ass, and know you have to indicate and pull over to the right (we didn't know this on the first lap) to let faster cars past then you can't go far wrong! Don't break down, get breakdown cover, don't tell them exactly where you're going as they probably won't cover you or want the earth for it. The trip will cost you well under £500 but you will want more laps than you think and they're around 30euro's a pop with deals - the more you buy at once the less they cost but budget for petrol relative to this. Stay at the Ringhaus, it probably isn't the cheapest or the nicest but Frank is probably the biggest legend I've ever met, guy is an absolute lifesaver and will go well out of his way to help you if you need it! + the Ringhaus is also the closest hotel to the main entrance. Can't recommend this place enough, tell him the story of the guy with the silver MK2 who blew his gearbox up and was a tremendous ballache to him, I'm sure he'll remember me... Don't break down. It is the most amazing place you'll ever go if you're a petrolhead And here's how the car got home... ...Don't break down. Edited January 13, 2010 by Jolfa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revolver Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 On the subject of not breaking down and the cost of oil spills, I think I heard that not only do you pay for the oil spill cleaning up, they close the track until it's done, and you must pay what they're losing to close the track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolfa Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 On the subject of not breaking down and the cost of oil spills, I think I heard that not only do you pay for the oil spill cleaning up, they close the track until it's done, and you must pay what they're losing to close the track. I think that's probably why it costs so much to clear up oil in the first place... Just don't break down, and don't crash! Or if you do, don't let anyone see and get away quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-Stop Junkie Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 If you do drop oil or hit the barrier, do the honourable thing. Don't try and run away to avoid the bill (don't forget there will be drivers circulating who may report you, as well as marshalls in cars/on bikes and trackside who will do the same), but ring the office and tell them. Especially if you drop oil or fluids! If you're there on a touristfahren (one of the turn up and drive days) legally you're on a two lane, one way toll road. If two cars crash, it's considered a road traffic accident and the police attend, doubly so if someone is killed. If you hit another car and it's judged to be your fault then you are liable for the costs incurred in any track damage, damage/replacement of the other car(s), lose of earnings/medical bills of the other drivers/passengers, etc... Armco is charged at around 100 Euros per metre long section. Multiplied by the number of sections high. A new post is about 60 Euros, removing the old posts is about 15 Euros. Track closures will cost you about 2000 Euros per hour. Oh, and recovering your car is about 65 Euros. To their credit, the marshalls are pretty fair, and not looking to screw you. I've heard of a few cases where people have reported light barrier damage, they've gone to the scene with the marshalls who have judged it to not affect the strength of the barrier, then they've had a very, very quick lap in a comedy S-Max. However, if you're dropping oil and a biker slips over behind you on it and is killed, then you've comitted an offense. Similarly if you come round a corner and there's a biker in the middle of the road on the ground, and you run them over, legally you've caused injury to another person on the legal highway. Sorry if I'm painting a scene of doom and gloom, but it's good to be informed. I've been twice and seen some bizzare things. A car that went out full of luggage and passenger and when it rolled spread clothes for about two hundred yards. The first car I ever overtook was a Vectra estate boot full, kids in the back in baby seats, Dad giving it some with a huge grin on his face, a 2CV. Fortunately they've stopped coaches doing laps now... Locally there's some lovely bits of countryside. Nurburg has the Ringhaus, Bergstube and the hotel am tiergarten (which usually has a line of Porsches outside, not surprising when you see their prices. The last one also contains the Pistenklause restaurant which is a Nurburg institution for steak on a stone. The nearest bigger town is Adeanu, which has a lovely road upto the top car park. I've stayed at the Blau Ecke, which is very nice and Brit friendly. There's supermarkets there, some garages and shops, and places to eat. I'd recommend Pinnochios for huge pizzas and Italian, and there's a Chinese a bit further down run by a slightly mad couple. Nice food though. Just outside the grand prix circuit gates is Camping Am Der Nordschleife which is crazy cheap - Maybe 12 Euros a night per person if I remember correctly. Very near, as long as you like camping. Tends to fill up if there's a big event on at the Grand Prix track, and it can be very noisey! It's not a cheap place to be. The Euro is pretty much equivalent to the pound now, and fuel is the same cost as here (or more if you go to the Dottinger-Holle petrol station!). A friend of mine took his MX-5 over last year, and reckons the whole trip (5 days I think, ferry, fuel, laps, beer) was somewhere in the region of about £1200. Lapping is addictive. I meant to do four laps one trip, and ended up doing about 15. The prices are slightly up on last year, from memory it's 22 Euros for a single lap, then going down a bit if you get four, eight, 15 or 25 lap tickets. Plus fuel. The MX-5, usually about 30mpg, was down to 10mpg. One company who ran GT-Rs for Nissan for prospective customers to try were getting about 3mpg, and they worked out it was costing Nissan about £1600 a lap in consumables. I think a set of tyres was lasting four laps. Now, the serious stuff. If you crash or stop on circuit, tell the marshalls Ring +49 2691 302215 and tell them where you are. There's distance markers and numbered marshalls posts. They'll send someone out to you, close the track if required, send medical crews if there's been an accident and so on. If you suspect there's a problem with the car, stop where it's safe to do so and check. It's ok to stop if you need to, you won't get charged. If they can recover you without closing the track, they normally will. Check your car before you go out. Then check again. Fluid leaks are lethal, but also make sure you're topped up with oil, and that everything's as it should be. You're about to give your car a work out, make sure it's upto it. Know your limits. Don't time your laps. Don't think you know the circuit because you've played it on a console. Assume you know nothing. Keep an eye on your car as well. If your brakes fade, it'll happen quite suddenly. If you've got to drive home, then it's worth enjoying yourself, but not taking risks. Too many people go out, get on a circuit for the first time, and go mad. Also once you go under the gantry, back off and let the car cool down. When you get back to the car park, don't put your handbrake on! Leave it in gear. Depending on your pads, some cars have had the hot rear pads seize onto the disc, while others have the brake go loose as things cool and contract. Then the car starts rolling away. Don't be a twat Remember people live in the villages round the Ring. Certain owners clubs have a bit of a reputation for doing burnouts and hooning around on the country roads round the Ring, then not actually going onto the circuit but clogging up the carpark instead. No-one is impressed, and the police are often out catching speeders during the busier periods - Especially if your car isn't on German plates! (BTW, those German-style plates that are fashionable in the VW scene are deeply illegal in German, and the police will stop/fine you for them.) Have fun Enjoy the experience, it's an amazing track. There's great cars there, some great driving, and great atmosphere amongst the drivers. Have fun, but be sensible. Helmets, for example, arn't compulsory but really recommended in my opinion. Oh, remember you're in the mountains. It will be sunny, it will be windy, it will chuck it down without warning, sometimes all in the same hour. Take appropriate gear, and if you go at Easter there will be track closures. You won't get any indication of why (until a car or bike comes out on a trailer), or how long it will go on for. Out of a day's running, you might get all of it, you might only get a few hours if there's a big accident. Also TF sessions can be cut short, cancelled or moved at pretty short notice. Don't expect the track to be open every day. That's enough for now. Any more questions, just reply in this thread and I'll answer as best I can... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolfa Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 To be fair, we didn't actually know we'd dropped oil until we got 50miles away and the gearbox started whining like a bitch! There was just a lot of smoke, didn't spot anything obviously wrong when we got back to the carpark either (how naive of us!) Will be infinitely more prepared next time we go now we know what to expect, we did kinda just go on a whim Oh also, ring top tip - should you need a garage to fix your car, steer well clear of W Blaser a few KM up the road. Worst garage ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-Stop Junkie Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Garages are weird out there. There is no Quik Fit. If you need a tyre, brake pad or the like, most places will order them in for you. The good garages are busy, and others are just hard to find... So, in conclusion, don't crash, and make sure everything's in good working order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolfa Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 (edited) Oh no, that garage was unbelievable Having established the gearbox was full of holes, I took it there and within 10minutes they told me I need tracking, 2 new tyres, a bit of welding, and the gearbox was fine... Told them they were wrong and exactly what I wanted them to do and left them to it. 2 hours later all they'd managed to do was remove a driveshaft (the wrong way and completely f**ked it). 4 hours later they told me I'd need a new box, they'd find one (at obscene cost). Another 4 hours later I rang them to ask what was happening to be told they can't find a box and to get flights home. So me and my mate went and put it back together ourselves and took it back to the Ringhaus. They were more than a little surprised we knew exactly what we were doing and it only took us half an hour to do what took them 10! Useless bunch of 'tards! Edited January 13, 2010 by Jolfa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-Stop Junkie Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 One guy I know used to keep a Golf at the Ring for the season, they just travel out now and again to drive it. The garage who were storing it also used to undertake routine servicing which he didn't have time to do. They spotted what they thought were problems, and rang the Nurburgring office to warn them that the car was unsafe if it should turn up. They were talking similar rubbish, trying to charge him a fortune and so on... At the other end of the scale, you then get people like Manthey who do amazing work, but charge the sort of premium you'd expect for a team who regularly win Nurburgring endurance events at the highest level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Booth Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 ....where to stay, hints/tips about the track etc etc..... Make sure you have good brakes. Going into the Carousell on your first ever lap round there without being able to slow down is the single scariest thing in the world. It's definatley worth going, even if you just go for the spectating aspect its worth a week out there. The local town Adaneau (sp?) is also worth a look, beer warehouse for one reason. I fair enjoyed my time over there, such a good week. We stayed at http://www.camping-am-nuerburgring.de/ in Mullenbach, which is about a mile or so away from the ring. Only problem being is you can hear the DTM cars going round the track at 7 in the morning. Whilst everybodys whoring pictures of themselves on the ring... All the horrors stories you hear about the ring, and the rediculous costs of repairs etc, just use your noggin. The only massive crash we had the year I went was somebody ditching it into the barrier at about 90. He was trying to beat his previous 9.48 or something, he was only on his 9/10th lap. I would 100% have no question about going back thou, walking around the carpark was one of the coolest things in the world, There was a fully caged zonda, full CF setup inside on slicks with some CF panels, the driver was talking to a guy who had just climbed out of a 1991 polo gt. Such a great place, no snobbery or anything, everybodies there for the same reason which makes for a shit hot atmosphere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-Stop Junkie Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Only problem being is you can hear the DTM cars going round the track at 7 in the morning. Problem? If you're there for a week, then the evenings where the track is open will only be for a couple of hours - all be it quite quiet lapping. There is stuff to do round there though, and some of the more remote spectating points are amazingly close to the track! And some are really bizzare (I know the stitching isn't great, but I was hanging off a scaffolding at the time...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrayvon Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 I could have sworn I read a massive post last night that has disappeared now! Haha was a bloody good read though to the person who wrote it...whoever that was I was hooked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spelling Bee Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Summink like that anyway You sir, should know better than that. Consider this a formal warning. I've got my compound little eyes on you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prawny Baby Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Without question, the single best week of my entire life. I'd say there probably hasn't been a single hour go by since I got back that I havn't thought about it (says Prawn sat at his pc wearing his Nurburgring hoodie) There's just something in the atmosphere over there, everything about the place is a complete petrolheads dream. It's all pretty much been covered up there by others, but basicly, don't be stupid! Youtube Video -> ">" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roboff Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Doing a lap is definaltely up on my list of things to do, which is quite big considering i cant drive yet, plus most of them involve cars. It's killing me at the moment, i tried to persuade my Mum and Dad to get me a bug (1302, German Looker, Yeah!) to do up for when i can drive, but they wouldnt have it. Ahwell, tinkering with my Grandads dub will have to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey1991 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Unknown to me, Frenchie decided to time our last lap on his phone, it's probably best he didn't tell me, as we were REALLY going for it. It was only as we rounded the final corner and planted it with the 'AUDI R8 V10' Gantry in sight, that frenchie pulled out his phone and we saw the clock counting up in the 9:20's. As we passed under the gantry, he stopped the clock at 09:37.4, which I felt compelled to take a picture of once back in the carpark! Sub 10 minutes! thats increadiable for someone that doesn't live there. People struggle to get that in r34's. (Idiots admitedly.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Quinn Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Yer but I assume you'd be able to go more often, hence practice general track driving more and know the particular track better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan6061 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 I live near Silverstone, but I've never once been on the track! Not in a car anyway... I would love to go to Nurburgring at some point, maybe when the Minis a second car/toy, and when I'm a better driver... Good to hear the stories and see the pictures too, does look like such an amazing place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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