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The ring


gregboy

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Right folks . Calling all experienced ringers. Advice required !!!!!!! When's the best time to go next year and any do's n dont's n tips!

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Pick a weekend where its open !

Theres usually about 4 or 5 per year, where its open Fri evening, all day sat & sun, last bank holiday in may always open the monday as well.

Yes its busy, yes there will be what seem like infinite closures and seriously sub standard motoring, but thats what its all about.

Check you are covered with insurance, many uk type insurances now wordily exclude Nurburgring, nordschleife, and derestricted toll roads.

If you cause an accident, the police will find you, there are many amatuer photographers/locals only too happy to pass on your details...

You pays your money & takes your chance...

300 laps, 1 crash on coolant from a porsche, GSXR750, road/bob interface 76mph on GPS datalogger, bike wrote off... Nuff said.

The dates are always available usually late january, sometimes later, theres an ownership change this year, so maybe the dates available could be slow.

Try Northloop forum as well, they're a friendly bunch.

You will never get a perfect lap, its always a compromise, theres always another day... Drive well inside your own capability, and beware there are some absolute crappy looking golfs and bmw poo boxes that will torture you, and even the GT3's

Have fun

Bob

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I think "ringers"are called campagnologostists and do it in churches all year round

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I've heard of a few horror stories of crashes n costs bob. Would def not be on the limit in the Westy . It's more the timing and the road trip experience and the best time to go n maybe even meet up with a few boys from the mainland as a few of us will be travelling from Northern Ireland down through England to get the ferry. P.s. that's a meet and drive to the ring for anybody that's up for it!!!!!!! ;-)

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When I lived out in Germany I spent manat a weekend on the nordschleife. 2002-2005 and when I went you got ticket from machine like a parking ticket machine, go to the gates and dodge moron's!

Scars to prove it!

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I've been twice now, from Derry. Long drive..! Fair play if you are driving the Westie, not sure I could hack it. I took a Focus RS and it was long enough, just getting to Dover is an ordeal in itself.

We took the overnight ferry from Belfast to Liverpool, can be extremely expensive in summer (over £500), we managed to get a good discount with Nutt Travel (highly recommended) and got the ferry for about £350ish. Then drive to Dover and got the ferry to Dunkirk for about £60 return, much more reasonable!

Clocked up over 2000 miles on the trip, did 15 laps of the Ring last time out, brilliant brilliant brilliant! Used 12 tanks of fuel though, but the Focus was thirsty being turbo think I was doing around 10mpg driving Flat out on the Ring itself !!

We stayed in the little town of Adenau, highly recommended. You will have a ball!

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Dont go on easter w/end, it will be manically busy.

Stay here

http://www.guesthouse-fuchsroehre.com/

Be careful, its not a computer game.

Watch your mirrors.

ETA - I'm currently planning a trips in March, May and September so let me know your dates!

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My Westfield has been and I've been. Alas not together! Drive felt tiring enough in my old stripped out BMW! Anyhow...

I went on a German bank holiday and VLN weekend and it was MEGA busy on the Saturday. Sitting in long traffic jams while the circuit was closed following accidents was a waste of time.

Sunday was wet and we got there early and pumped in a few laps. I've done loads of track days but found the place pretty scary in the damp. I drove very slowly! What I did find was that people there are very friendly and a Brit with a lovely Porsche 968 CS and an annual pass took me out for a brilliant lap. Being out with someone who knows the place is thrilling.

It sounds lame but just being there was great. Great scenery, great cars and a great track. I can't wait to go again. I know a chap with a house in Herschbroich, which is within the nordschleife, which was very cheap when shared with a few friends and food / drink from Aldi! We still did the Pistenklause for a steak though. One of the highlights for sure!

Final thought: I'd honestly suggest a proper track day just because the consequences of having or causing an accident when you are (most likely) not insured on a TF session is so high.

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Dont go on easter w/end, it will be manically busy.

Stay here

http://www.guesthouse-fuchsroehre.com/

Be careful, its not a computer game.

Watch your mirrors.

ETA - I'm currently planning a trips in March, May and September so let me know your dates!

If I was going for a hotel I'd go here. We dropped

By the watch the 2011 Canadian GP and get some food. Very welcoming and a nice place to boot.

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Try Northloop forum as well, they're a friendly bunch.

 

Final thought: I'd honestly suggest a proper track day just because the consequences of having or causing an accident when you are (most likely) not insured on a TF session is so high.

 

Two very sensible pieces of advice here. Northloop has a wealth of information, and many nowadays do recommend a track day there rather then TF due to the insurance issues.

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I have been twice on TF days and another time hired an RSR car.

 

Now I would only consider it on a track day unless I can persuade my German friend to lend me her car. :d  The risks are just to great.  Also TF days are so busy and such a mix of cars and speeds you won't enjoy it as much as you would otherwise.

 

If you do go I would recommend you book up a ring taxi.  The process is a bit convoluted and needs to be done well in advance but well worth it

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Ring taxi ?

Pax lap with a trusted drivers more recommended...

I did a pax lap, 31degC in summer 2008, Honda prelude, no air con dressed unsuitably in...

1 piece leathers (With a hump), full bike boots...

I nearly fainted half way round...

If you're not insured, hire a Suzuki Swift, they go really well, all about momentum, nothing to do with power !

The trackdays there are a few a year

General advice, avoid Italians in ferraris and sparco clothing they park in gravel traps

If you have a phone with GPS, look up "racechrono" it logs your laps, and say if you do 20 laps or whatever, gives you your actual best, actual best sectors, and theoretical best lap from the best of the 20 sectors !

Consider staying at the Burgstube, Martin will give you a bit of a brief, and let you know what to do and what to watch for etc, he uses on board footage...

Oh, Enjoy...

Bob

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