Though I would shove this in here as its just a pretty S3 and you lot are the ones I talk to most.
Just wanna say a big thanks to Prawn for helping get everything in place for a good trip and giving me advice! Your a top man I owe you a drink at least Saturday!!!
As some of you may know this year was my 1st trip the Nurburgring. Not that I was excited or anything, its something I have wanted to do since I could drive, done hundreds of laps of it on the forza and needed to go and live the dream. Happened like all good things, mentioned it to a mate in the pub, he was up for it. Got a couple of others involved and off we went.
Didnt take us long to get it booked up, just looked on the internet for the touristenfahrten date, chose a weekend and book accommodation and a boat.
The date we picked didnt have alot of track time, we booked it knowing that it might open up after VLN Saturday evening but would be open all Sunday. This was on purpose, the idea of this trip was to get to know the area, and find out how it all worked, without feeling the need to put the car through huge amounts of laps on the track.
So this is how it all started out:
4am. 2 Cars 4 people loaded up for the ring, to be at the ferry port for just before 7.
Packed included clothes obviously!! trolley jack, some tools, helmets, oil and brake fluid.
Also had European break down cover just in case!!
Chose the ferry as it was cheaper than the tunnel, had food and a chance to kick back and relax.
Got to the other side around half 9 local time and drove on down the E40 all the way to Nurburg pretty much. Once you get to the final hour you come of the motorway on to B roads, loads of great bends, hairpins and views!! Winding you down into the forest.
We rocked up around half 2 at our hotel, Burgstube. Great owners Martin and Heidi welcomed us, we were told to make ourselfs at home and then come back down when we were ready for a saftey briefing as we were 1st timers.
Burgstube Nürburg - Hotel at the Nürburgring - +49 170 8080256
So after we got ourself settled we went down for the safety briefing, now this wasnt some causal chat about the do's and don'ts out there it was serious. We were sat down to watch a video of a lap, showing us where it all could go wrong so easily (every coner and straight). Each time Martin would stop the tape point to his "crash map" on the wall to talk us through some else's miss fortune. Then he went into liabilities the fact your not insured going to jail yada yada yada. This killed the mood well and truely, I already knew the risks but this brought it home. This was a no messing brief, shock and oar style. Martin is now known as the fun sponge!!
We then moved onto talking about the VLN race the next day, basically a 6hr endurance race where lots of difference classed car compete, from clio 182' to le mans group B style cars. He talked us through where was best to go watch round the track, going down to the paddock and looking and all the necessaries bits. Then his mate who was competing walked in moans about binning the car during practise. Brilliant!!!
Then came some good news "touristenfahrten days after a VLN is when the track is a its most grippy, however if it rains after the race the track is a its most slippy, like ice" wise words. Sun was shining so great!!
That even we went for a walk and then back up to a restaurant by the hotel for food this is where we also discovered bitburger beer. If you take nothing away from this report, try some of this next time you find it on tap its amazing. After a few to many we went to bed for VLN the next day.
VLN next day was great to watch although there is alot of walking to get to the good spots round the track and these are not well made foot paths. We stopped of at a few spots to watch.
after this we went and explored a bit more around the area.
Then we went back for food, for dinner we went to Sabine Smit's ( one off top gear on anything ring related) parents Pistenklause Restaurant. We had steak on the stone, was recommend to be by a friend so had to try it.
I would recommend it to now!!!!
Just wanna say a big thanks to Prawn for helping get everything in place for a good trip and giving me advice! Your a top man I owe you a drink at least Saturday!!!
As some of you may know this year was my 1st trip the Nurburgring. Not that I was excited or anything, its something I have wanted to do since I could drive, done hundreds of laps of it on the forza and needed to go and live the dream. Happened like all good things, mentioned it to a mate in the pub, he was up for it. Got a couple of others involved and off we went.
Didnt take us long to get it booked up, just looked on the internet for the touristenfahrten date, chose a weekend and book accommodation and a boat.
The date we picked didnt have alot of track time, we booked it knowing that it might open up after VLN Saturday evening but would be open all Sunday. This was on purpose, the idea of this trip was to get to know the area, and find out how it all worked, without feeling the need to put the car through huge amounts of laps on the track.
So this is how it all started out:
4am. 2 Cars 4 people loaded up for the ring, to be at the ferry port for just before 7.
Packed included clothes obviously!! trolley jack, some tools, helmets, oil and brake fluid.
Also had European break down cover just in case!!
Chose the ferry as it was cheaper than the tunnel, had food and a chance to kick back and relax.
Got to the other side around half 9 local time and drove on down the E40 all the way to Nurburg pretty much. Once you get to the final hour you come of the motorway on to B roads, loads of great bends, hairpins and views!! Winding you down into the forest.
We rocked up around half 2 at our hotel, Burgstube. Great owners Martin and Heidi welcomed us, we were told to make ourselfs at home and then come back down when we were ready for a saftey briefing as we were 1st timers.
Burgstube Nürburg - Hotel at the Nürburgring - +49 170 8080256
So after we got ourself settled we went down for the safety briefing, now this wasnt some causal chat about the do's and don'ts out there it was serious. We were sat down to watch a video of a lap, showing us where it all could go wrong so easily (every coner and straight). Each time Martin would stop the tape point to his "crash map" on the wall to talk us through some else's miss fortune. Then he went into liabilities the fact your not insured going to jail yada yada yada. This killed the mood well and truely, I already knew the risks but this brought it home. This was a no messing brief, shock and oar style. Martin is now known as the fun sponge!!
We then moved onto talking about the VLN race the next day, basically a 6hr endurance race where lots of difference classed car compete, from clio 182' to le mans group B style cars. He talked us through where was best to go watch round the track, going down to the paddock and looking and all the necessaries bits. Then his mate who was competing walked in moans about binning the car during practise. Brilliant!!!
Then came some good news "touristenfahrten days after a VLN is when the track is a its most grippy, however if it rains after the race the track is a its most slippy, like ice" wise words. Sun was shining so great!!
That even we went for a walk and then back up to a restaurant by the hotel for food this is where we also discovered bitburger beer. If you take nothing away from this report, try some of this next time you find it on tap its amazing. After a few to many we went to bed for VLN the next day.
VLN next day was great to watch although there is alot of walking to get to the good spots round the track and these are not well made foot paths. We stopped of at a few spots to watch.
after this we went and explored a bit more around the area.
Then we went back for food, for dinner we went to Sabine Smit's ( one off top gear on anything ring related) parents Pistenklause Restaurant. We had steak on the stone, was recommend to be by a friend so had to try it.
I would recommend it to now!!!!
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. Also definitely found a local in an arbarth 500 that was racing me up the hill side fast and furious style, hit 130 on a straight road that runs parallel to the ring main straight. Then slowed up and had a look at the ring car park, he pulled in and complimented me on my flames from the exhaust and asked a few questions. 
you're the reason why there's often police presence in the local villages as you're the type of person who drives 600mile to the Ring to drive 130mph on the roads around the Ring and not the track itself.
