gordy.r Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Hello all and welcome to the initial interest thread for a Club trip next year in 2015 to the petrol head mecca that is the Nurburgring Nordschleife. If you are interested in taking part, please read this initial post in all its glory and then add your name to the list that will follow. Bearing in mind to get the best deals possible I will need to be booking certain aspects of the trip in the coming months (accommodation, ferries, etc). Ok, so here goes...... The Aim The aim is to get as many interested mkiv Supra Owners Club members down to the Nurburgring, Germany for a weekend of track action, Museum tours, Go-Karting, BBQ's, Booze and a general good laugh, all done in a safe and sensible manner! The provisional cost for the trip would be £300 and this would cover: Accommodation for the 3/4 nights 4 laps of the Nurburgring Nordschleife / 4 x 15 min session on GP circuit supplied on a RingCard BBQ and Booze on the final night Commemorative one of a kind mkIV Supra Owners Nurburgring trip club sticker You would need to sort out the following: Passport Fuel Ferry / Eurotunner (see next topic) Insurances Food and drink for the other nights European Travel Kit (hi-vis vest, light beam adapters, breathalyzer etc - see google for info, its a legality now) Ferry / Eurotunnel As many people would potentially be travelling from all over the UK, it is probably best to sort out our own ferries etc, but rendezvous in France or Belgium and convoy down to the B&B from there. The last few times I have been across I got the ferry from Dover to Calais / Normandy and it cost me around £40 return when booked a few months in advance. This time I will be getting the ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, it does cost more, but what you pay extra you would spend on fuel anyway and you are not shattered when you arrive in Germany 18 hours later! This can all be discussed once we have confirmed numbers for the trip. Those wishing to take a passenger along may incur an extra charge for the ferry etc Accommodation I will be booking us all in to the same B&B to save any hassle. There are many good B&B's around the area all within a few miles of the track, some even have garages or barns you can park your car in overnight. The link below takes you to the B&B I normally use, they are a great couple and the husband is a track user himself. Nice breakfast and honesty fridge always stocked with beers and wine for the evenings! http://www.booking.com/hotel/de/pension-sonnenwende.en-gb.html?aid=311076;label=pension-sonnenwende-Ukw668EOlwzMLYAzt4edwgS4710134940%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aac%3Aap1t1%3Aneg;sid=64114dd272fd96b5bfe8d03d2bfc65cb;dcid=4;ucfs=1;srfid=8de36e8fb9f286c3b973a6cf8c5f61a3a7c1d709X1 Single, Twin Double rooms all available. Again if you are looking to take a passenger with you, we can arrange something before we book anything. The Track The Nordschleife was built between 1925-27 and it is located in the Eiffel region of Germany, it is 13 miles long, has 73 corners in total, has a difference in altitude from its highest point to its lowest of 300m, and has claimed over 200 lives since it opened. Potential Dates The calendar for 2015 has not yet been released to the general public yet, but I have emailed the Customer Services team at the Ring to try and get a heads up on the best weekend to go down. Generally around Easter and October times they have long weekend car events where the track is open from Thursday - Monday from 0800 - 1730 giving maximum time on the track and the possibility of getting good weather on at least one of the days. In Easter the have a Car Friday event where thousands of people get a Bank Holiday weekend in Germany and bring their cars down to the track. Whilst it is not a great day for track time as it is so busy, there is a lot going on and the atmosphere is fantastic. Plus you can watch all the silly locals binning their pride and joys in to the barriers at various points on the track! During the Car Friday weekend the GP circuit is also open to the public so you can have a bash on the legendary F1 Grand Prix track during 15 minute sessions. Each session takes 1 lap of the Nordschleife off your RingCard. Easter 2015 falls on the weekend of Thursday 2nd April - Monday 6th April so that potentially could be the best weekend to go. As soon as the team at the track get back to me I shall update the thread. Safety Watch this clip below before proceeding any further: That clip isn't there just for a laugh or to scare you, it is to give you a stark reality as to what can happen if you make a mistake on the track. The Nurburgring wasn't named by Sir Jackie Stewart as The Green Hell for a laugh. No number of hours playing Gran Tourismo on the Playstation will prepare you for the cambers, elevation changes and sharp corners that the track throws at you, and couple in the factor that there are other drivers, some of whom will get in your way as they bimble round, and others who will appear from nowhere as they often stick in a flying 8 minute lap on their way home from work every day! It is best on your first trip to spend a few laps getting to know the track, and as hard as the temptation may be to press the loud pedal all the way when a 1.6 Suzuki Swift overtakes you, remember they probably know the track or have rented one of the Stage 1 prepped, stripped out Hire Cars from the Ring itself! Personal Protection And no I'm not talking about a months supply of Durex here... On my last trip down I had a slight spin and upon recovering the spin, smashed my head off the door frame in my car. This could have been a very nasty event had I not been wearing a track day helmet. A simple, low cost OMP helmet purchased from Demon Tweeks for £45, which probably saved me a smashed drivers side window and a severe bout of concussion and possible trip to the local A&E! Don't leave it to chance and think it won't happen to me, as it does. Other things you can think about are: Gloves - the ones for track days or karting (I bought some but didn't like wearing them) Brakes - are your brakes up to the job? Standard discs and pads will experience brake fade and shudder on just one lap of the Ring. This isn't a 20 second blast along an A road, its 13 miles of fast driving and harsh cornering. Have a think about uprated pads and discs before making the trip and ensure they are scrubbed in as well. Tyres - not teaching anyone to suck eggs here, but the track can be slippy on certain areas and I would highly recommend using good quality rubber when going in hard... Roll Cage - not essential by any means, but if it's something you've thought of doing, it would be nice to maybe do it if you're intending on going and are wanting to put in some fast laps. Timed / Videoing Laps Whilst it used to be frowned upon having a GoPro or similar on your car when going through the barriers, when I was there earlier this year the stewards were not stopping anyone and the bikers even had them on their helmets so I think they may have relaxed the policy on this. Timing of laps is frowned upon though (although a lot of people do it) as it encourages drivers to maybe push themselves harder than they normally would to get a lap in under the magic 10 minute mark. Personally, I go out and enjoy myself and if I happen to put in a good lap then it's a bonus. Extra Laps You can buy extra laps and merchandise from the link below, these are all supplied on a RingCard and will be posted out to you. There is the option to buy more laps at the track when we get there and you will save on the postage, but you may have to queue. The 4 laps supplied by myself will let you know whether you want to buy more or just call it a day and enjoy the other fools going round lol http://www.nuerburgring-shop.de/fahraction/touristenfahrten.html Tickets are 27 Euros a lap but you get discount if you buy in bulk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordy.r Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Thread Continued.................. Other Activities Below is a quick list of the many other things to do whilst at the Nurburgring: Go-Karting - indoor electric Go Karts next tot he GP circuit Museum - see the history of the track, ride a truck simulator on the GP circuit, see the iconic BMW M3 GTR car plus loads more Drive the GP circuit - this is a great experience and will give your whole body a good workout with its tight corners and grippy surface Local cuisine - a currywurst and chips or a pizza will set you back about a fiver. A dinner of the Kings! Buy merchandise / tat - want your toast in the morning to have a burnt image of the track on it? yep you can buy that here! (plus stickers, hoodies, kids clothes etc) Watch the action - there are multiple places along the track where you can get right next to the barriers to watch the action. The smell of petrol fumes and burnt rubber will last with you a lifetime Evening entertainment - If after a day at the track you feel sitting back with some food and a beer is too lame and not exciting enough, there are one or two nights clubs in Adenau Car Hire If you maybe don't want to take the Supra down but fancy still going, you can always hire something for a few laps or days if the budget stretches that far. See below for examples: http://www.rent4ring.de/en/info/rentals-for-the-nordschleife.html http://www.rentracecar.com/?page_id=348 Photographic Opportunity Some people do take a trip on tot he track in the evening once it has shut down for a quick photo opportunity, whilst this is not strictly allowed, it does happen. I have email the team at the Ring to see if we can get a photo opp arranged either before the track opens or after it has closed on the section called Breidscheid, which is a long straight going in to a heavily graffiti strewn section of the track, which can be accessed at Adenau and would probably be easiest for us to get to and the staff to let us on. I shall see what they come back with. Who knows, all going to plan it may make the 2016 mkIV Owners Club calendar! Also, there are many photographers lining the barriers of the track, so no doubt your car and face will be photographed and these can then be purchased online and you will receive an email containing your snap in jpeg form for around £5. See the link below for examples: http://www.nurburgring-photos.com/ Total Cost ? It is going to be different for everyone, depending what car you drive, where you are driving from, how many laps you do, how much you eat etc. On an average, after the initial £300, I would budget anywhere between £200-£700 for expenses. And when I say expenses, I mean ferries, train, food, laps, booze, souvenirs, activities etc. There is always the chance you may have a flat tyre, have an accident and so on, so I would keep a blank credit card in your wallet as well! The joy of booking up early is that we can get the best deals going and keep the cost lower. The nearer the time to go, the ferry prices can triple from what we would pay in the coming months. Fuel In Germany There are many petrol stations on the way and around the track itself. All sell Diesel, Unleaded, Super Unleaded and Super Plus Unleaded (or variants), the latter having 10% ethanol in the mix and is around 107 or 109 RON if I remember correctly. Conclusion This list is not exhaustive and there are probably quite a few things that I have missed out. But this is an opportunity for those who have always fancied going to the Nurburgring, to do so with good friends and like minded people, in the knowledge that there will be a good number of us there and the potential to have a really cracking weekend! For some it is a once in a life time opportunity, for others a pilgrimage and the rest an annual event. Please use this thread for any questions, discussions, ideas and the likes and I will try and answer them the best I can. Other members who have been, if you would like to comment or advise please feel free, it is always good to have extra input. The following links may be advisable to read also: http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/home.html http://www.nurburgringinfo.com/ http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/ If you are interested, add your name, location travelling from and number of people going with you. I will start the list off in the post below, many thanks all, Gordy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordy.r Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Nurburgring 2015 trip 1. Gordy.r / Glasgow / 1 driver and 1 passenger 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Budz86 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 You got a rough date in mind mate? And is this only open to the club as I was planning on do a ring trip with a few mates next year anyways but we only talked about it the other day and no planning done yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterfett Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 You got a rough date in mind mate? ^^ Dates would determine it for me also, perhaps tag it onto the end of dragonball? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordy.r Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 I'm glad I spent nearly an hour putting together that post for you only to read the first few lines Easter 2015, April 2nd - 6th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastcar Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Same here depending on when it is I could very well be up for this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordy.r Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 update 1 Ok, so the Nurburgring info team got back to me and it's as I thought, dates not released yet but as soon as they are I shall contact them with regards to planning and possible photoshoot again. Here is the email I received from them: Hello Gordon, Thank you for your kind message. We do think that this is a great idea but have to tell you that so far, we are not able to give you any information on the event dates 2015. These dates have not been fixed yet. I would recommend you to contact us again by the end of this year (November/December). I am quite sure that we can give you more information on the dates by then :-) If you should require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us. Kind regards Sabrina Ihr info°center Nürburgring Betriebsgesellschaft mbH Otto-Flimm-Straße 53520 Nürburg Germany T +49 (2691) 302 630 F +49 (2691) 302 650 [email protected] http://www.nuerburgring.de You got a rough date in mind mate? And is this only open to the club as I was planning on do a ring trip with a few mates next year anyways but we only talked about it the other day and no planning done yet! No not limited to only club members, but obviously club members will get priority if limited spaces etc, but I can't foresee that being an issue. As per the email above, as soon as they release their calendar for next year we can start confirming dates, I'm just basing the idea on what they have done on previous years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackyBoi Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I would definitely be up for this whenever it's planned for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Why T Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 If the fortune is up and running I may be up for this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobgoblin Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I will certainly be looking at doing this in the MisterTwo. My brother (co-owner) and I have been sort of planning this for a while. Only thing is, do you need tax, insurance etc, as the track is effectively a public (toll) road. My MR2 is a track only car, and can not be MOTd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordy.r Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 I will certainly be looking at doing this in the MisterTwo. My brother (co-owner) and I have been sort of planning this for a while. Only thing is, do you need tax, insurance etc, as the track is effectively a public (toll) road. My MR2 is a track only car, and can not be MOTd I'm sure they do say cars should be road legal on the website (I may be wrong), but the number of track only cars that rock up on the back of trailers is unreal, plus, once in Germany and how close we will be to the track, I highly doubt you'll get stopped on the drive to and from the track. Otherwise there is space opposite the entrance to the Ring where a lot of people park up their trailers and just drive over the road, do their laps, and then back onto the trailer. Plus the stewards don't check mot or tax at the gate, and I doubt many of them would be clued up on UK regs anyways! Hope that helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobgoblin Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Yes I remember seeing that parking area, just the far side of that little roundabout iirc. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcus GTE Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 I'd love to do this trip. Put my name down. Great effort Gordy, you've put a lot of time into this already. I also like the sound of getting onto the GP track. Always wanted to take the supra round an F1 track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordy.r Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 I'd love to do this trip. Put my name down. Great effort Gordy, you've put a lot of time into this already. I also like the sound of getting onto the GP track. Always wanted to take the supra round an F1 track. Cheers dude Yeah the GP track at the Ring is amazing, you start the 15 minute session from the pits all lined up and once out its a fast circuit with some steep and tight corners and really good back straight through the stands. An awesome experience on a legendary track! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mclarenross Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 I think I'll be keen for this as long as my car is up and running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignum Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Missed this thread somehow, put my name down please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManwithSupra Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 (edited) I am up for this.. however I will need to trailer the track car there so I assume there will be additional cost for this. Bignum.. you have been a number of times do you know what sort of extra cost having a trailer will be (ferry wise). 1. Gordy.r / Glasgow / 1 driver and 1 passenger 2. Bignum 3. ManwithSupra / Southampton / 1 driver + trailer and 1 maybe 2 passenger(s) Edited July 30, 2014 by ManwithSupra (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignum Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I am up for this.. however I will need to trailer the track car there so I assume there will be additional cost for this. Bignum.. you have been a number of times do you know what sort of extra cost having a trailer will be (ferry wise). 1. Gordy.r / Glasgow / 1 driver and 1 passenger 2. Bignum 3. ManwithSupra / Southampton / 1 driver + trailer and 1 maybe 2 passenger(s) Iirc its approx £100 more tops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogmaw Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 I'm down. I've been waiting for ages for a Supra Nurburgring event to come up. Well done for organising, I hope it comes off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManwithSupra Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Iirc its approx £100 more tops. Cheers mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobgoblin Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Cheers Gordy for your work thus far. Pls add me as a provisional, that will be; Hobgoblin and Brother, 2 drivers in towcar + trailered MR2 + wives in another car (not driving on circuit), or possibly flying (does anyone have any idea about budget flight options?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieP Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I'm a maybe for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luxluc Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I'm a maybe for this. Attention mate. On the GP circuit, they have severe noise limitations ... a no go for screamer pipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieP Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Ahh ok, I'm out then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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