
The pull to make the pilgrimage to visit grows each year you hold your driver’s licence, for me it became too hard to resist at 35 when while chatting at my friend’s wedding I was given permission by the otherhalf to make the trip with some likeminded mates. That was 12 months ago, and here I am now writing about my adventure across Europe. Now unlike my fellow travelling partners I would be taking something little older, my trusty 21 year old Mark 2 Volkswagen Scirocco, so preparation started early. Over the year it had a performance exhaust added, coilovers fitted, braked uprated and additional strut braces bolted on to make sure that my time on the "ring" would be the most exhilarating it could be. Oh as well as the required GB sticker and beam deflectors for the headlights.
Jump forward to the morning before the night ferry crossing,
with nerves high and a boot full of tools and spares, I headed to pick my
co-pilot and best mate Lee up. Before the drive over the Pennines from
Manchester, to meet up with the two more cars that would make up our convoy. A
R32 Golf, and a MK3 Golf VR6, all that were a little different from how they
left the factory!!!!!
From there we headed over to Hull and the night ferry to Rotterdam. In all the preparations the only thing that truly worried me was not the driving on the other side of the road (although it did a little) or the breaking down but actually getting my very low car with large front overhang onto the ferry!!!!!! I had visions of having to get the trolley jack out, whip the front wheels and raise the suspension or even backing it on. Thankfully there were no issues, well not with mine the VR6 had to spend the night with the trucks, and the cross Europe trip could begin, and best it could begin with a beer or three.
The following morning we departed the ferry and after a
brief photo opportunity began our 260mile trip to the Hotel Sonneck in
Rothenbach only 5.7km from the track.
It was agreed that once we entered
Germany and the Autobahns we would split up make our own way there mainly due
to my car being the slowest but also the number of petrol stops the others
would need to make!!! My 6 year old satnav made the journey an experience,
let’s just put it this way we turned up over an hour later after seeing many
picturesque German villages via the scenic route!!!!
Checked in our goal was almost at hand the short drive to
the Ring. Ten minutes later we arrived at rally/paddock car park at the
entrance to the notorious toll road.
The graffiti on the road tells you everything you need to know about this place.
Turns out it was a fleet of Nissan GTR's out testing, nice.
An hour later we headed back to the toll parked up and
bought our toll cards and got a map, well the leaflet!!!!! Even the cards call
this place the Green Hell and the map describes it as "the world’s most
beautiful country road without oncoming traffic".
Then it happened the one thing you just don’t want when you
about to for your first lap, not only of the "ring" but also my first
time on a track, that’s right it started to rain. Thankfully after an hour it
stopped and started to dry so nervously we all decided to go for a
"slow" lap. We headed for the cars, strapped ourselves in and turned
the key, my swipe card in hand my co-pilot and me drove up to the barrier,
swiped my card, the lights went green and barrier slowly went up. We were about
to enter Petrolhead heaven and I was nervous, really nervous. Watching the
crash video playing on the screens in the cafe off one of the more notorious
corner probably wasn’t the best thing to do before heading out.
A short drive then it was a tight coned chicane that lead
you onto the main straight, then that was it 14miles of blind crests, tight
corners and steep climbs. Well that’s what it should have been however in the
back of my mind was a conversation I’d overheard at one of the rental desks at
the paddock area while walking round "it’s been raining, don’t go anywhere
near the kerbs, ANYWHERE NEAR THE KERBS". On the run up to the new Formula
1 track you have to do a hard left, I tackled this fine, I wasn’t expecting the
even tighter second left and my front wheel crossed the kerb by about an inch
and before I knew it we were sliding, then the rear did the same. My friend who
was following described it as one minute I was going straight the next she
could see the side of the car!!!!!! Not what you want 2 miles in to a 14mile
lap. Thankfully the car pulled back into line, but my arse had had a serious
twitch. From that point the lap was taken with a lot more caution, to such an
extent I had forgotten to indicate to the right when other cars were coming
past and some of those cars got very close.
The lap continued with me trying to see what I was driving
towards some corners are that blind, then it happen, a steep section lead to
the Karussell. The legendary corner of the whole lap, what else can you do but throw
the car to the seriously inclined inside and put your foot down before being
thrown out of the other end.
Twenty or so minutes after we started we hit the main
straight that takes you back to the paddock car park, and we were done. I
parked up looked at my mate, we had just driven the Nurburgring and i was
shaking from the adrenalin and nerves but we the car was still in one piece and
thankfully after our little wiggle, so were we. Not only that we were smiling
and laughing.
You would not believe how steep sections were or how blind
some corners are, you can only really appreciate the risks racing driver took
racing round this forest when you seeing it from a driver seat. Then there’s
the lack of run off areas, until recently the chain link fence wasn’t
installed. But back in the 70's even the corrugated fence wasn’t there, you
came of the track and the think that would stop you would be a pine tree!!!!!!
The rest of the evening until the session finished was spent
taking in the cars in the car park and track, as well as heading back to Brunnchen to see them heading round.
A Bitburger (local beer) was definitely in order that
evening with the meal as well as an assessment from everyone on the first day
and first lap. After all with 260miles driven on the wrong side of the road (a
first for me) and a lap done the first day was definitely eventful.
:O !!!!
ReplyDelete20 or so minutes! lol :D
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I couldnt tell you how long we were out for, could have been 5 mins, but I doubt it lol
ReplyDeleteaa
ReplyDeleteinternet search or the safety of your kids is likewise a worthy purpose, and in particular when you have younger ones who love roaming around. notice that fencing does not necessarily talk to the fringe wall on a compound. It consists of the fencing around delicate areas including the pool. consider the harm and loss you can get following a defective fence along the pool.
ReplyDelete