london_chris

im going to be heading to the ring in may, for a 3 day weekend, any tips, advice or recommendations.........

it will be my first time, i will be taking the escos and am a little nervous.

Adam-M

Get break down cover, go through Dunkirk and not Calais, get a good satnav ect. I went for 5 days and bloody loved it.

I stayed at a hotel called hotel an der nordschleife it was good, our room had 6 beds and a little kitchen and a balcony that overlooked the halfway entrance to the track. Hotel also had garages you could use which is good for a cossie. The town the hotel is in is amazing.

Adam-M

Also check the track is available on the days your going as I found out when I went that the track is sometimes used by companies and car manufacturers so joe public couldn't go on them days. Iirc though that's just weekdays.

zetaboostboy522bhp

Don't crash lol and make sure you've got some spare euros for when you get caught speeding on the way there and back

DangerousBryan

Take a credit card in case of misshaps, and treat it like a country road you don't know rather than a race track.

massivewangers

iTrader: (1)

I stayed in this hotel when I went last year, was really good.

Just make sure your car is tip-top. Some of the lads I went with had problems that could probably have been avoided with some care.

Also, if you do laps, don't take it too seriously, just enjoy the fact you're there. If you've never been before, you'll never learn the track. One of my mates had done hundreds of laps on his playstation so he had a rough idea of which way the corners went and how tight they were, so you could drive it like a country road which was ok. For me it was just about enjoying the experience and ticking it off the list, though I will go again no doubt. I don't really see the point of trying to hammer it round, as there is an awful lot to lose if you get it wrong.

I would highly recommend trying to do a Ring Taxi ride, as this will really allow you to feel what the track is like, without risking your car/pride!

_Jimmy_

Never been but going soon, going to just let the faster traffic past and take it easy-ish. I have watched and played loads of laps and know most of the track in my head, but being there will be a different matter.

I've also taken note of which corners have bad/lots of crashes and what not to do there (eg don't lift mid-crest at swedenkruz, don't get over-excited at brunchen) to pre-empt making any classic mistakes

alistairolsen

Be VERY careful, thinking you kind of know it is worse than having no idea at all. If you've never been before, EVERYTHING will be faster traffic to start with.

stu20004x4

are you going with the kent rsoc lot chris? i went with them last year, great bunch of blokes.

only advice i can give is, dont get to cocky. even the most experienced drivers are novices on that track!

_Jimmy_

I know, I'm well aware of that, I'll be treating it like an unknown road initially.
What I meant about letting faster traffic past is that I won't even be trying to keep up.

london_chris

not going with any rsoc, just a group of mates.
im still in need of a gearbox replacement before going and would prefer to do some miles on new box and bed clutch prior to going!
im looking forward to it, will probably only do a couple of steady laps, not trying to impress anyone, just want to tick it off my bucket list.

Fudgey

iTrader: (4)

Dont hit the barriers on the left
Dont hit the barriers on the right.
Dont spill any fluids.

That above will save you several thousands of Euros.

Might be worth getting additional insurance cover, its not uncommon for someone else to hit you even if you are driving safely.

If its wet take extra care, i had Chip sat next to me on my first ever lap, he was telling me what was coming etc, but it still very almost went horribly wrong on a damp corner. I suspect it was the car that saved us more than my driving talent but who knows lol.

Use your mirriors a lot, people dont like beng held up.

And as said, have fun and try not to take it too seriously.

Pinoccios is a great place to eat too.

I need to go back lol.

DangerousBryan

Huge pizza 😀 love that place.

visa_broke

Get some pics of your time over there as well and keep us updated

I was supposed to go years ago, paid for the room/trip and my passport didn't turn up in time, not been able to go since.

london_chris

pt 1

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B45...ew?usp=sharing

pt 2

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B45...ew?usp=sharing

excuse the lame driving and being overtaken by everyone i was petrified for a good portion of the trip........

it was back in may but i have been busy!

Cos500

Been every year last 14 years and still don't know every corner, ffs take it steady, if it's wet bimble round, very greasy in places when wet especially back section under the trees, don't bother trying to keep up with anyone just drive the circuit and keep an eye on your mirrors keeping out the way of anything coming up fast, more likely to be a mk3 Astra than a Ferrari, even when you think you know the circuit after a few trips treat it with respect as the surface can change from one part of the circuit to another and will bite you.
Hit the barriers or spill oil closing the circuit carries a heavy cost that can run into the 1000's never mind the damage to your car plus they will keep your car until settled.
It's a toll road not a racetrack on public days so dont be surprised to come up on coaches of tourists or camper vans bimbling round.
It's a great experience and if you keep your head you'll enjoy it year after year.

_Jimmy_

Snowed when I went for the first time in April, I took it easy and knew the track from videos and games, although it's different being there.... and my car is slow so was quite safe.

Only had one incident where a new BMW track car got very close to hitting my front end when overtaking me as it bends to the left just after the bottom of the foxhole as I was on the outside of the bend (where I should be) but was on the racing line. My passenger screamed a bit

Pistenklause was the best restaurant by far, the others were a bit depressing.