NURBURGRING 2006

Hi all , ive organised another  trip to Germany for the guys at newport gti club and was wondering if anyone from this forum is interested in joining us . So far we have 18 people in ten cars going so it should be a good one . Links are provided for bookings at the end of this post or you can Pm me for any extra information you require . Its not until October so you have plenty of time to save and as a bonus to all you beer drinkers it will also be octoberfest in Germany although i can't rember too much about that from last year  ops:

The details are .

Depart from Cardiff at 6am on Saturday October 7th to catch the 11.36 eurostar to Calais then onto germany

Returning Tuesday October 10th on the 11.58 eurostar

These tickets can be booked on line via eurotunnel and at the moment the tickets are ?91 return ,this will rise to about ?140 for you last minuters.

We will be staying at the Hotel An Der Nordschleife (where we stayed last year) Rooms cost from ?30 per person per night inc Breakfast and evening meal . Eddy is a good host and his hotel is a first rate family run establishment only a 10 to 15 minute drive from the track enterance and the track goes past the hotel . What more could you want than to be woken at 8.00am to the sound of roaring golf engines . If you book now we should all be able to get in at the same place.

I know that this will mean taking 2 days off work for some of you but it does give you alot of track time especially on the Monday when its often quieter (the nutty locals are at work) . Track times are -
Sat 17.30 - 19.30 (for those of you not too tired)
Sun 07.30 - 19.30
Mon 12.30 - 19.30
Laps cost from ?11 for 1 lap , ?40 for 8 laps etc

Its about a 4-5hr drive from Cardiff to Folkstone and then about 5-6hrs to the track .The roads are generally good (except certain parts of belguim) and there are plenty of fuel stations selling 98 oct along the way , We generally cruise at about 70-80 mph to try to keep everyone together , and i will make sure that everyone who attends this trip has a very detailed set of directions just in case .

Total likely costs are -Eurotunnel ?91 , accomadation ?90 (depending on amount of beer and type of room) , petrol say ?130-170 (inc 10 -20 laps) the cost of the laps say 16 laps ?80 , european breakdown cover ?45 for AA members , Say ?70 for lunches and other bits and bobs and not forgetting ?4 for your ring sticker and any extra your insurance company might want for temporary european cover (usually free for such a short trip) . I spent about ?400 pounds last year , one of the guys who came spent nearly ?700 but he drinks too much and then bought half the souvenier shop .

There's no need to be scared of the ring as long as you keep an eye out for faster traffic and indicate / pull over to the right they will pass you and leave you alone , it can get very busy and in this case its a good idea to take a passenger on your laps so you can concentrate on whats coming next . Its also a good idea to fit some uprated brake pads as with 72 corners you'll probaly need them . The track is nearly 15 miles long so you'll be glad to know that you can pull off halfway round and go and fill up .
Note worthy points are Speed detectors are illegal in France even disconnected in the boot if they stop you and find one you will spend a night in the cells or a heafty fine so leave them at home , you'll probaly need your passport (helps at the border if they canbe bothered to patrol it) . You will also need a warning triangle , first aid kit and a spare bulb kit these are required by law in Germany and are sensible items to take along with you anyway , along with a spare set of brake pads , oil ,water and a fanbelt (I ended up taking half of my garage with me last year) .
Headlamp convertors and a Gb sticker will also be required .German police also take a dim view of British cars with german style plates you have been warned .

Last year a trabbant was lapping the track at about 40 mph so you dont have to go flat out to enjoy yourself , my mate overtook 2 dodge vipers that were barely doing 50 so you can't use lack of speed as an excuse not to come .

I hope some of you can attend as its an awesome place just wandering round the carpark is an experience , and for anyone who over did it at octoberfest there is a very good racing museum just down the road that sells all sorts of interesting stuff and some really werid attractions inside.
If you coming please check out this site before hand it will answer any questions you may have.

Nurburgring.org.uk
Eurotunnel bookings on
http://www.eurotunnel1.com/direct/booking/journey.asp?lang=en
Accomodation email
edgar-mathey T -online.de
European breakdown cover
http://www.theaa.com/services/european_breakdowncover/index.jsp

So book some days off and see what your car can do .
 Hey you may even get your photo taken .



Yeah i know any excuse to post my pic.Shameless :wink: Cheers Guy

Chaps, leave your interst/feedback here for guy on this. We had planned nurby trip this year and I'll be honest, with current work levels I'm struggling to find the time to sort it right now ops:  but it seems silly to re-invent the wheel.

Comments welcome but go for it!!

Andy

Hey Geezer,

I definitely want to go to the ring this year!  8)

My first thought is I would quite like to go Germany as "The mk1 owners club" and fit Wolfsburg Anunal MK1 Gathering in too.  Realistically is it going to happen?  :dontknow:

If not?..I think it would make a lot of sense tagging on to your trip as it sounds really organised. I like the idea of going a little later on in the year as it gives me plenty of time to do my engine conversion and respray. (The beer festival sounds good too.)

A couple of things I need to get my head round first though. :?

Being ?Ooop Norf? in Yorkshire I think it would more sense for me to catch the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam. After all there is not a lot of point me driving down to Dover then hacking back through France. I don?t want to miss out on the convoy down but I think it would shorter/cheaper for me.
 
Does any one fancy coming with me from Hull to Nurburg and meeting Geezer and co down there????  :dontknow:

One last thing?. How do you go about getting insurance for the ring? I think if I rang my insurance company told them to add extra cover as I?m going for a few laps round the ring they would keel over in hysterics!!! Can you take out separate cover with specialists? Any body recommend any and how much is it?

All comments and thoughts welcome.

I'd rather combine the ring trip and the taking in the show or something, which was planned for July. I think it needs to happen! But if it falls through, I'd like to go in October.

A seperate convoy from the north is good idea   and i appreciate the fact that it'll be cheaper , its a long enough trip as it is so why make it longer we could meet up in Belguim or something then hopefully all cruise to Germany together - safety in numbers and all that . Track day insurance would cover the ring but it is expensive , your normal insurance may not cover you on the track even though it is officially a public road - Check out nurburg.org.uk for more in depth stuff . :y:

Bump! Any interest for the North route or am I going on my todd! lol

Walt you still up for the trip? Bring a spare pair of undercrackers you'll need them!

hi Karl

you can meet up with me if you want drive down the night before
to my turf home boy,  and then we can race down in the morning
 :mrgreen:

Hi I'm well up for this. Do you have to have helmet etc? and as above. Will book my Eurostar soon. Will prob meet at the ferry so if anyone from the midlands is going and wahts to convoy then let me know.

Damn it! feel my Mk1 was made for a trip to the ring - sadly I don't think it will be making it …have fun on those 15miles of track !!  :cry:

Have just been told that if you crash then you are liable for the cost of reapir to the track is this correct? Also been told that if you get oil on the track or if it has to be closed for any reason because of you then you also have to pay. Will insurance cover these costs? Did anybody who went last year manage to get insurance to cover them?

richyrich said

Have just been told that if you crash then you are liable for the cost of reapir to the track is this correct? Also been told that if you get oil on the track or if it has to be closed for any reason because of you then you also have to pay. Will insurance cover these costs? Did anybody who went last year manage to get insurance to cover them?

It sounds like a job for specialist insurance brokers. I know some classic car policies include track day cover, but I wouldn't know if they include these kinds of things. In any case, perhaps if enquiries were done through the Mk1 Owners Club, then we could arrange some kind of bulk discount, or even a 'package deal' eg with insurance, breakdown cover, ferries, hotel bookings all included.

I was watching the Audi channel the other day (yes they do really have one) and they had organised a trip to the 'ring and the factory, it was a pay once kinda deal and every thing is included except fuel and how many laps you want to do. small hotels, ferries, and tour were all included.
In the future may be we could look at doing this type of trip?

Put my name down. I think a couple of mates might be up for it too (depending if their cars are ready by then). I went out in November and can't wait to get back. October will be my first chance

No longer a Mk1 owner. Kins suggested I should post up my new beast:

Numbers: 485kg, 280bhp (capable of much more), 0-60 3.7 secs, 0-100 sub 9 (estimated). Here she is (200sx powered by the way, with garret charger and remap):

That should be fun . Glad to see some more people are interested weve got 10 cars going so far + who ever comes from this club so it'll be a grin , my missus will be taking snaps all weekend - so we'll have to do a parade lap (one for next years calender ?) .
Insurance for the ring is abit of a grey area , checkout the links for more details including companies that exclude the ring . Crash helmets are not required but i'll be taking mine this year just in case .

For insurance info

Nurburgring.org.uk

Another great site i found with some excellent pre ban video footage .

JW's Homepage