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My week long visit at the Nürburgring/Nordschleife.

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  • My week long visit at the Nürburgring/Nordschleife.

    Could take some time to load. There's 107 pics.

    So for those interested, a little trip report of what you can expect over there.
    ================================================== =========

    Let me first just say, if you ever have the chance to go there, do it! The German Eifel itself is already fantastic, but visiting the Nürburgring and Nordschleife is just something else. Wow.

    I just got back (2 hours) after a week long stay at a nice resort exactly 10miles from the Nurgburgring. It was one hell of a week, that's for sure. Went from Monday September 7th till the 14th. Only today and yesterday we had (plenty) of rain, the rest not a drop.

    I went to that resort, specially because it's so close to the Nürburgring, so I could go there as much as I wanted. Last year I only was at The Ring for 2 hours, as I was residing in another resort, much further, so it was only a 1-day trip last year.

    I'll chop it up in many parts as I took so many pics I don't know where to start.

    So I'll just start at the beginning, with my tour along the Grand Prix circuit and the whole new vacinity that's been pump out of the ground, Dubai style.

    So for those expecting Nordschleife pics already, sorry, that's for another part . I'll be updating daily, maybe twice a day, as there's so many pics to process.


    So part 1 a trip along the Grand Prix circuit and the new "entertainment area" that was not here when I was there in September 2008.

    The Welcome Center


    As seen from the fly-over


    Inside the welcome center (BMW M Grandstand) and ajacent buildings. Notice the rollercoaster track going right through it (called Ring°Racer, which too bad, opens next week as it is delayed and was due to open the week I was there.)


    More


    The Ring°Arena


    Ring°Racer carts


    Main road in front of the home straight of the Grand Prix Circuit


    More


    More


    Ring°Werk, a museum/entertainment/infotainment/small attraction park (more of the inside later)


    Ring°Racer flying over from the BMW M Grandstand building into Ring°Werk


    Track bends after the take-off, which is parallel to the home straight.


    Old Nürburgring paddock...


    ...with the old tunnel leading to the new paddock


    All winners at the track, including bicylce events and any other event held there.


    More "homage"


    Fuel station at the paddock


    Inside the pitlane


    View from top of pitlane building at the Coca-Cola curve with the entrance and exit to the Nordschleife visible (not the entrance/exit for Tourist driving). At top left, the Nürburg castle after which the track is named.


    Press center. Here's where the number 1/2/3 hold their press briefing


    Looking down the home straight/pitlane


    Another view from the paddock with Nürburg castle in the center.



    And as a little "tease" one random pic of the Nordschleife...


    And let me not forget, the Ring°Card on which you can put X-amount of laps.




    PART II
    Pics of Ring°Werk

    Excuse me for some of the pics. I'm not good at shooting properly without a tri-pot and under these lighting conditions (I **** using flash).

    Entrance








    What you see from the ticket office


    The 4D theatre where they play a Nürburgring 24hour movie (about 20 minutes) which was cooler than it sounded to be. The 4th dimension comes from the cool light effects.
    Quite a large theatre I might say


    Cool Nürburgring logo at the back wall













    "Winner's Circle" with lifesize figurines of famous drivers.






















    "Exploded view" from the 2007 BMW F1 car





    Parts explained


    V8 engine, which is like half the size of my 6pot engine.


    Ring°Race entrance and Insignia











    2009 BMW F1 car


    Nürburgring (Grand Prix circuit simulator). I barely fitted in at 6'3'' & 235LBS



    That F1 cars are light comes as no suprise, but exactly how light was beyond my wildest imagination. The cars on display, I could roll them forwards and backwards with a single finger(!). I couldn't check if an engine was actually in place or not, but still.

    I also held an F1 carbon brakedisc. Again I kid you not, it was about the weight of a cookie. Talk about taking off unsprung weight!

    PART III trackpics

    Ok, time for some track pics.

    First batch: Entrance/Exit/Parking Area pics.

    Me lining up...


    Opening the gate...


    (In comparison from september 2008...)






    Back to last week.

    The Ring, main entrance.




    Various cars in line.


    Motorbikes too of course.








    Second of the 2 parking areas. This is the largest one.




    More cars in line.







    Dude in a very old Fiesta having fun too. Not even a dedicated trackcar or anything, just plane stock. Saucer discbrakes not visible














    Looking backwards from the entrance at the exit. The red roadsign in the back is nearly 1km away (more than half a mile) and is where you exit the last long right turn and onto the main straight.



    Part IV more trackpics

    Some trackside pics.


    Last Sunday was the only wet day, and wet is was.




    I saved a couple of laps hoping to be the co-driver in some very fast cars, but as there were so many accidents, with long stints of track closure, when I finally got there, there was hardly a car in the parking lot left.

    So I had no choice but give it a go myself. Talk about a tricky track, with rain pooring it was a different experience all together! They must have been less than 10 cars on the track.

    Here's me driving, just after leaving the main entrance


    And right after the bridge in the pervious pic.


    And here to the left is the exit from the Grand Prix circuit, onto the Nordschleife. Then my memory card was full.


    Earlier that day...alongside the track.

    This is the small spectator point of the 2 trackside area's @ Plaftzgarten.


    And viewing to the other side.


    This is the large spectator point in Brünnchen corner (a double right turn) looking towards the entry road.


    This is what you see when entering the parking area. A piece of track is visisble a little right of the center of the pic...


    ...which is this bend.


    Hilarious sign by BMW. For those not understanding German, the sign says:
    "In normal everyday life cabs are beige colored and come from Stuttgart [hometown of Mercedes Benz]. Here however, is not normal everyday life".
    (99% of cabs (taxi's) over here are Mercedes Benz')


    Second of the double right corner at Brünnchen.


    And looking at the other side. The main parking spot/viewing point clearly visible.


    The Ring Taxi passing by.


    You can see all kinds of cars at this track. Hummer H2 anyone?


    Yes, Touring Cars (or busses if you wish) are also allowed. This one was full of old folks and drove at snail's pace. Hence the non motion-blurring pic :smt003




    Part V What not to do.

    Last Sunday was a weird day. First day since the monday before that there was rain. And lots of it too. Then dry again, then pooring again.

    After a week of drought, this will make any road slippery, let alone a circuit, that's slippery already.

    When I was walking alongside the track, suddenly no more cars came by. So it must have been closed due to something. Can take a few minutes, can take hours.

    Then this passes me



    followed by



    Hmm ok. Lets see if the track opens up again.

    Then a little further walking backward, I stumble upon this scene





    Not much to see really, so I walk on, all the way to the Steilstrecks (Karussell bypass road). That was far enough for me.

    I then get back to the scene from above. A Polizei car and a towtruck have joined. Hmm.



    Then, while walking towards the scene, suddenly, the towtruck pulls this up!

    Holy chips, that car wasn't there before. Oh hell it was, it had actually gone over the armco :shock:
    I didn't see it happening, so I have no clue how he did it.



    Then I'm right next to the towtruck. The next couple of pics speak for themselves.

















    And that was just what was to come. In the lap I did half an hour later, there were lots of cars and bike in the armco. One bike had a rear wheel broken in half. Yes, the Nordschleife is not to be taken lightly.
    Not even 4 wheel drive (the Golf IV posted here above) will save your ass.

    So there goes your modded (track) car. BBS wheels, Recaro race seats, Bilstein shocks, big brake kit, Intercooler and all...

    Funny note: his license plate ended with 666. Makes you wonder...

    Then it was time for the armco repaircrew...



    What a day!


    And finally, 2 pics I found of me on the Grand Prix circuit.

    Towards Dunlop-Kehre


    And entering the Schumacher-S
    Last edited by MParallel; 09-17-2009, 08:12 AM.

    *Click Sigpic For Journal*

  • #2
    Very nice collection!
    Shame about that crashed Golf; 99.9% totaled...

    Comment


    • #3
      wow awsome

      ig: @jonnie86

      Comment


      • #4
        Poor R32, as a driver of one I can say how fantastic it is in the rain, guy must have be going with some serious speed

        Comment


        • #5
          how do you know its an r32? They have awd golfs in das europe

          ig: @jonnie86

          Comment


          • #6
            What a badass place. Thank you for the pics

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Tuck&Poke View Post
              how do you know its an r32? They have awd golfs in das europe
              rear bumper, duel exhaust tips, and those rear head rests, they are fuckin huge and unmistakable

              Comment


              • #8
                What a great thread.
                I almost cried when I saw the totaled golf.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Sad day for the VW driver



                  So many nice pics, thanks for sharing.

                  1997 BMW 328is Alpine White // Dove Grey
                  ZF Swapped | 3.23 LSD | FK Coilovers | 17x8.5 Borbet Type C | 75mm Wheel Studs | 12mm Vorshlag Spacers | 5000k HIDs | Euro Taillights | Suede Headliner/Pillars

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                  • #10
                    I am jealous that you got to have that experience, but damn man...thanks for the pictures! I almost feel like I got to go(minus the actual track fun).

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      wow looks like it was a great time! Nice pics too.

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