A virgin at the Nordschleife
Discussion
(Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the ‘ring)
Over crest, move across to the right - remember to take the downhill double-left as one corner, before turning right into the Brunnchen dip. Damn, it’s still really steep 4th time around! Hard on the power in third as I apex the second corner, use all the track on the exit. Check behind me as I bottom out – yep, there’s an M3 sitting right there impatiently in my mirrors…he can wait for a corner. A quick check-brake to bleed a little speed off uphill, then peel it smoothly into the cresting right-hander, front left tyre vocalising the stress I’m putting it under, then indicate right and keeping the lock on a little too long to let the Beemer past. Quick grin to myself – I did that bit right – my first ‘success’ around here…I can’t believe this is my last lap – I’m just settling in! No time to think as I’m already on top of Pflanzgarten 1...
That was the highlight of the weekend, but less than 60 hours beforehand, standing around at the Eurotunnel terminal at 8am, on a gloriously sunny Friday morning waiting for the others, I was rather nervous. I was taking my pride and joy to and around the Green Hell. My practice laps on GranTurismo involved far too many spins for my liking, and I still couldn’t remember which way the track went.
Fast forward past 5 hours of high-speed convoy through France and Belgium, and we were entering Germany via one of the worst-surfaced roads I’d ever driven on, with the promise of some more entertaining tarmac beyond. That promise was fulfilled, with some superb woodland roads interrupted only by the odd town or slow-moving motor-home. All too quickly, we’re there…standing in the car park next to Brunnchen…at the Nordschliefe! A harsh baritone snarl rips through the quiet, cold air towards us, swiftly followed by the E63 AMG generating it, moving very quickly down through the flick-flack corners and up out of sight again, the roar from the engine trailing behind it…
The Saturday morning dawns with frost on the cars and moisture on the roads…I wouldn’t want to be racing around the ‘ring right now. But we’ve barely finished breakfast before the sounds from the morning’s race drift across to our B&B…time to go spectate! These guys make it look easy – permanently on it, any imbalance front- or rear quickly quelled in the quest for a better lap-time. Hell, there’s even a Dacia Logan racing – is someone having a laugh?!?
Over lunch, I’m surprised I can eat…the butterflies in my stomach have been breeding, yet everyone else seems completely unruffled – the usual banter and laughter of lads on tour surrounds me, only heightening my feeling of being out of place. What’s wrong with me? I’ve done track-days before…
And then we’re at the entrance…I’m passengering with an experienced ‘ringer first-time around – a sighting lap, so-to-speak. Through the ticket barrier, helmet on – behind the wheel Matt’s not bothered with a lid, but I’ve got it with me now and it’ll be safer strapped on than rolling around the rear footwells, and by the time I look up we’re already reeling-in the first of many cars, passing it at speed as his M3 relentlessly gathers pace. Right, left, right, left…by ten corners in I’m already lost, and it’s all I can do to hold onto this rollercoaster, barrelling through corners quicker than seems possible, taking blind crests at unfeasible speeds. God this place is vertical…it doesn’t look like it on the PlayStation! Must take it in…remember Martin, remember!!! Matt’s chatting to me as he drives, reeling off pace notes from memory…how the **** does he do that? Maybe 8 or 9 minutes later we’re cruising back down to the queue to get off the circuit, and I’m being asked by my far-too-relaxed pilot how it was? After 3 or 4 expletives my heart-rate has dropped enough to permit coherent thought, and we chat through the bits of the lap I can remember.
Half-hour later and it’s my turn, and those butterflies have metamorphosed into a lump of iron. Matt’s bravely (foolishly?) volunteered to sit in the passenger seat and call off those self-same pace-notes to me. For the first dozen corners I overdrive the car terribly, trying to remember what I saw, to take in what’s ahead of me and what Matt’s telling me, and to adjust my mind once again to track-speeds not road speeds…and failing at all 3. A Supra diving up the right-hand-side of me just as I indicate right to let him past, passing within a foot or two, doesn’t do my state of mind any favours, and soon I can hear Matt getting frustrated with me. Strangely enough, that does it. I’m not here to break the lap record, I’m here to have fun. I stop trying to redline the car, and start driving the circuit. It’s still scrappy, and I must have been passed by 30 cars, many going so quickly that if I hadn’t seen them in my mirrors it’d have been a big accident, but I make it around. And to be honest, I’m just glad to be in one piece…as I suspect Matt is too…my first lap was no fun at all, one eye permanently locked on the rear-view mirror waiting for the next Teutonic missile to shoot past me.
That night I’m knackered, but I can’t sleep. My mind is replaying the lap over and over, and I’m not sure I want to go back out – I’ve seen the elephant, and it’s bigger than me! I’m well and truly intimidated by this place…probably as much or more by the sheer competence and pace of the other drivers blatting past me as by the circuit itself. But the night finally brings rest…and, in the morning, new resolve - I’m ****ed if I’m going to let this place beat me!!!
We don’t go out first thing, instead spectating again, letting the track dry-off from the morning dew. But I’m itching to go out, and once it looks OK I’m off back to the entrance…on my own, this time, with a point to prove. Within 4 corners I let an old Scooby past, and for the rest of the lap manage to keep in touch with him, towards the end of the lap starting to gently reel him in out of the corners. I soon notice a 996 in my mirror, doing the same to me. Our little convoy of 3 is the perfect way to learn the circuit, and a comparative dearth of other traffic compared to my first lap means I can concentrate more ahead of me. This is more like it…I‘m starting to see the attraction now…
My intention to go straight back out is thwarted by another closure (the weekend would be rife with them), but before lunch I’m queuing up again, this time with a little confidence. It proves to be the clearest lap of the day, despite 4 different waved yellow flags around the circuit warning about those less fortunate or over-confident souls that had lost it ahead of me. Being able to string 10 or more corners together without another car around you is a rarity on any track-day, let alone the ‘ring, and I immerse myself in this rare treat, for the first time this weekend truly focused on my driving and the road ahead of me. I still don’t know my way around, and it’s still intimidating, but I’m starting to relax.
Lunch in Nurburg is full of the usual banter (as well as the revelation that the 3-series has a reach-adjustable steering wheel) but this time I feel able to join in. It’s turning into a memorable weekend – perfect weather, great companions, and the most famous circuit in the world (literally) all around us. Life is very, very good…
…until another closure around 3.30pm, and this one sounds nasty…a biker has speared straight into armco at speed while trying to avoid a couple of other bikers picking themselves up. No more news is forthcoming for ages…4.30 comes and goes, 5.30 approaches, as does the sunset…the car park is starting to thin out as people call it quits for the weekend. But we’ve unused laps on our tickets…we’ll wait it out. At 5.50 I walk into the ticket office, wanting an update (there’s only 30 minutes of track-time left), only to be told “it’s reopening in two minutes”. Fantastic!!! I dash back out, calling to the others to crank ‘em up. Cold engines spin into life all around us, warming up in the sudden queue for the barriers…and then I’m through, short-shifting for the first few corners just to be sure, even though the water temperature is already up. It IS quiet now, isn’t it…such a contrast. Damn, I want more time here…I’m not ready to go! And all too quickly I’m there at Brunnchen, taking it properly for the first time, the M3 passing me on the exit, and then, straight after the Pflanzgartens, I see the image that will come back to me whenever I think of this weekend – of the sun setting behind the castle on the hill.
Over crest, move across to the right - remember to take the downhill double-left as one corner, before turning right into the Brunnchen dip. Damn, it’s still really steep 4th time around! Hard on the power in third as I apex the second corner, use all the track on the exit. Check behind me as I bottom out – yep, there’s an M3 sitting right there impatiently in my mirrors…he can wait for a corner. A quick check-brake to bleed a little speed off uphill, then peel it smoothly into the cresting right-hander, front left tyre vocalising the stress I’m putting it under, then indicate right and keeping the lock on a little too long to let the Beemer past. Quick grin to myself – I did that bit right – my first ‘success’ around here…I can’t believe this is my last lap – I’m just settling in! No time to think as I’m already on top of Pflanzgarten 1...
That was the highlight of the weekend, but less than 60 hours beforehand, standing around at the Eurotunnel terminal at 8am, on a gloriously sunny Friday morning waiting for the others, I was rather nervous. I was taking my pride and joy to and around the Green Hell. My practice laps on GranTurismo involved far too many spins for my liking, and I still couldn’t remember which way the track went.
Fast forward past 5 hours of high-speed convoy through France and Belgium, and we were entering Germany via one of the worst-surfaced roads I’d ever driven on, with the promise of some more entertaining tarmac beyond. That promise was fulfilled, with some superb woodland roads interrupted only by the odd town or slow-moving motor-home. All too quickly, we’re there…standing in the car park next to Brunnchen…at the Nordschliefe! A harsh baritone snarl rips through the quiet, cold air towards us, swiftly followed by the E63 AMG generating it, moving very quickly down through the flick-flack corners and up out of sight again, the roar from the engine trailing behind it…
The Saturday morning dawns with frost on the cars and moisture on the roads…I wouldn’t want to be racing around the ‘ring right now. But we’ve barely finished breakfast before the sounds from the morning’s race drift across to our B&B…time to go spectate! These guys make it look easy – permanently on it, any imbalance front- or rear quickly quelled in the quest for a better lap-time. Hell, there’s even a Dacia Logan racing – is someone having a laugh?!?
Over lunch, I’m surprised I can eat…the butterflies in my stomach have been breeding, yet everyone else seems completely unruffled – the usual banter and laughter of lads on tour surrounds me, only heightening my feeling of being out of place. What’s wrong with me? I’ve done track-days before…
And then we’re at the entrance…I’m passengering with an experienced ‘ringer first-time around – a sighting lap, so-to-speak. Through the ticket barrier, helmet on – behind the wheel Matt’s not bothered with a lid, but I’ve got it with me now and it’ll be safer strapped on than rolling around the rear footwells, and by the time I look up we’re already reeling-in the first of many cars, passing it at speed as his M3 relentlessly gathers pace. Right, left, right, left…by ten corners in I’m already lost, and it’s all I can do to hold onto this rollercoaster, barrelling through corners quicker than seems possible, taking blind crests at unfeasible speeds. God this place is vertical…it doesn’t look like it on the PlayStation! Must take it in…remember Martin, remember!!! Matt’s chatting to me as he drives, reeling off pace notes from memory…how the **** does he do that? Maybe 8 or 9 minutes later we’re cruising back down to the queue to get off the circuit, and I’m being asked by my far-too-relaxed pilot how it was? After 3 or 4 expletives my heart-rate has dropped enough to permit coherent thought, and we chat through the bits of the lap I can remember.
Half-hour later and it’s my turn, and those butterflies have metamorphosed into a lump of iron. Matt’s bravely (foolishly?) volunteered to sit in the passenger seat and call off those self-same pace-notes to me. For the first dozen corners I overdrive the car terribly, trying to remember what I saw, to take in what’s ahead of me and what Matt’s telling me, and to adjust my mind once again to track-speeds not road speeds…and failing at all 3. A Supra diving up the right-hand-side of me just as I indicate right to let him past, passing within a foot or two, doesn’t do my state of mind any favours, and soon I can hear Matt getting frustrated with me. Strangely enough, that does it. I’m not here to break the lap record, I’m here to have fun. I stop trying to redline the car, and start driving the circuit. It’s still scrappy, and I must have been passed by 30 cars, many going so quickly that if I hadn’t seen them in my mirrors it’d have been a big accident, but I make it around. And to be honest, I’m just glad to be in one piece…as I suspect Matt is too…my first lap was no fun at all, one eye permanently locked on the rear-view mirror waiting for the next Teutonic missile to shoot past me.
That night I’m knackered, but I can’t sleep. My mind is replaying the lap over and over, and I’m not sure I want to go back out – I’ve seen the elephant, and it’s bigger than me! I’m well and truly intimidated by this place…probably as much or more by the sheer competence and pace of the other drivers blatting past me as by the circuit itself. But the night finally brings rest…and, in the morning, new resolve - I’m ****ed if I’m going to let this place beat me!!!
We don’t go out first thing, instead spectating again, letting the track dry-off from the morning dew. But I’m itching to go out, and once it looks OK I’m off back to the entrance…on my own, this time, with a point to prove. Within 4 corners I let an old Scooby past, and for the rest of the lap manage to keep in touch with him, towards the end of the lap starting to gently reel him in out of the corners. I soon notice a 996 in my mirror, doing the same to me. Our little convoy of 3 is the perfect way to learn the circuit, and a comparative dearth of other traffic compared to my first lap means I can concentrate more ahead of me. This is more like it…I‘m starting to see the attraction now…
My intention to go straight back out is thwarted by another closure (the weekend would be rife with them), but before lunch I’m queuing up again, this time with a little confidence. It proves to be the clearest lap of the day, despite 4 different waved yellow flags around the circuit warning about those less fortunate or over-confident souls that had lost it ahead of me. Being able to string 10 or more corners together without another car around you is a rarity on any track-day, let alone the ‘ring, and I immerse myself in this rare treat, for the first time this weekend truly focused on my driving and the road ahead of me. I still don’t know my way around, and it’s still intimidating, but I’m starting to relax.
Lunch in Nurburg is full of the usual banter (as well as the revelation that the 3-series has a reach-adjustable steering wheel) but this time I feel able to join in. It’s turning into a memorable weekend – perfect weather, great companions, and the most famous circuit in the world (literally) all around us. Life is very, very good…
…until another closure around 3.30pm, and this one sounds nasty…a biker has speared straight into armco at speed while trying to avoid a couple of other bikers picking themselves up. No more news is forthcoming for ages…4.30 comes and goes, 5.30 approaches, as does the sunset…the car park is starting to thin out as people call it quits for the weekend. But we’ve unused laps on our tickets…we’ll wait it out. At 5.50 I walk into the ticket office, wanting an update (there’s only 30 minutes of track-time left), only to be told “it’s reopening in two minutes”. Fantastic!!! I dash back out, calling to the others to crank ‘em up. Cold engines spin into life all around us, warming up in the sudden queue for the barriers…and then I’m through, short-shifting for the first few corners just to be sure, even though the water temperature is already up. It IS quiet now, isn’t it…such a contrast. Damn, I want more time here…I’m not ready to go! And all too quickly I’m there at Brunnchen, taking it properly for the first time, the M3 passing me on the exit, and then, straight after the Pflanzgartens, I see the image that will come back to me whenever I think of this weekend – of the sun setting behind the castle on the hill.
Thanks to Paula Kirby and Frozenspeed for use of their photos
Edited by havoc on Saturday 8th November 10:26
neil-f said:
Great write up Martin.
Did you get insurance for the track or did you just take the risk?
My insurance company cover track days but exclude the ring.
The Nordschleife on a TF day is not a track day - you need regular road (ie including 3rd party) insurance (that doesn't exclude it of course).Did you get insurance for the track or did you just take the risk?
My insurance company cover track days but exclude the ring.
neil-f said:
Great write up Martin.
Did you get insurance for the track or did you just take the risk?
My insurance company cover track days but exclude the ring.
Cheers!Did you get insurance for the track or did you just take the risk?
My insurance company cover track days but exclude the ring.
My insurance specifies "track events" as excluded, but the 'ring is a public road so I took the chance without anything extra. Would probably have been an argument, but one I suspect they'd have lost.
If the 'ring is specifically mentioned then AIUI you've no chance.
Nice write-up!
I had my first trip to the 'Ring a few weeks back.
I know what you mean about intimidating - when we got there we went and stood over at Breidscheid. I couldn't believe the gradient changes. We then went and stood at Wipperman and Brunnchen - at this point I was really crapping myself!
Saturday the track was only open for a couple of hours in the evening so we went and had a steady lap - I don't think I've ever concentrated so much. Having never even played it on the play station I'd read a BMW circuit guide - but it didn't prepare me for the elevation changes at all.
On the Sunday we'd arranged to hire a new TT from rent-a-racecar with cage, shells etc mainly as we didn't want to trash our cars!
Sunday morning loomed dark, cloudy and very very wet - s
t it was bad enough in the dry - my second ever lap of the Nordshleife is going to be in the wet!!
Have too say though as intimidating as it was in the wet we all had great fun - and the guy's from rent-a-racecar were fantastic - Theo took us round in a megane for a lap - fantastic! - gave me a lot of confidence in knowing that there was grip out there.
So off I went on my first wet lap in the TT and all was pretty well until I got to Adenauer-Forst when I turned in too early and had this moment:
Gathered it up though and went on to finish my lap - reflecting on the fact that I was there to have fun and not try and break a lap record.
Will be back next year - hopefully in the dry.
Chris
p.s. Sorry for the thread hijack.
I had my first trip to the 'Ring a few weeks back.
I know what you mean about intimidating - when we got there we went and stood over at Breidscheid. I couldn't believe the gradient changes. We then went and stood at Wipperman and Brunnchen - at this point I was really crapping myself!
Saturday the track was only open for a couple of hours in the evening so we went and had a steady lap - I don't think I've ever concentrated so much. Having never even played it on the play station I'd read a BMW circuit guide - but it didn't prepare me for the elevation changes at all.
On the Sunday we'd arranged to hire a new TT from rent-a-racecar with cage, shells etc mainly as we didn't want to trash our cars!
Sunday morning loomed dark, cloudy and very very wet - s
t it was bad enough in the dry - my second ever lap of the Nordshleife is going to be in the wet!!Have too say though as intimidating as it was in the wet we all had great fun - and the guy's from rent-a-racecar were fantastic - Theo took us round in a megane for a lap - fantastic! - gave me a lot of confidence in knowing that there was grip out there.
So off I went on my first wet lap in the TT and all was pretty well until I got to Adenauer-Forst when I turned in too early and had this moment:
Gathered it up though and went on to finish my lap - reflecting on the fact that I was there to have fun and not try and break a lap record.
Will be back next year - hopefully in the dry.
Chris
p.s. Sorry for the thread hijack.
Red Cabbage said:
Intimidating.
Vertical.
Awesome.
Essential.
Pretty much sums up my view of the ring.
The TVR will be back there next year too.
Good write up Martin.
Hmmm...I use 1,000 words, Duncan uses 4. What does this say about us?!? Vertical.
Awesome.
Essential.
Pretty much sums up my view of the ring.
The TVR will be back there next year too.
Good write up Martin.
Jatinder - nothing beyond the usual track-day stuff - drop your tyre pressures a couple of points, make sure the fluids are fresh and topped-up etc. What I would say is (even more so than a UK track-day) start slow and build up speed with confidence/knowledge - there's almost no run-off along most of the circuit. That said, the 'teg is one of the most forgiving track-cars I've driven, so it's a good one to learn a circuit in, IYSWIM.
havoc said:
Red Cabbage said:
Intimidating.
Vertical.
Awesome.
Essential.
Pretty much sums up my view of the ring.
The TVR will be back there next year too.
Good write up Martin.
Hmmm...I use 1,000 words, Duncan uses 4. What does this say about us?!? Vertical.
Awesome.
Essential.
Pretty much sums up my view of the ring.
The TVR will be back there next year too.
Good write up Martin.
m12_nathan said:
Another tip would be to plan to let faster cars by when you see them approaching you at speed, not waiting until they are "impatiently sitting" right behind you and then making them wait another corner.
Depends if making them wait another corner is the safest thing to do at the time.The safest thing would've been to notice what was catching him long before it got to the point when it was sitting impatiently behind him or diving up the right of him, potentially due to frustration with him not moving over? (supra).
I am pretty sure that if the M3 had hit the back of him and he was on the wrong side of the road (ie the left) then it'd end up with the police getting involved...
I am pretty sure that if the M3 had hit the back of him and he was on the wrong side of the road (ie the left) then it'd end up with the police getting involved...
m12_nathan said:
The safest thing would've been to notice what was catching him long before it got to the point when it was sitting impatiently behind him or diving up the right of him, potentially due to frustration with him not moving over? (supra).
I am pretty sure that if the M3 had hit the back of him and he was on the wrong side of the road (ie the left) then it'd end up with the police getting involved...
Assumptions, assumptions.I am pretty sure that if the M3 had hit the back of him and he was on the wrong side of the road (ie the left) then it'd end up with the police getting involved...
Maybe the BMW didn't catch him quickly, maybe it was following happily for a few corners and then decided to pass. These facts have not been made available to judge
This article is just that, an article. There is editing and a degree of artistic licence.
Generalisations about getting out of the way regardless of the circumstances could be dangerous advice for a novice.
Useful information about driving at the ring can be found here:-
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=d6p78B8ZEfg
Good advice at 1:56
m12_nathan said:
That's my mission...Excellent video, and hats off to the Impreza driver, he looks like he was having fun on that (stock?) suspension.
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