Help & Advice for 'Ring 24hrs

[porkanut]

Hi Folks

considering Ring 24hrs instead of LM for next year. Watched this years race on the net & it looked fantastic. Did 1000km of Spa last year & enjoyed it, partiularly not having to camp, & the lack of the chav element which seems to have blighted LM 24 a bit.
The downside to Spa was no night racing so the 'Ring seems to tick all the boxes plus the fact it's Bitburg central

Wondered if anyone had anyone has been to the Ring 24 & can answer a few questions.

Is it possible to get Hotel accomodation near the track? or are these all taken up by the teams?

If Hotel's are available are they walking distance to the track?
Is the majority of the track accessible for spectators?

What is demand for tickets like? Do you have buy tickets in advance or OK to get on arrival

How rowdy are the Erics (krauts)
Camping is a last resort but if it's the only option what are the facilities like?

Finally any other tips would be most welcome.
Thanks
PN

[Mark B]

porkanut said:

Is it possible to get Hotel accomodation near the track? or are these all taken up by the teams?
If Hotel's are available are they walking distance to the track?

Yes, we went with racetours last year who were great and yes, we stayed about 1 miles from the corner where the GP circuit enters Nordschlieffe

porkanut said:

Is the majority of the track accessible for spectators?

Yes, we cycled round on mountainbikes, 99% of it next to the track. It is a bloody long way round though, the major viewing areas are easy to get to though.

porkanut said:

How rowdy are the Erics (krauts)

Camping is a last resort but if it's the only option what are the facilities like?

They are like a scene out of The Deliverance, I have never seen so many hill billies in my life. They certainly know how to set up camp, we saw wood log cabins, constructed out of planks for the whole family. We saw full on cinema screens probably showing hard core p0rn at night and the most unbelievable sound systems playing thrash metal, german techno or Amadeus Amdeus (seriously)!

porkanut said:

Finally any other tips would be most welcome.
Thanks
PN

We had a good time, but I wouldn't personally go back. The circuit is simply awesome and the star of the weekend. The cars aren't fast enough to enjoy the spectator aspect from the decent viewing places in the way that an LMP car is quick. Yes there are loads of cars and the first lap was OK to watch, but after that I found it a little boring. There is nothing like the amount of sports, classic, supercars around the outside like at Le Mans so for me it wasn't that great.

Glad I have been though, another ticked off the list, but it's no Le Mans!

[E36GUY]

As above. A very very interesting event but definately no Le Mans. Definitely worth going to though (albeit not every year) but it is very, very German. I wouldn't entertain camping there at all. The camps are like massive refugee centres and are extrememly impressive but I wouldn't want to be stuck in the middle of it! Best to stay somewhere else or maybe get a motorhome.

Do the walk from Brunnchen to Carousel after dark. Amazing

[porkanut]

Thanks guys that's really very helpful.

Perhaps we'll stick with LM espeically as there are some potential newbies
interested, plus I love Arnage corner at night. I guess non petrol heads think it very sad to stand a watch car's turning right for hours on end, but it's one of my fav bit's of LM. Also sounds like the journey down & general atmos e.g. Arnage village isnt quite the same.

cheers
PN

[majordad]

Went this year for the first time ever after doing some Le Mans since 1982. I think N24 is brilliant, lots to see. The athmosphere is incredible. The on track action with 200 plus cars , the shanty towns of mad Germans, but yes, do find a hotel. And buy your ticket at the gate, €52 , £45 maybe, gets you access everywhere. I even got onto the start grid. I happened to be back there in early Sept and there was a 4 hr VLN race on, almost as good but no night action. GO GO GO. Fly out to Hahn with Ryanair and hire a car. Sleep in it if need be.

[Nur Links]

IMHO, N24 is a fantastic event. A 'must see', now it still exists. True, the quickest cars in N24 are the slowest category at LM, but works BMW M3 GTR's, Porsches and GT40s are not to be sniffed at. The track is unique, so are over 100.000 crazy Germans that camp for a week in the woods and there are 150+ cars on the grid.

I've participated in the support races for the last couple of years, and it is the only event where I stay and watch (the main event) after my own race has finished.

As others said however, book a hotel because the campings resemble a medieval army camp (including smell, excluding hookers) instead of tourist accomodation. It can also be extremely cold (even in May), so a warm bed and a real roof over your head helps the enjoyment.

Go and you'll have a great time!

[Livefornow]

So true - this is a truly amazing spectacle and a must see and do event. It's motor sport for the total petrolhead. Camping out in the forests around the Nordschleife is NOT an option for the first timers, but there are other camping options by the GP circuit that are worth considering. Hotel accomodation can be difficult to find, although there are some options in Adenau (10 minute drive) and some of the other surrounding towns. As an alternative to LM24 it is a must. Roll on June 23rd 2011. See you there!

[Nur Links]

Livefornow said:

Hotel accomodation can be difficult to find, although there are some options in Adenau (10 minute drive) and some of the other surrounding towns.

TBH your best hopes of getting a hotel for 2011 is to book through a (UK) agent or book a B&B privately. Since I will drive during the 24h weekend, I started booking two weeks ago and I was lucky to get the very last room within a 15mls radius!!! This says something for the popularity of the event.

But like you said, for the "total petrolhead" it's a must do!

Edited by Nur Links on Wednesday 8th December 18:03

[Mermaid]

majordad said:

I happened to be back there in early Sept and there was a 4 hr VLN race on, almost as good but no night action. GO GO GO. .

In 2011 there will be a 12 hr VLN race sometime in September.