Nurburgring 2019

[baronbennyt]

Hello fellow Ring lovers!

I started a Nurburgring thread this time last year (Nurburgring 2018) which generated some really great advice, camaraderie, photos and video, so I thought I'd do the same again for next year. The two clubs I almost always sign up with - I've been going to the Ring annually for over 10 years and can't recommend them highly enough - are 'Destination Nurburgring' and 'Circuit Days'. The Ring dates they have announced are as follows:

- Tuesday 23rd April (Circuit Days)
- Monday 20th May (Destination Nurburgring)
- Monday 22nd & Tuesday 23rd July (Destination Nurburgring)
- Monday 30th September & Tuesday 1st October (Destination Nurburgring)
- Monday 14th October (Circuit Days)

For more details on 'Destination Nurburgring' visit (http://www.destination-nurburgring.com/) and for 'Circuit Days' visit (https://circuit-days.co.uk/).

I might go for the Monday 30th September & Tuesday 1st October (Destination Nurburgring) event since I can combine it with a trip to Spa-Francorchamps with Circuit Days on Wednesday 2nd October. I just have to hope the weather gods are smiling on me that week!

I've also posted my favourite photo at the Ring (even though the Mac was my least favourite to drive at the Green Hell)!

[Wh00sher]

I`ve booked on the Circuit Days event on 23rd April. That one sold out in 2 days !!.

Ringmeisters Prime 22/23 July, I know they are expensive but quite simply the best tracktime I`ve ever had on a Nurburgring Trackday was on the Prime events.

DN22. 30 Sept & 1st Oct and whilst I`m over it seems daft not to book onto Spa on the 2nd October.

I`ve posted enough reports on here that you probably know I`ll be in the Golf as usual.

[CABC]

i'm surprised VW haven't contacted you for PR. if only every car was as reliable as...

why is Prime better?

[Wh00sher]

CABC said:

i'm surprised VW haven't contacted you for PR. if only every car was as reliable as...

I feel there is a hint of sarcasm there...

CABC said:

why is Prime better?

I personally found the 2018 Prime trackday that had zero closures over 2 days and an almost empty circuit every lap to be great fun. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I prefer busy laps with more cars but every now and then, having a day or two where you can really choose who to go out with and follow is very enjoyable.

I guess really it's all about the numbers. Less cars = less chances of hitting traffic or incidents. I appreciate that's a huge generalisation and doesn't always hold true

[baronbennyt]

Absolutely true about Ringmeisters Prime, you get what you pay for: less cars, super competent drivers and two days of trouble free lapping without a single incident, certainly if this year was anything to go by. The only downside, and I can't believe I'm saying this, is that practically everyone was in a 911 GT3 / GT3 RS! A bit of variety goes a long way...thank goodness Nigel's VW was there to break up the monotony

[RS Grant]

I went to Spa for the first time this year, went with CD and it was fantastic.. well run, good mixture of participants/cars and fantastic to finally check off a bucket list track of mine.

I cannot justify the cost of the DN/Prime events, which is a shame because they look as close to perfect as possible for a Nurburgring track day package... and driving round without having a certain amount of ‘TF fear’ must be really nice, haha.

Looking forward to 2019, I think I may replicate the trip from this year if the dates are ok with work, TF opening etc. So spend a couple of days at The Ring, pop up for a CD day at Spa on either the Tuesday or Wednesday (pray for dry weather and as close to a sub-3min lap as I can manage this time, haha) and then another couple of days at The Ring.

Edited by RS Grant on Saturday 29th December 11:59

[RSbandit]

Good idea to start a fresh thread! Wife expecting twins so I'm gonna have to do some serious groundwork to get over this yr but best to play safe and book first then beg for forgiveness afterwards 😀, end of Sep looks the one for me again. Interesting you said almost too many GT Porsches think my Vantage was only Aston at DN 20 this yr, Something different to the crowd!

[RSbandit]

The spec on your old 12c absolutely spot on btw! You still got the GT4?

[baronbennyt]

Thanks, that’s very kind of you to say. l loved the colour combination of my 12C (dark blue exterior and tan interior) but that was about it at the end. It blew a coolant hose on the main straight and almost had me off. The palaver of getting it and me back to Blighty was the final straw!

I really enjoyed the GT4 too but I found its gearing too long, even for the Nurburgring. I don’t keep cars very long so I chopped it in for a very different car - a Jaguar XKR-S GT, which I’ve recently sold!

I now have a 599 GTB (see pic below). It’s the first Ferrari I’ve had so I intend to keep it a while to see what all the fuss is about. It reminds me very much of the Vantage V12S I had before the 12C. Lovely character and stunning engine. Gearbox is a bit old school, however.

I won’t be bringing the 599 to the Ring so I’ll have to find something else by September...

[JRzwevegem]

Except for pistonheads. Are there any other specific Nordschleife forums?

[Pdelamare]

JRzwevegem said:

Except for pistonheads. Are there any other specific Nordschleife forums?

Most active and relevant ones are on Facebook. Nürburgring Now and Bridge To Gantry.

[windymissile]

I need to decide sharp-ish if I'm doing DN21 in May. I really fancy it.

[mattdyson]

Does anyone know which TDO's offer open pitlane or similar at the Nurburgring GP circuit?

I did it last year during GP TF and would love to do again for a full trackday.

[RSbandit]

baronbennyt said:

Thanks, that’s very kind of you to say. l loved the colour combination of my 12C (dark blue exterior and tan interior) but that was about it at the end. It blew a coolant hose on the main straight and almost had me off. The palaver of getting it and me back to Blighty was the final straw!

I really enjoyed the GT4 too but I found its gearing too long, even for the Nurburgring. I don’t keep cars very long so I chopped it in for a very different car - a Jaguar XKR-S GT, which I’ve recently sold!

I now have a 599 GTB (see pic below). It’s the first Ferrari I’ve had so I intend to keep it a while to see what all the fuss is about. It reminds me very much of the Vantage V12S I had before the 12C. Lovely character and stunning engine. Gearbox is a bit old school, however.

I won’t be bringing the 599 to the Ring so I’ll have to find something else by September...

that's a beaut ideal for long Euro roadtrips but don't rule it out for the Ring just yet it would certainly be a unique proposition round there!

[mauricegb]

I've taken the plunge and booked into the October Circuit Days date, can't wait. Have only driven a couple sedate TF laps in 2017 and ridden 3 laps on a bike back in 2005 so very much looking forward to it. Driving a silver GT86.

I was dithering but Nige's consistent excellent reports pushed me over the edge!

[baronbennyt]

RSbandit said:

that's a beaut ideal for long Euro roadtrips but don't rule it out for the Ring just yet it would certainly be a unique proposition round there!

I don't think I could bring myself to hammer the 599 around the Ring. I might need to check out the PH classifieds for something a little more suitable..still my favourite after many years driving different sports cars around the Green Hell was a Paragon prepared Porsche Cayman R with Pirelli Trofeo R tyres. That thing was like a go-kart. Yummy!

[ecain63]

Howdy. I'm booked in for DN21 in May after having visited on a TF weekend late last year. I'm taking my Giulia QF and am just weighing up some predicted costs.

Everything is booked now as far as hotel, Chunnel and DN ticket is confirmed but I have 2 questions:

Got a quote from Morris for the insurance. Is there anyone else i should try? In your honest opinion is insurance worth it at DN events? I'd like to think the risk was mainly in my own skills and not going beyond what I'm happy with. Happy to pay the fee, just after the "opinion" of the masses.

Last year I got 4 laps in on a busy track. We could have done more but decided to play it safe. How many laps is the norm at DN events? 20 a day? 30 a day? Just weighing up fuel costs. I did 4 laps to 3/4 of a tank previously.

Ticket prices really are just the start of it, ha!

[foxsasha]

ecain63 said:

Howdy. I'm booked in for DN21 in May after having visited on a TF weekend late last year. I'm taking my Giulia QF and am just weighing up some predicted costs.

Everything is booked now as far as hotel, Chunnel and DN ticket is confirmed but I have 2 questions:

Got a quote from Morris for the insurance. Is there anyone else i should try? In your honest opinion is insurance worth it at DN events? I'd like to think the risk was mainly in my own skills and not going beyond what I'm happy with. Happy to pay the fee, just after the "opinion" of the masses.

Last year I got 4 laps in on a busy track. We could have done more but decided to play it safe. How many laps is the norm at DN events? 20 a day? 30 a day? Just weighing up fuel costs. I did 4 laps to 3/4 of a tank previously.

Ticket prices really are just the start of it, ha!

2 laps is the equivalent to a normal track session. You'll be doing well to do 8x double laps in a day. The Ring takes a lot out of you mentally.

[baronbennyt]

Yes, around 15 laps per day is absolute max, for me at least. Also, I don’t bother with insurance - I’ve been going for 10 years and not needed it once, except for a breakdown recovery (of a previously owned British built car)!

[ecain63]

Thanks Folks. 15 laps doesn't sound too bad if that's what the norm is (tyres and brakes should be fine with that). I'm not going to be lapping sub 8m at my stage of learning.

I'll keep the poll open on the insurance thing. I'm more concerned about being taken out by another driver than coming off myself so assuming the entry list is short and the general standard of driving above that of a TF I'd like to think I would be ok.

Thanks for the advice so far.