Nürburgring in 2022

[Rowe]

doogalman said:

The sighting laps are as you say a great opportunity to look at the track and conditions prior to going green.
I often lead the sighting laps and even after almost 25 years of going around the track it’s still a worthwhile excercise.

Edited by doogalman on Thursday 20th January 15:20

I assume you must be Chris then?

One year (April 2018 I think) myself and the 1 series in-front ended up behind you. He could not match your sighting lap pace, and despite the best efforts of your passenger waving/hanging out of the window ushering him, he would not/could not speed up.

He nearly lost the car a couple of times, and even had a venture over the grass at Adenauer Forst.

I think you'd pretty much given up with him by the time we got to Hatzenbach, and went to catch the rest of the pack up. Amusing times!

[Digga]

I remember coming out onto track for first sighting laps on my last trip. I had a queue of 6 people who were having passenger laps and I took my wife out first, because I know she's really, really not impressed by my driving. I thought sighting would be an opportunity for a nice sedate lap.

I was not really paying attention to the ordinary looking saloon car ahead, rather just maintaining distance. I began to realise we were lapping pretty fast. Nothing ahead was slowing him. Then it clicked what I was following was not so ordinary; Alfa Giulia Cloverleaf - V6 twin turbo, 510 hp.

Best, most unhindered sighting lap ever. (Chap is somewhere on PH still.)

[FTW]

Thanks for the tips I'll be sure to join the sighting laps!

Rob_R said:

Seems like there's quite a few of us going to the Circuit Days event on 01/07. Should be a good one!

I would say as others have said to just enjoy it and pace yourself throughout the day.

There is the temptation to say to yourself, I'm paying X amount for a track day and this is the equivalent value of this many TF laps, therefore I have to get in this many laps to justify the entry fee over TF. But it's about quality not quantity. if you can get 10 amazing laps in then it's been good value.

I'd never considered calculating a cost per lap on a trackday booking, to me the value is knowing its a closed event rather an open to the public and all manner of potential third party dangers.

[RSbandit]

Booked in for July 1st Circuit Days too and also some Spa action with RSR two days beforehand!
Seems that sighting laps for CD are only 30 mins as opposed to 60 on a Destination Nurburgring day, any reason for that? Personally prefer the longer slot just to get more familiar with the surroundings.
One of my favorite Ring memories was a few yrs back doing an early sighting lap, beautiful August day clear blue skies and the rays of Sunshine were just starting to creep over the hills and across the top of the forest, driving at a slow pace really allowed me to take in this majestic scene and it's something that's stuck with me since.

Last year I did 40 laps over two trackdays and that worked out at about £30 per lap which isn't much more than you'd pay for a TF lap I believe?

[Rowe]

Pretty certain it’s always been the first hour is sighting laps with CD’s.

[doogalman]

Digga said:

I remember coming out onto track for first sighting laps on my last trip. I had a queue of 6 people who were having passenger laps and I took my wife out first, because I know she's really, really not impressed by my driving. I thought sighting would be an opportunity for a nice sedate lap.

I was not really paying attention to the ordinary looking saloon car ahead, rather just maintaining distance. I began to realise we were lapping pretty fast. Nothing ahead was slowing him. Then it clicked what I was following was not so ordinary; Alfa Giulia Cloverleaf - V6 twin turbo, 510 hp.

Best, most unhindered sighting lap ever. (Chap is somewhere on PH still.)

Not me as I’ve never done sighting laps with a passenger that has had to hang out the window. Most times I am driving the lead car solo.

I am Roy, I am the one in charge of instruction.

[doogalman]

FTW said:

I'd never considered calculating a cost per lap on a trackday booking, to me the value is knowing its a closed event rather an open to the public and all manner of potential third party dangers.

Some people keep a note of the lap cost in comparison to tf. Mostly it is people who have done plenty of tf and decided to do a trackday.
I’ve known people to do 35+ laps on a trackday. Obviously there are trackdays where there have been many closures be it a budget trackday or a high end day premium day. In these circumstances if the track closes then make sure you are ready to go when the track reopens. So often I talk to people that have only managed a handful of laps whereas the guys clued in have still got into the mid twenties just by maximizing the track when open.

[doogalman]

Rowe said:

Pretty certain it’s always been the first hour is sighting laps with CD’s.

Yes the first hour. Normally 8 till 9.

[doogalman]

RSbandit said:

Booked in for July 1st Circuit Days too and also some Spa action with RSR two days beforehand!
Seems that sighting laps for CD are only 30 mins as opposed to 60 on a Destination Nurburgring day, any reason for that? Personally prefer the longer slot just to get more familiar with the surroundings.
One of my favorite Ring memories was a few yrs back doing an early sighting lap, beautiful August day clear blue skies and the rays of Sunshine were just starting to creep over the hills and across the top of the forest, driving at a slow pace really allowed me to take in this majestic scene and it's something that's stuck with me since.

Last year I did 40 laps over two trackdays and that worked out at about £30 per lap which isn't much more than you'd pay for a TF lap I believe?

Normally cd aim for an hour. But that can change dependent if the track opens late. When leading the laps we normally work on a 15 minute pace so we start at 8, come off the track at 9 having lead four sighting laps, then jump straight into our instruction schedule for the day.

[RSbandit]

OK good to know I thought it said 30 minutes on their website but might have been an error...1 hr works better anyway and 4 laps is what I usually try for..will be my first time at a CD event.

[doogalman]

RSbandit said:

OK good to know I thought it said 30 minutes on their website but might have been an error...1 hr works better anyway and 4 laps is what I usually try for..will be my first time at a CD event.

You’ll find it busier at times than a DN day but there’s a good friendly atmosphere about it as it mostly regular brits that make up the majority.
But as ever sometimes you can be on a fairly busy track but not see many other cars if they are all at a reasonable pace.
As with dn sighting laps, be there ready for the off when the track opens.
Come say hi.

[anonymous-user]

I'm booked on Circuit Days 1st July date, track prepped Clio 200:

https://www.instagram.com/r20btg/

I'm looking forward to it, I've not been since 2019 so might be a bit rusty, and I've not been there in my current car. I'll be definitely on the sighting laps building up pace slowly. It'll just be nice to be there again with mates. It's been a while.

[ukkid35]

Thanks to Brexit it's not going to be so easy getting to the Eurotunnel

Any thoughts about the best route from the south side of the M25?

[Digga]

ukkid35 said:

Thanks to Brexit it's not going to be so easy getting to the Eurotunnel

Any thoughts about the best route from the south side of the M25?

Bit more than just Brexit. Useless borders agency, P&O being very naughty indeed etc. etc.

"You can't get there from here."

You doing the Spring DN? Hope it's dispersed by then.

[ukkid35]

Digga said:

Bit more than just Brexit. Useless borders agency, P&O being very naughty indeed etc. etc.

Without Brexit we wouldn't have had this Vote Leave government

The Borders Agency issue would be irrelevant

P&O might not have taken their lead from a government that declared it would break the law in a specific and limited way

[Digga]

ukkid35 said:

Digga said:

Bit more than just Brexit. Useless borders agency, P&O being very naughty indeed etc. etc.

Without Brexit we wouldn't have had this Vote Leave government

The Borders Agency issue would be irrelevant

P&O might not have taken their lead from a government that declared it would break the law in a specific and limited way

I think the latter is more down to sour grapes from the owner of DP World's UK court case.

Borders Agency were useless/understaffed before.

[ukkid35]

Digga said:

Borders Agency were useless/understaffed before.

Probably true, as most likely starved of resources, but didn't result in chaos on the M20/M2/A2

[Digga]

ukkid35 said:

Digga said:

Borders Agency were useless/understaffed before.

Probably true, as most likely starved of resources, but didn't result in chaos on the M20/M2/A2

No, for sure, the situation is definitely sub-optimal.

There's been along running issue with BA and Mcr airport. IME it's always been pretty poor, but it's only really hitting the news now: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9985395/B...

Great shame the government never went with having HS/Eurotunnel terminal(s) further north to cut M25/20 traffic.

[BobToc]

… anyway, what’s the best way to get to Eurotunnel?

[ecsrobin]

BobToc said:

… anyway, what’s the best way to get to Eurotunnel?

From where?