Ringside Seat: time for positive thinking
Some good news from the 'ring
So let me tell you what’s actually happening here at the ’ring, as seen from my position as a sales-bloke on the shopfloor of our little rental car company.
I’ve been flat-out throughout August and September, both of which were record-breaking months for customers served, laps driven and turnover generated.
Year-on-year the public driving sessions have been increasing in popularity for nearly a decade before I first moved here in 2007. Anybody trying to drive more than a couple of laps on a Sunday this year will attest to that.
It’s the same story at hotels and restaurants throughout the area. Every week there are more tables and beds shoe-horned into the same size rooms. The ED gas station on Dottinger Hohe sells more Super Plus from its eight pumps than some of the biggest 24 and 32-pump stations on the autobahns.
The public sessions are big business; in a couple of weeks the track will open for four consecutive days of public opening and many companies around here will make as much in one weekend as a whole regular month.
And if the over-crowded tourist sessions don’t float your boat, the track day scene here has been booming too. For me, this culminated in the two day Nurburgring Evo event by Gran Turismo Events where over a 100 participants forked out over €2,000 each for two days of high-living in the four-star hotel complex and out driving on the Nordscheife. McLarens, Paganis and Bugattis were all in attendance, to the point where an M3, GTR or 911 GT3 looked like a ‘cheap’ entry. Tomorrow the first attendees will arrive for the sixth UK-operated Destination Nurburgring track day. To give you an idea of how popular a regularly-priced £500 event is, this was booked out before summer even began...
And it’s good news on the racing too, as the 2013 24-hour races have been confirmed for May 17-20 next year. Thanks to the Bank Holiday weekend here, that’s a Friday to Monday event. Other major ADAC events are expected to follow soon (Classic Eifelrennen, Truck GP, etc...).
So while the deserted museum, lonely arena and abandoned rollercoaster are a nearly-half-billion euro disaster, the racetrack itself is still growing every month. It’s for that reason that I just can’t or won’t believe that the bit we love is under any real threat of failure. As the politicians try to pin the blame on each other, and the Ring Werk complex struggles to open each day, don’t think for a moment that you can’t come and enjoy the real Nurburgring still.
Because you can. Only when the public stop enjoying the ’ring and spending money here will this place be in serious and imminent danger. Don’t panic, keep lapping.
Photos by www.jamesholm.se
A bit like saying everyone loves Alton Towers and the hotels are full, but if the owners decided to close it down or turn it into a shopping mall (or were forced to because they simply couldn't afford to continue) then it doesn't matter how many people would be willing to go, it won't be there anymore.
At least if things are strong on the interest and receipts front, the chances are someone will step in and buy it as a going concern, it is just a question of being able to afford what must be a massive price in the first instance and would they also have to take on the debts etc etc.
Fingers crossed.
My most recent trip to the Ring coincided with the Renault World Series GP circuit event, probably one of the only occasions where the Ring Werk actually had a number of visitors...
2013 tourist calender will be interesting to me (after all that's most of us care about) as 2012 was poor all in all. If the full day sessions become fewer in number and therefore the visitor number increase on the available dates, foreign visitors (the ones who spend most of the money) will stop coming if the chances of getting in decent laps drops.
A bit like saying everyone loves Alton Towers and the hotels are full, but if the owners decided to close it down or turn it into a shopping mall (or were forced to because they simply couldn't afford to continue) then it doesn't matter how many people would be willing to go, it won't be there anymore.
At least if things are strong on the interest and receipts front, the chances are someone will step in and buy it as a going concern, it is just a question of being able to afford what must be a massive price in the first instance and would they also have to take on the debts etc etc.
Fingers crossed.
There was a press release a few weeks back where the track owners distanced themselves from the trackside attractions owners
Hope the white elephant that is the Ring Werk can be put to sleep and the Nordschleife can be left to continue unburdened...
There was a press release a few weeks back where the track owners distanced themselves from the trackside attractions owners
whoever was running the investment programme was a recipient of it....win win even if it loses....so the more money spent on stupid object....the more it was guaranteed to fail....and the more money they were guaranteed to get
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff