Discussion
Looking to go to the Nurburgring in the future at some point, and might take the Ultima GTR at some point too in the future when its finished, which should be fun!
I was wondering what is the score there with lap timing? Do they have a system that you can use, or would you have to do timing by yourself, or is it strictly prohibited?
I was wondering what is the score there with lap timing? Do they have a system that you can use, or would you have to do timing by yourself, or is it strictly prohibited?
Its not even worth considering doing.....It takes 10's of laps to get a feel for it, 100's to get pretty fluent and there are very few that master it! 
Forget the stop watch, just concentrate on learning the track, staying out of people way (including locals passing you in shopping cars!), and don't have an off - Those armco bills can be pretty hefty!
Have fun!
Forget the stop watch, just concentrate on learning the track, staying out of people way (including locals passing you in shopping cars!), and don't have an off - Those armco bills can be pretty hefty!
Have fun!
Piers917 said:
It's not actually disallowed, but it's not recommended for obvious reasons. I've timed myself before, but i always leave a bit of margin. It's just not worth taking big risks for the sake of a couple of seconds over a long lap.
The marshals don't seem to bother much about people timing although if it results in you driving like a knob they sure will. In fact if you don't know your way around the track and are chasing times that is quite likely.Edited by Piers917 on Friday 24th October 14:21
Your insurance co however will get very excited if you need to claim and they find out. If the police become involved they won't like it either.
Still, lots of people do.
Personally I really wouldn't even consider timing - clock chasers supposedly cause an alarming proportion of the accidents - but if you really wanted to then go on a track day when it is closed to the public rather than an open TF session. They would also permit filming on a track day whereas it is a major no-no at any other time.
casbar said:
as an aside, if its classed as a road, does that mean you have to have road tyres on, ie no slicks or full wets?
Pretty much everything that you do must conform with what would be allowed on a public road. Furthermore, if you do something bad (such as undertaking), you may suffer the same penalties, such as a fine, points and a ban, that you would suffer on other public roads.Cameras are not permitted, and if noted by a marshal at the barriers you will be required to take a camera off its mount, put it in the boot, etc.
Your car must have its normal reg plates. German temporary dealer plates are forbidden.
On two sections of the circuit, near the public entrances, there are speed limits. These are rarely enforced, but have been occasionally.
You will be aware that normal UK insurance will probably be invalid, except for 3rd party.
Sometimes they will enforce their noise restrictions.
As many above have said, timing yourself, especially if you've not done many, many laps there, is simply daft. It really is - one should not even consider doing it.
As mentioned above, you will use so little of the GTRs potential on the first visit that it wouldn't be worth doing even if you did wish to break ze rules. If you really must get an idea of your lap time, get a passenger to discretely time you from bridge to gantry with a mobile phone or wrist watch, but it's a bit meaningless - there will be a local teenager in a mk2 Golf or Opel Corsa running rings round you for the first few laps whatever.
Timing is silly thing to do.
I love taking newbies to the ring. There so cocky and loo at me i'm gonna beat jezza clarkson.
Then they get to the car park and see what the other cars are like. Soon as they've seen 10 GT2's or caged up M3's they seem to quieten down.
Then when they get out there and fo there first lap they really do back off.
If its your first time, go have fun, do some laps, but on a first visit the main priority is to return home unsscathed. After a while you get the bug and end up ring junkies like myself and others doing loads of trips per year and buying dedicated ring toys to thrash round.
Also remember it does'nt matter if you are in 500 quid pug gti or a 100000quid porker, Its all about knowing the track. I love nothing more than pushing a car thats 10 times the cost of mine because i know the track better than they do. It will only come with practice.
I myself am buying an annual pass next year as will do well over 150 laps next year. roll in March
I love taking newbies to the ring. There so cocky and loo at me i'm gonna beat jezza clarkson.
Then they get to the car park and see what the other cars are like. Soon as they've seen 10 GT2's or caged up M3's they seem to quieten down.
Then when they get out there and fo there first lap they really do back off.
If its your first time, go have fun, do some laps, but on a first visit the main priority is to return home unsscathed. After a while you get the bug and end up ring junkies like myself and others doing loads of trips per year and buying dedicated ring toys to thrash round.
Also remember it does'nt matter if you are in 500 quid pug gti or a 100000quid porker, Its all about knowing the track. I love nothing more than pushing a car thats 10 times the cost of mine because i know the track better than they do. It will only come with practice.
I myself am buying an annual pass next year as will do well over 150 laps next year. roll in March
Just to add another voice to what is hopefully already a clear message -
The only thing your stopwatch is going to measure is how much you don't know the track. The difference between your first couple of laps and when you actually know your way around will a couple of *minutes*. Traffic & accident scenes can be an even bigger factor.
Its arbitrary & meaningless really.
Not everyone will admit it but the fact is that when we start the watch we all put a certain amount of pressure on ourselves. If you do that you're going to miss out on some of the fun of the 'first laps' experience.
Why set yourself up to be frustrated by things like the odd bit of slow traffic (which may well be an R1 or a GT3RS...) when you could be having a laugh the whole way around.
Pushing on when you really don't know your way around just leads to s
tty driving & massively increases the odds of stuffing it. So many people take what should have been a great weekend and turn it into an expensive nightmare of Armco bills, travel troubles, & car repatriation difficulties.
Just soak up the atmosphere, relax and let yourself have some fun.
The only thing your stopwatch is going to measure is how much you don't know the track. The difference between your first couple of laps and when you actually know your way around will a couple of *minutes*. Traffic & accident scenes can be an even bigger factor.
Its arbitrary & meaningless really.
Not everyone will admit it but the fact is that when we start the watch we all put a certain amount of pressure on ourselves. If you do that you're going to miss out on some of the fun of the 'first laps' experience.
Why set yourself up to be frustrated by things like the odd bit of slow traffic (which may well be an R1 or a GT3RS...) when you could be having a laugh the whole way around.
Pushing on when you really don't know your way around just leads to s
tty driving & massively increases the odds of stuffing it. So many people take what should have been a great weekend and turn it into an expensive nightmare of Armco bills, travel troubles, & car repatriation difficulties.Just soak up the atmosphere, relax and let yourself have some fun.
Edited by SpeedyDave on Wednesday 29th October 07:44
Just to add another voice to what is hopefully already a clear message -
The only thing your stopwatch is going to measure is how much you don't know the track. The difference between your first couple of laps and when you actually know your way around will a couple of *minutes*. Traffic & accident scenes can be an even bigger factor.
Its arbitrary & meaningless really.
Not everyone will admit it but the fact is that when we start the watch we all put a certain amount of pressure on ourselves. If you do that you're going to miss out on some of the fun of the 'first laps' experience.
Why set yourself up to be frustrated by things like the odd bit of slow traffic (which may well be an R1 or a GT3RS...) when you could be having a laugh the whole way around.
Pushing on when you really don't know your way around just leads to stty driving & massively increases the odds of stuffing it. So many people take what should have been a great weekend and turn it into an expensive nightmare of Armco bills, travel troubles, & car repatriation difficulties.
Just soak up the atmosphere, relax and let yourself have some fun.
The only thing your stopwatch is going to measure is how much you don't know the track. The difference between your first couple of laps and when you actually know your way around will a couple of *minutes*. Traffic & accident scenes can be an even bigger factor.
Its arbitrary & meaningless really.
Not everyone will admit it but the fact is that when we start the watch we all put a certain amount of pressure on ourselves. If you do that you're going to miss out on some of the fun of the 'first laps' experience.
Why set yourself up to be frustrated by things like the odd bit of slow traffic (which may well be an R1 or a GT3RS...) when you could be having a laugh the whole way around.
Pushing on when you really don't know your way around just leads to s
tty driving & massively increases the odds of stuffing it. So many people take what should have been a great weekend and turn it into an expensive nightmare of Armco bills, travel troubles, & car repatriation difficulties.Just soak up the atmosphere, relax and let yourself have some fun.
Edited by SpeedyDave on Wednesday 29th October 07:45
I think that timing is harmless ... if, and only if, you drive no differently whether or not you are being timed.
I think that almost everyone who drives with a stop-watch running (if they are honest) will try harder - and maybe too hard - so I think the DO NOT TIME advice is good, but still dependent on the personality, mental state, and outlook of the individual.
Another idea is to time every lap - then there is no extra pressure
Getting a good vs average lap time on a public day is almost completely dependent on other traffic and whether or not there are sections where you must slow (track repairs, accidents, etc). Going out to do "a fast one" almost never works out.
I think that almost everyone who drives with a stop-watch running (if they are honest) will try harder - and maybe too hard - so I think the DO NOT TIME advice is good, but still dependent on the personality, mental state, and outlook of the individual.
Another idea is to time every lap - then there is no extra pressure
Getting a good vs average lap time on a public day is almost completely dependent on other traffic and whether or not there are sections where you must slow (track repairs, accidents, etc). Going out to do "a fast one" almost never works out.
jonamacg83 said:
Looking to go to the Nurburgring in the future at some point, and might take the Ultima GTR at some point too in the future when its finished, which should be fun!
I was wondering what is the score there with lap timing? Do they have a system that you can use, or would you have to do timing by yourself, or is it strictly prohibited?
Jon - if you're even asking this question, I suggest you do a lot more reading on what tourist driving at the Nordschleife is all about.I was wondering what is the score there with lap timing? Do they have a system that you can use, or would you have to do timing by yourself, or is it strictly prohibited?
bad_roo said:
jonamacg83 said:
Looking to go to the Nurburgring in the future at some point, and might take the Ultima GTR at some point too in the future when its finished, which should be fun!
I was wondering what is the score there with lap timing? Do they have a system that you can use, or would you have to do timing by yourself, or is it strictly prohibited?
Jon - if you're even asking this question, I suggest you do a lot more reading on what tourist driving at the Nordschleife is all about.I was wondering what is the score there with lap timing? Do they have a system that you can use, or would you have to do timing by yourself, or is it strictly prohibited?
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