Ring Opening Times

[acer12]

They have just released the opening times until August, serious crap times. There are only 3 weekends where you get some decent opening times(full day sat & sun and a half day either fri or monday).

How incompetent is the company that is running it, surely where they will make their money is at the tourist days. People wont travel if the days dont sync for them, there is nothing to do at the track or in the locality when its closed.

1. 22.04.2011 (Fri) 08:00–19:00
2. 23.04.2011 (Sat) 08:00–19:00
3. 24.04.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
4. 25.04.2011 (Mon) 08:00–19:00
5. 26.04.2011 (Tue) 17:00–19:30
6. 27.04.2011 (Wed) 17:00–19:30
7. 28.04.2011 (Thu) 17:00–19:30
8. 29.04.2011 (Fri) 08:00–19:00
9. 30.04.2011 (Sat) 18:00–19:00
10. 01.05.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
11. 02.05.2011 (Mon) 17:00–19:30
12. 03.05.2011 (Tue) 17:00–19:30
13. 07.05.2011 (Sat) 14:00–19:00
14. 08.05.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
15. 09.05.2011 (Mon) 17:15–19:30
16. 10.05.2011 (Tue) 17:15–19:30
17. 11.05.2011 (Wed) 17:15–19:30
18. 12.05.2011 (Thu) 17:15–19:30
19. 14.05.2011 (Sat) 18:00–19:00
20. 15.05.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
21. 16.05.2011 (Mon) 12:00–19:30
22. 17.05.2011 (Tue) 17:30–19:30
23. 18.05.2011 (Wed) 17:30–19:30
24. 19.05.2011 (Thu) 17:30–19:30
25. 20.05.2011 (Fri) 14:00–19:30
26. 21.05.2011 (Sat) 16:30–19:00
27. 22.05.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
28. 23.05.2011 (Mon) 17:30–19:30
29. 24.05.2011 (Tue) 14:00–19:30
30. 25.05.2011 (Wed) 14:00–19:30
31. 26.05.2011 (Thu) 14:00–19:30
32. 28.05.2011 (Sat) 17:30–19:00
33. 29.05.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
34. 11.06.2011 (Sat) 17:30–19:00
35. 12.06.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
36. 18.06.2011 (Sat) 08:00–19:00
37. 19.06.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
38. 20.06.2011 (Mon) 08:00–15:00
39. 28.06.2011 (Tue) 17:15–19:00
40. 29.06.2011 (Wed) 08:00–19:00
41. 01.07.2011 (Fri) 17:00–19:00
42. 02.07.2011 (Sat) 13:00–19:00
43. 03.07.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
44. 05.07.2011 (Tue) 17:30–19:30
45. 06.07.2011 (Wed) 17:30–19:30
46. 07.07.2011 (Thu) 17:30–19:30
47. 08.07.2011 (Fri) 17:15–19:30
48. 09.07.2011 (Sat) 08:00–19:00
49. 10.07.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
50. 12.07.2011 (Tue) 17:30–19:30
51. 13.07.2011 (Wed) 17:30–19:30
52. 17.07.2011 (Sun) 08:00–19:00
53. 18.07.2011 (Mon) 17:15–19:30
54. 25.07.2011 (Mon) 17:15–19:30
55. 26.07.2011 (Tue) 17:15–19:30
56. 27.07.2011 (Wed) 17:15–19:30
57. 28.07.2011 (Thu) 17:15–19:30
58. 30.07.2011 (Sat) 17:30–19:00
59. 31.07.2011 (Sun) 10:15–19:00
60. 01.08.2011 (Mon) 12:00–19:00
61. 02.08.2011 (Tue) 17:00–19:30
62. 03.08.2011 (Wed) 17:00–19:30
63. 04.08.2011 (Thu) 17:00–19:30

[agent006]

Maybe they're finally catering for the people tired of it being packed with halfwits and are committed enough to be prepared to travel when dates are available.

[acer12]

agent006 said:

Maybe they're finally catering for the people tired of it being packed with halfwits and are committed enough to be prepared to travel when dates are available.

but they aren't really, there are virtually no full back to back tourist days. there seems to be allot of afternoon/evenings and then nothing again until the following evening.

According to Car magazine the car manufacturers are also leaving the place or cutting back, Porsche have cut back big time in the last 18mths, other manufacturers upping sticks to southern europe where decent weather is guaranteed for allot less money.

[DiscoColin]

agent006 said:

Maybe they're finally catering for the people tired of it being packed with halfwits and are committed enough to be prepared to travel when dates are available.

I'd say quite the opposite actually. By having so few windows with multiple consecutive days of extended time they are effectively driving all of the long distance customers towards those few days. This is almost guaranteed to result in massive overcrowding, queuing issues and carnage on track. As for the rest - great for locals, but do you really know that many people who will take a week off work to drive 90 minutes a day in the evening if you are lucky (opening on time for evening sessions... hmmm...)? For quality lapping to enthusiasts such as you suggest, they need to offer back to back full days in the middle of the week IMHO, and that is not on the cards.

Do bear in mind though that this early on, all dates are still subject to change to an extent that makes debating them at this point a touch speculative...

Personally I am waiting for the track day organizers to get their dates confirmed from the 'ring management before I consider anything though.

[JordanVXR]

I think fewer tourist days the better tbh if you really want to do tourist days then go through october and november.

I believe from what I am hearing they are focused more on organised events so you will see more track days this year. In all honesty track days are the better value for money.

[thegreenhell]

acer12 said:

agent006 said:

Maybe they're finally catering for the people tired of it being packed with halfwits and are committed enough to be prepared to travel when dates are available.

but they aren't really, there are virtually no full back to back tourist days. there seems to be allot of afternoon/evenings and then nothing again until the following evening.

According to Car magazine the car manufacturers are also leaving the place or cutting back, Porsche have cut back big time in the last 18mths, other manufacturers upping sticks to southern europe where decent weather is guaranteed for allot less money.

Do you think the circuit calendar is built around tourist dates?
Do you think that the track is sat idle all day waiting for the tourist sessions to start?
How much income do you think the track can make by opening for a full day for tourists midweek compared to having it hired out exclusively to someone?

You are right that some manufacturers wish to pull out of testing there, but the industry pool that manages the manufacturer testing will still take their block booking of dates. There are also race meetings and associated test days, driver training days, track days, non-motoring events such as Rock am Ring, and downtime for circuit maintenance all to be catered for. Only after all of that are the tourist opening times allocated.

[acer12]

thegreenhell said:

Do you think the circuit calendar is built around tourist dates?
Do you think that the track is sat idle all day waiting for the tourist sessions to start?
How much income do you think the track can make by opening for a full day for tourists midweek compared to having it hired out exclusively to someone?

You are right that some manufacturers wish to pull out of testing there, but the industry pool that manages the manufacturer testing will still take their block booking of dates. There are also race meetings and associated test days, driver training days, track days, non-motoring events such as Rock am Ring, and downtime for circuit maintenance all to be catered for. Only after all of that are the tourist opening times allocated.

Im talking about a weekend that is viable for long distance travellers which there are thousands(not just from the UK but all over europe).

Any time ive been there there has been hundreads of cars from places like scandanavia/portugal/spain/italy/switzerland/irl even russia. With a calendar like the above there are very few weekends which suit these type of people. Whats the point driving thousands of miles if you are only going to get a morning then the following evening. There is nothing worthwile to do in the locality while the track is cloesed, it in the middle of nowhere.

All im saying is for all prior years there was countless weekends to choose from, and these weekends were worthwhile for long distance travellers because they could arrive on a friday evening and have 2full back to back days.

This new sham of a company which is ruining the place has huge debt from trying to make the ring a destination. They are trying to take over accomadation/hire race cars/bars. How can they expect people to come and use these facilities that they have spent millions on if there is no track time. These facilities are dependant on the tourist days which bring massive croweds. They need people filling them every weekend and they are not going to get this from people attending private track days there. Their business plan is seriously flawed

Edited by acer12 on Tuesday 1st February 12:12

[thegreenhell]

acer12 said:

All im saying is for all prior years there was countless weekends to choose from...

Seriously? 'All' as in every year, and 'countless' as in higher than you can count?

From April to October there is a full calendar of other events that make use of the Nordschleife: VLN, RCN, GLP, 24h, OPG, Rock am Ring, Rad am Ring etc. Just off the top of my head that's nearly 25 weekends where there will be at best only one day of TF, and on many of them none at all. These are not new events. How many spectators visit on these weekends, not just participants but spectators as well? Are they not tourists bringing money to the Ring just as the tourists that come for Touristfahrt are, many of whom wouldn't otherwise visit the circuit?

Maybe when they publish the calendar for the second half of the year there will be countless full weekends of TF, just like there's always been.

[JordanVXR]

acer12 said:

Any time ive been there there has been hundreads of cars from places like scandanavia/portugal/spain/italy/switzerland/irl even russia. With a calendar like the above there are very few weekends which suit these type of people. Whats the point driving thousands of miles if you are only going to get a morning then the following evening. There is nothing worthwile to do in the locality while the track is cloesed, it in the middle of nowhere.

This new sham of a company which is ruining the place has huge debt from trying to make the ring a destination. They are trying to take over accomadation/hire race cars/bars. How can they expect people to come and use these facilities that they have spent millions on if there is no track time. These facilities are dependant on the tourist days which bring massive croweds. They need people filling them every weekend and they are not going to get this from people attending private track days there. Their business plan is seriously flawed

Edited by acer12 on Tuesday 1st February 12:12

2 things on this one mate...

To be fair most of the cars that come from Russia etc etc if you speak to these guys you will realise that a majority of the cars you see are kept in Germany anyway along with the large number of British servicemen and women that live in Germany. Don't forget its a very big country home to allot of different people. On the whole the biggest number of people who frequent the area for tourists days are british.

Now in realtion to the 'shame' of the new business owners... well these people have not just strolled in they have been working on it the last 2 years.. Its just as baad as saying that the rings going to close which is floating around everywhere!!

In light on that see this link

http://www.bridgetogantry.com/2/index.php?option=c...

[thegreenhell]

Full year calendar is now available on the Ring website:

http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/angebote/driving-exp...

[mikey P 500]

thegreenhell said:

Full year calendar is now available on the Ring website:

http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/angebote/driving-exp...

Great thanks for the heads up, can start planning my trip now; think I am going Sunday 28th Aug.

[stuzzer]

Yikes! We were about to book to go 6th June to the 10th so thats put a spanner in that. Looks like the 22nd-26th May will have to do us.

Wondering what it will be like there this time round, manic busy due to lack of availability or a ghost town coz no-one wants to risk it.