Tips for Nurburgring

[mattrs]

Your car has to be road legal and comply with the German ADAC requirements for road use (such as MOT, road legal exhausts etc...)

I don't know how strictly this is enforced but I have seen bikes with noisy cans turned away at the barriers.

I can only assume that they would require you to have insurance to the minimum required standard for German road use.

They don't check for insurance or any document or even sound testing. They don't evem make you wear a helmet!

That was what struck me the first time i went (aside from how awesome it was) i.e. no safety briefing or checks or real rules (as such, i know there are but there not really in forced well). Just pay and go....crazy really, supprising it hasn't been shut down. Sooner or later it will be imho the TF days atleast!

So if you havn't been get out there because its truely a must do before you die and within a few years it will be track days only!

That's exactly the point though. It's not a trackday so they don't need to do safety briefings. As soon as they start with safety briefings, helmet requirements and the like, they are admitting that it's a trackday and they will incur HUGE liabilities. By not doing any of that they don't have any responsibility at all.

The marshals there do sound tests at various points around the track and if you pull up to the barrier with an obviously illegal can/exhaust you will get turned away (I've seen it happen). It is a public road so technically the police will also get involved in the event of an accident, although I would call into question how strictly that is enforced. As a result if they do get involved and find your car to be un-roadworthy for whatever reason you will lose any parts of your car that are left after you've bent it (along with the possibility of criminal charges if the circumstances are sufficient to incur them).

Sounds a little dramatic but that's the reality.

As for your final sentiments I would echo them in their entirety! It's an amazing place that I think anyone who loves driving should visit at least once in their life.

No its not a track day, still pretty unique and surreal though not to mention extremely dangerous too! As i said before, crazy really, surprising it hasn't been shut down yet! Imagen it over here

[f4stjay]

Oh there's no way it would be allowed over here! The sandal-wearers would be all over it like a rash!

[e301988325i]

I will post a few aftermath crash pics from there later too.

I would suggest that if you're not the owner of the car which has crashed then don't post them. I'd say it was in bad taste and also insurance companies monitor forums for photos of cars at the 'Ring. Just my humble opinion.[/quote]

+1 to the above, but not only that, the proliferation of accident publicity is not helpful to a unique and potentially dangerous circuit remaining open to the public, this is one of the main driving forces behind the ban on filming from in car cameras.

[f4stjay]

I will post a few aftermath crash pics from there later too.

I would suggest that if you're not the owner of the car which has crashed then don't post them. I'd say it was in bad taste and also insurance companies monitor forums for photos of cars at the 'Ring. Just my humble opinion.

+1 to the above, but not only that, the proliferation of accident publicity is not helpful to a unique and potentially dangerous circuit remaining open to the public, this is one of the main driving forces behind the ban on filming from in car cameras.

Absolutely right! Unfortunately I feel this may be one situation where the maxim 'There's no such thing as bad publicity' simply doesn't apply...

[mattrs]

Oh ok, the ones I had in mind were a track prepared e36 m3 on a flat bed after by the main gate, pretty bad but I doubt serious injury occurred! Is that the bad taste bit? i.e. if death or serious injury occured.


Personally I feel its gonna swing from Tf to track days only with the next death or multiple death!

The last time i went i was chatting to one of the rsr guys about it, apparently only a matter of time!

[f4stjay]

I just think that everyone on here knows that accidents happen there and we all know what a car crash looks like so I fail to see what purpose posting pictures of 'Ring accidents will serve, that's all.

As has been mentioned it will only really serve to add weight to the case for closing the track to the public altogether. It will come but it needn't happen any sooner than is absolutely necessary...

(and don't forget, that's someone's pride and joy in the photo! I know I certainly wouldn't want pictures of my car all over the internet if I'd binned it at the 'Ring)

[mattrs]

I see what your saying but if its a race/track car then its par of the course surely? That said its not mine and I don't have permission either.

I also think that crashes are interesting in general (millions of rubber necker's on the motor way would suggest that). In motor sport there quite a spectical and can make it more interesting too (obviously i don't like seeing people get hurt though).

More over it does relate to the op's post of ring tips, also its the biggest theme on here, don't bin it, be carefull, don't time laps, drive 80% etc etc

Whilst everybody knows there are crashes there, those that havn't been are hardly likely to know just how many and how freqently! Or even how bad some are.

Sometimes shock tactics can be far more likely to cause people to take caution than words alone!

[f4stjay]

I agree with you, the requirements of safety and preparation needs to be, and quite rightly is, the main focus of this thread. The OP asked for tips and the main ones from anyone who has been there will be ones of safety, that's the natural thing to do.

With regard to it being a track car, and therefore it's far more likely that it will be binned at some point in its life, I know for sure if it was my track car I wouldn't be any less gutted if I wrapped that up rather than my road car.

I share your interest in crashes, I'm a bit of a physics geek in my spare time and the sheer forces involved and their effect on motor vehicles during a crash fascinate me but I think the fact that every single post on here at some point mentions the need for safety should be sufficient to get across to the OP that, although the 'Ring is one of the most amazing experiences in the world, it can be extremely dangerous if you go with the wrong attitude.

As far as the frequency or severity of crashes are concerned, the OP won't ever get a real sense of that until the end of the first day. In all the trips I've made to the 'Ring there hasn't been a single day where the track hasn't been closed for at least a couple of hours in total but I'd never have believed that or appreciated it until I'd seen it myself.

I fear the photos anyone could potentially put up here wouldn't have the effect you're hoping they'd have. Experience is the only way to learn in this case (which brings me full circle to the very first point I made in the thread...the OP shouldn't expect to be a great deal better informed about the track itself simply from playing GT4/5!)

[mattrs]

Some people only learn the hard way for sure!

Interesting debate

I gotta get out there again this summer

[bullwinkle]

Couldn't resist posting these. Great 318is lap proving you don't need much power and a hugely fast E30 M3.

[e301988325i]

As far as the frequency or severity of crashes are concerned, the OP won't ever get a real sense of that until the end of the first day. In all the trips I've made to the 'Ring there hasn't been a single day where the track hasn't been closed for at least a couple of hours in total but I'd never have believed that or appreciated it until I'd seen it myself.

I fear the photos anyone could potentially put up here wouldn't have the effect you're hoping they'd have. Experience is the only way to learn in this case (which brings me full circle to the very first point I made in the thread...the OP shouldn't expect to be a great deal better informed about the track itself simply from playing GT4/5!)

Agree on the track closing a lot, and so many accidents, it's difficult to get a clean lap in.

I did see a funny one with noone hurt, an english reegistered lowly model saxo (read full ride height and 13's) who had crashed literally head on into the armco on the last corner of Hocheichen the one before the right-left kink that drops away down hill. Other more serious ones when I was over there, Dead biker (police chopper on scene), 993 GT3 (bolt on arches), Lotus Evora, 4dr E36, and more I can't remember.

I disagree, GT4 and 5 are accurate enough, with landmarks barriers etc to learn which way the track goes, and therefore a good approximation of speed when going over blind crests, is the next corner flat or 2nd?

I think the best ones are the wet special events in various Mercedez on GT5, did anyone mention the track is an ice rink when it's raining.

Only on one occasion did I forget where I was just after Brunchen before Planzgarten, flat over a blind brow, I knew I had to prepare for the next corner on one side or the other, just not sure which one, luckily I guessed correctly but if I'd got it wrong I'd have still been paying for the armco!

[tomislav]

I know the circuit quite well now but i had a panicy 5 seconds on onelap last time, just got to a crest at over 100mph and forgot what was next,

Again, luckily for me i guessed right but it proper sh1t me up.

Lets not forget this thread is about tips

[BEERBOY123]

Thanks all anyway, lots of good tips and useful comments.

Going with other half, so will take turns as spotter/pace noter and driver!

Can't wait!

[oguz327]

Take a credit card!

[oguz327]

and dont ever take the Ring for granted it will bite, after 21 laps on my second trip I started to get a bit over confident and came home with a writen off sport and a bill for 2m's of Armco plus recovery = about £2000

[inlovewithRWD]

Most of the key points have already been covered but I have recently returned from the Ring in my 318is which was my first time there and my first time on any track.



My advice is the following:

1. Going to the Nurburgring is not cheap. I spent €450 all in for a long weekend. Each lap also costs €24 so it can get quite expensive going round and round.

2. My 318is used around 3/4 of a tank from Dunkerque (about 250 miles) and a tank while there driving around the local roads and doing three laps of the Ring. Fuel prices are equivalent or slightly more expensive than the UK. My total was around 3 tanks in total (approx. £180).

3. Make sure that you have what you need for driving on European roads, including a high viz jacket for France and a warning triangle. I believe that tyres should have a minimum of 3mm of tread for driving on the Autobahns in Germany. Also be careful not to drive too quickly in France or Belgium as the fines are steep and they are known to impound cars going too quickly!

4. If you can get some practice in beforehand on an Xbox or PS3 then it'll help you learn the basic track layout. However I didn't and survived to tell the tale.

5. Once there the best thing to do is to take your time and not become complacent. When there I first went for a passenger lap to get a feel for the track and then went out with passengers who knew the track to help me. Each time I went out my driving improved and I felt more confident.

6. Don't time your laps - it is asking for trouble!

7. Treat the track like other German roads - stick to the right and overtake on the left.

8. Always keep an eye on your mirrors for faster cars and bikes as they can be on top of you very quickly. Once you've seen a faster car, indicate right to show them your intentions and let them pass. However if you are approaching a corner my advice would be to hold your line and let them pass after the corner, as having cars overtake on the corners can be pretty tight in certain sections.

9. The track is very greasy when it rains. While I was there I didn't bother going out on a wet track as it usually dries very quickly.

10. If you are there on a weekend, try to get onto the track as soon as it opens (usually 08:00 on a Sunday). There is often little traffic and it gives you a chance to enjoy it without being hassled by Porsches and E36 M3s. The full days can also be less congested than the evening sessions.

11. Bear in mind that you are uninsured on the Ring and costs incurred can be very expensive - Drive accordingly!

But most importantly, enjoy it! The Nurburgring really is a unique place and is great fun when respected. It really is an addictive experience!

HTH