Visiting the Nürburgring

[TheJoker]

There was one memorable part where you drop into a dip and then immediately compress as you shoot up the other side into a left-hander - very interesting! That horrible chicane on a crest (should know its name, but again I'll let you know later) came up rather suddenly on the first go, but was OK on the second.

Sounds like Fuchsröret compression and then Adenauer Forst afterwards.

Sounds to me like you'll be back over there before you know it. Season start is Easter, by the way.

2.5l Ex DTM car..?

 

[TheJoker]

This is Adenauer Forst by the way. :bannana:

 

[corned]

Nice trackday car!! Yours, I assume?

 

[Mactech]

Nice trackday car!! Yours, I assume?

You can laugh! Although I have spent quite some time going quickly around the 'ring in decent cars, my last lap was in a VW Transporter minibus full of race mechanics

 

[TheJoker]

Nice trackday car!! Yours, I assume?

Yes indeed mine. A Vito/Viano one day one hopes. Either way, if you look carefully you can see a glimse of my "real" Ring-Toy in the back of it. My girlfriend's (who is in the passenger seat in the pic) Ring-Toy was cooling down at the moment.

The reason for taking that car onto the track is simple; You are not "allowed" (according to the "code") to put a Nürburgring sticker on a car/motorbike/helmet unless it has actually been around the track for at least one lap.
In other words, it's earning its sticker! :bannana:

 

[BTB 500]

Yes indeed mine. A Vito/Viano one day one hopes.

I always thought Top Gear should have given Sabine Schmitz a V6 Vito for her 10 minute lap attempt, rather than a Transit.

 

[TheJoker]

I always thought Top Gear should have given Sabine Schmitz a V6 Vito for her 10 minute lap attempt, rather than a Transit.

I intend to break the 10min barrier with my future V6 Vito/Viano. And the reason they couldn't give it to her is that it's built in Germany (well, Spain..?). The episode was about the Transit's anniversary or something.

Oh, and I have reliable sources that tell me that Jezza didn't make 9:59 in the Jag either...

 

[corned]

So - go on then - I have to ask. What's a respectable time in the following circumstances?

1. First time on
2. E320CDI estate auto
3. Wife and kids on board
4. Going the long way round all the left-handers and keeping out of everyone's way
5. Yellow flags out and breakdown truck on circuit
6. Mostly dry track, but a little damp under the trees in parts


????

 

[flango]

So - go on then - I have to ask. What's a respectable time in the following circumstances?

1. First time on
2. E320CDI estate auto
3. Wife and kids on board
4. Going the long way round all the left-handers and keeping out of everyone's way
5. Yellow flags out and breakdown truck on circuit
6. Mostly dry track, but a little damp under the trees in parts


????

Presumably this was a public day so we are talking Bridge to Gantry (i.e no use of the main straight)

Well In a race prepped Golf GTi we managed 9mins 30 secs, In a BMW 530d we managed 10 mins 4 secs. Our fastest runs have been in a Mitzi Evo 8 mins 12 secs and Scooby Imprezza STi 8 mins 14 seconds.

Carousel must have been interesting with the wife and kids on board hope you didn't dive in deep

Filming is totally banned on the ring and you will get a full years ban if caught, you have to hand hold the camera as they check for windscreen mounts on cctv.

Glad you got round in one piece though but wouldn't like to hazard a guess on time as we have only ever attacked the green hell in anger.

A little sample of our efforts

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uYorZ2cmEqA

 

[corned]

Carousel must have been interesting with the wife and kids on board hope you didn't dive in deep

Was there another way?

The kids did an excellent job - waving at all the spectators. Got loads of waves back too apparently.

 

[TheJoker]

So - go on then - I have to ask. What's a respectable time in the following circumstances?

1. First time on
2. E320CDI estate auto
3. Wife and kids on board
4. Going the long way round all the left-handers and keeping out of everyone's way
5. Yellow flags out and breakdown truck on circuit
6. Mostly dry track, but a little damp under the trees in parts


????

I'd say 15 minutes is good, give or take a few minutes. It's not a race. The kids waving and getting waves back is far more fun!
The posted BTG times are usually a one-in-15-laps-or-more scenario. My best one caught on camera is 8:36 on the bike. I've timed myself at 8:24 a few years before (different bike)... at the end of it I've got nice pictures to prove I've been there, and they can't tell you what speed you're actually going, just the speed it looks you're going.

 

[corned]

Well, fame got the better of me (ha ha!!), so I decided to post the video on YouTube, but they limit the film length now to 10 mins, and guess what? I wasn't under that. Now there's a surprise!

Anyone know where I can post it?

Regarding lap times, it was a public day so the main straight was split. I started counting from the release from the cones until the gantry just before the exit.

 

[wemorgan]

Anyone know where I can post it?

have a try here: Vimeo, Video Sharing For You

 

[flango]

Well, fame got the better of me (ha ha!!), so I decided to post the video on YouTube, but they limit the film length now to 10 mins, and guess what? I wasn't under that. Now there's a surprise!

Anyone know where I can post it?

Regarding lap times, it was a public day so the main straight was split. I started counting from the release from the cones until the gantry just before the exit.

Just edit the film down in something simple like windows movie maker or similar. Not sure of other video hosting sites other than Google's but I'm sure there must be some.

 

[TheJoker]

Regarding lap times, it was a public day so the main straight was split. I started counting from the release from the cones until the gantry just before the exit.

The BTG timing starts at the Antoniusbrücke Bridge - that's the bridge you go under just after exiting the cones - to the Döttinger Höhe gantry at the end of Schwalbenschwantz corner, first on the final straight.
Not that it really matters.

 

[corned]

OK, here goes. Don't pay too much attention to my idiotic commentary, but there are one or two interesting moments out there if you look closely.

Video here.

So - 12.34 as timed on the film, but 12.24 between the two bridges. I am quite pleased with that!

One thing I haven't yet mentioned was the car's brakes. I would have expected 2 tonnes plus, around a racing circuit like this, on standard brakes, to have induced some significant fade in the brakes before the lap ended. But I was amazed at how well they performed on each occasion.

The wheels were absolutely black at the end, though!

 

[TheJoker]

Very nice! Thanks for posting.

 

[mw_C32]

Excellent, thanks for posting. Makes me remember my trip.

Mark

 

[flango]

Was there another way?

The kids did an excellent job - waving at all the spectators. Got loads of waves back too apparently.

I thought you were joking about Carousel as I could not view the video from work when I posted earlier, but no you drove it how its meant to be driven and with the wife and kids on board I take my hat off to you

Its a very solid lap and a respectable time to say you were 4 up? Just guessing from the comentary You + wife & 2 kids? Bet they thought it was so cool particularly BBQ bend

Glad you all had a great time and thanks for taking the time to post the footage and share it with us, the ring really is a great place

 

[corned]

Here's further proof Ian : LOL!!!