The Ring!

[kbee]

Thinking of taking the 6 to the ring next year , will be the first time,anyone out there been & done it,any pitfalls apart from the obvious armco,would like your advice,do i need spare pads or tyres? gearbox maybe!not looking to break any records just want to do a few laps and make it home

[Rupert]

I'd make sure my tyres were reasonably new, there is a video on youtube where a tyre burst on an RS6 on the ring.
Spare pads, probably not for just a few laps, but again, make sure they have enough life in them before you go!

[ecain63]

I'd get your coolant changed to make sure its fresh and take some spare. Possibly have your gearbox checked prior to the trip.

[paulm846]

Brakes, mine expanded the fluid so much some came out of the reservoir and caught fire !
i was going some round there though

[Rupert]

http://rs246.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB ... ic&t=69789

[Gig_Georg]

As paulm846 said BRAKE FLUID!! put some ate super blue in, mine boiled and almost killed me. Euro car parts sell it for about 11 pounds per Ltr, ull need 2 btw.Other than that, spare tyre very good idea,( i have cheap spare if you need one and live close to me. pm me) Drive within your limits you ll be fine. Also wait for good weather, ive been before in april and weather ruined the trip for me.

[sonny]

I have just recently had a trip to the ring with the B7 RS4, and what a great time I had, it was my first trip.

Few recommendations

CAR
Oil change, Break fluid change (if obviously it has not been done) have a pre-track inspection of the car (Breaks, hoses and coolant and all running components). Tyres in good condition as mentioned above, however new tyres will need to be bed in. Also make sure the car is road worthy for transiting through different European countries, make sure you have the correct up to date break down equipment on board Med pack, Lummi vest in car etc (this all can be purchased at the crossing points).

TOOLS:
Its worth taking a basic tool kit (socket set) esp. if your car has been modified as aftermarket parts may worm there way loose! Tyre pressure gage, so you can check your tyres every morning, and you can let the tyres back down for the trip home (local petrol garage has one, but is worn). Tow rope, extra Oil, torch and GB sticker of number plate does not have one. Also a spare light bulb pack, this is law in Germany (Halfrauds)

DRIVER
Relevant paper work, insurance details (this must be kept in glove box in some European countries) Euro Insurance, most automatically cover you as FPFF in Europe (will not cover on the Ring), consider Ring track insurance? European Health cover, try signing up for a EHIC card, this can be found on the NHS website, it replaced the E111. Travel insurance and break down cover, Try your bank, as you may already be covered, cheaper alternative for travel insurance try the Post Office.

AT THE RING
Well just enjoy, read up on the rules and regs, there posted by the ticket office, basically if you damage it you pay for it. If its first trip just do a first few sighting laps, get those tyres warm and then enjoy. When I did my first 2 laps I witnessed 5 crashes, all 911s. I would recommend driving 2 laps at once then come off, let car cool down and go back out. This will give the time for the car and you to cool down, also time to grab a brew. I did 11 laps in a day and I was well knackered and so was the car, remember every 10 track miles is 100 road miles or so.

That’s my few pence worth

Sonny

[Shoppinit]

This may sound silly, but from experience it works:

When you're on a track, if you know what's coming up then it makes it so much eaisier to drive. However, the ring is a loooooooong track and it takes many laps to learn it properly. That's why the locals who go there every weekend in their battered alfas can beat most people who turn up for the first time in a GT3.

My recommendation would be to get a Sony PS2 and Gran Turismo (I think) which has a very realistic representation of the ring. Use the PS to learn the corners. You'll get much more value for your money this way, cos the ring is getting ridiculously expensive.

[Scotty]

I'm afraid I'd have to say don't learn in of a PS2.

I went with a guy a few years back who "knew" the 'ring. He went into the Armco backwards at the start of Hatzenbach because "I can take it flat on the PS2".

I'd go along, take some steady laps paying particular attention to being on the right of the track (i.e. the inside of the "road" and keeping a careful eye on your mirrors. Once you've done a couple of laps you'll be able to start gathering a bit of speed and starting to hook the lines up.

Slowly slowly catchy monkey

[Shoppinit]

I think you misunderstood what I was recommending. Obviously, driving the ring is different from playing PS2. But the track is fairly accurately represented, and at least you'll know whether the track goes left or right after the crest of the hill...

I personally think that anyone who stuffs their car on the ring is driving beyond their limits, PS2 or not.

[W8PMC]

I'm afraid I'd have to say don't learn in of a PS2.

I went with a guy a few years back who "knew" the 'ring. He went into the Armco backwards at the start of Hatzenbach because "I can take it flat on the PS2".

I'd go along, take some steady laps paying particular attention to being on the right of the track (i.e. the inside of the "road" and keeping a careful eye on your mirrors. Once you've done a couple of laps you'll be able to start gathering a bit of speed and starting to hook the lines up.

Slowly slowly catchy monkey

What he said.

Computer games (i'd go more up to date than PS2/GT4), newer consoles & games have a better representation. That said the only sense it does provide is the sequence of corners as it gives you NO sense of camber, curbs, elevation or grip.

TBH & like scoTTy i've driven a fair number of laps, it's better to drive the actual track & then replay on a Games Console than the other way round.

The only advice is take it very easy for the 1st few laps, look in your mirrors pretty much all the time, keep right as much as you can, let the quicker overtakers know you've seen them by indicating right & DO NOT develop a red mist when a £3.50 Mini (or the like) pass you like you're in reverse.

[paulm846]

the ring mini will batter most of us me thinks !

[estrop77]

did it in my mates 1980's beemer with a few other cars 2 months ago for a laugh! it was awesome but the most grueling track I have ever experienced. don;t get too cocky and think you're a good driver and its no sweat - its the hardest track in the world, brutal on your car and as a british driver you absolutely CANNOT get insurance not even 3rd party ie nothing - its also known as the Norschleif I think thats how you spell it!! if you stack it they also bill you for armco and loss of revenue by the minute! don't get it confused with the race track there which is the circuit which you can get insurance for!

if its wet its twice as hard and twice as scary. The germans and belgians can get insurance as its technically a toll road and frankly they are utterly bonkers and many have 1,000's of lap experience of it.

best thing to do is high a car from rentracecar.de and give it large in that!!

[Stuart6587]

Rich,

You mention that "you absolutely CANNOT get insurance" but you can.

I went there on rally last August and there were 60 cars and most of us, me included had insurance for the Nurburgring. I have cover for the Nurburgring and trackdays on my motor insurance on an annual basis.

Having been in insurance for 30 years (sad I know !), it is possible to insure almost anything. The most interesting I have ever been asked to insure was probably a $1,000,000 jet powered car that did quarter mile sprints on ice in Scandinavia. However, the owner decided to self insure rather than pay the hefty premium and excess but it did show that anything is insurable albeit at a price !

So it is possible but you just need to find the right insurer.

Stu

[R1NGA]

The Nordschleife is still formally classed as a one-way public tollroad and as such I don't believe that any instuance company can waive their legal obligation to cover public roads in Europe. If they could, they'd probably all put clauses into our policies to exclude the M25 and sections of the M6 during rush hour....

But, there's every chance that your fully comp insurance might become Third Party only when at the Ring. AA Five-Star recovery for example will not tow your car back to the UK if it's been stuffed at the Ring....

So just be safe, look in your mirrors to get out of the way of the locals taunting the flash motors and drive it like you would any other sporting road you just come across whilst on holiday, ie: carefully.

Have fun.

Phil G