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RS Challenge 2004 in Hockenheim

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 7:25 am
by Nikolaos
Although we had a perfect weather all weekend, I just wanted to mention that last years RS Challenge was better.

Why? probably because of the poor competition. All together there were about 35 RS cars instead of the 55 there were in 2003.
3 cars from abroad (CZ, A, CH) and the rest were all Germans.

So please all you UK, other EU and Brazil :lol: guys, send your participations confirmed next year on time!

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 8:01 am
by simple1
It seems the Germans got the sunbeds before we did :oops: ...., or we would have come to play. This year all the places were awarded to German nationals, when we applied, all the places were filled.............. :lol:

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:18 am
by PhilT
So please all you UK, other EU and Brazil guys, send your participations confirmed next year on time!
Who told you that we didn't get our invites in on time? Audi knew we were going, and should have got their timing better and reserved places for us. The way it actually worked out was that we were left with vacation and channel crossings booked, and no event.

After the amazing event that we managed to arranged as a replacement, it will be highly unlikely that we will attend another RS Drivers' Challenge. This has left a bitter taste in my mouth.... :audibash:

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:27 am
by johneroberts
All this was down to someone in the Audi organisation not doing there job properly, and now it seems he wants to blame us for not being on time with our applications, it makes my blood boil, we all anticipated this reaction anyway, as we do offer a better level of compition, and commitment to the event, all the effort that we put in every year is greater than any other participants. oh and one other thing are cars are better prepped and our driving ettiqette in a different league.
Because our own last minute event was so well recieved by the 12 cars this year, it would be a bit of a let down attending the RS Challenge (if there is one) next year.
Cheers
jr

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 11:37 am
by JohnW
Nikolaos, its nice of you to say the UK contingent was missed.

John and Phil put a lot of effort into organising this for us all. This trip cost us a
similar amount to the RS challenge and is in the order of 1200 Euros for the weekend.
You can therefore see that if Audi p!ss us about we will simply not bother in the future.
I would guess most of the German drivers had to pay at most a third of our outlay.

I think it speaks volumes that other members such as Taipan from non UK countries cancelled too to join us at Spa. The weekend is about having a good laugh with your fellow petrol-heads and the driving for me became almost secondary (almost :wink: ).

If Audi don't organise a UK RS challenge then I doubt I'll go next year.
And if that's the case, why not join us instead for the RS246 challenge :biggrin2:

Cheers,
John.

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 12:54 pm
by Conti
Really don't think there will be a challenge next year.
1. Too old RS4 (approx. 100.000 or more km)
2. Only RS6 left (a race car???)
3. Maybe some brand new RS4, but who wants to throw it into the cold water?

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 1:04 pm
by fatcat
JohnW wrote: why not join us instead for the RS246 challenge :biggrin2:
Like it, like it.....................

I feel a plan coming on :thumbs:

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 4:32 pm
by Nikolaos
I understand that you are all upset about that but I think that it was all about sending the application signed on time.

This year we were planing to attend in a bigger group from CZ (in 2003 only 3 cars) and finaly I attended only myself because the rest of my friends didn´t send the application on time.

Btw, there will be another RS Challenge next year and the new RS4 will be there.

So, PLEASE send your applications on time next year, cause otherwise, there is no competition. The only German who was who worthed something last year was Carl and this year he was 4-6 seconds slower than me per lap with his highly moded RS6. :lol: Ask him about that, he will be glad :D

Hope to see you next year!
I will be there if I haven´t switched into a GT3 RS until then. :wink:

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 5:24 pm
by johneroberts
Hmmm 35 cars this year and 55 last ?
sounds like somthing going on
If thats the case they had limited the places anyway
RS challenge next year will be full of Germans again and the odd
person from a neigbouring country.
Carl would have beaten you in his RS4 but its a bit like driving the Titantic around the isle of Man.
Hey ho
jr

Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:44 pm
by TimJMS
Addendum : Stephan Reil announces that next year, the RS drivers challenge will be henceforth be known as the TDi challenge, due to a change in Audi policy. Quattro gmbh will give out prizes based purely on who achieves the best mpg around Hockenheim.

Coat time. WITH FURRY COLLAR - Again!

This event deserves to die.

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 8:26 am
by PhilT
:lol: Fair point Tim.

Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 6:51 pm
by Nordschleife
When you say Stephan Reil and 'Big Girl's blouse' in the same sentence, most Germans understand what you mean!
I don't know how they invite people to the Drivers' Challenge, but as quattro GmbH's better customers I've never been asked, not that I'm complaining, just surprised.
Hockenheim has a reputation for bad driver behaviour, perhaps the visiting locals feel they have something to live up to.
When I fiorst found myself spending a lot of time in Germany i was patronised by manufacturers and tuners as 'not being fast like our drivers', well I didn't say anything, just demonstrated the inadequacies of their often over-hyped products. Now, I'm glad to say, and to be fair to the tuners and manufacturers, they have changed their tune and I spend some of my time test driving their products.
If Brits come to another driver experience, perhaps they could all adopt traditional German names like, Schumacher, von Tripps, Hermann, Rosemeyer, Sachs, Stuck, Lauda, and you can draw short straws for Heidfeld. Do remembedr to shout 'Servus' at every opportunity, greet everybody with "Gruss Dich", wear your shorts and salmon pink blazer, eat weißwurst for breakfast and when you climb into the suds ask for weßbier!
R+C

Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2004 11:15 pm
by simple1
Something to be said for staying this side of the pond me thinks, no offence of cause :bigblink: :biggrin3:
We all love the Germans on this site :bash: :beerchug: :piss: :knob:

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 7:35 am
by Thorney
Its all a bit sad this. I enjoyed the 2003 event hugely and I know the guys really enjoyed the Spa trip (12 cars speaks volumes) but the fact that Audi simply 'dumped' the UK contingent (for whatever reason) is just sad. I thought we added something to the 2003 event by being there (nothing grandeouse, just that it was interesting for the German owners to see what we do to the cars etc) and the fact we won two prizes icing on the cake. To get dropped for the 2004 event seems a little strange?

Anyhoo, I'm glad the Spa trip was a fine replacement.

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 9:42 am
by johneroberts
actually john you came to the 2002 RSDC
its seems so long ago
Cheers
jr