1st time at the Ring

My Nürburgring Experience (Oct 3, 2011)
<Insert crazy train travel adventure from Amsterdam to Nürburg here...>

So we finally get to Nürburg, and it's basically like Fast and Furious had a threesome with the exotics of the world and Gran Turismo 2. Everything you can imagine: R8's, M3's, tubbed rice rockets, a friggin VAN, a full-carbon-fibre-bodied Mercedes (forgive me, I can't recognize Mercedes models), Porsche GT3’s, Ferraris, Lotus Exiges, Focus RS's, lots of VW GTI's/R32's, what I believe to be a Tuscan Speed "S" (thought it was 6, but the badge said S) , and a Donkervoort...to name a few.

As I get closer to RSR, where I was renting their lowest-end model…a 200hp Clio Cup Car, it all starts becoming very real and the initial wave of butterflies kick in. I met up with Craig and was immediately informed that the track was closed. Now, I arrived around 1pm. The track “opened” at 10am I believe. In those 3 hours, apparently there had been 9 minutes of open track. Things were looking grim. In fact, even if the track was open, my car was in use (read: “parked”) by the previous renter who had been waiting all day to get some runs in and I wouldn’t have the car until he was done.

Hungry from the long trip, my wife and I go off for lunch and when we get back, Jonathon gave me and another renter the slideshow presentation. If you’ve not rented from RSR before it goes something like this: HERE’S HOW YOU CAN DIE!!!...but hey, no worries, go and have fun! As I waited for news on the track status, Jonathon let me use their GT5 simulator.

3 minutes in however, Jonathon came back to let me know my car was ready and the track was reopened! I sprang to the helmets, snatched up the keys to the Clio, and headed to the roundabout for my first ever lap on the famed Nürburgring! I was on the highest of highs, feeling the jitters as I waited in line behind what seemed like a million cars.

As I pulled into the roundabout I noticed the cars were not entering the track. It was closed again. So I followed the line of cars to a dirt lot and parked, bummed out but not yet broken. We got out, walked around, checked out the gift shop (the *crud* one right next to the track opening) but all I wanted was to get on the track.

While walking around, we saw a couple tow trucks coming off the ring carrying damaged cargo. Nothing looked to mangled, but seeing cars smashed was definitely a reality check. Suddenly, we heard something over the PA system in German and everyone scrambled like cockroaches. I don’t speak German but I’m not bad at charades…the track was reopening…again.

I sprinted to the Clio and got back in line. Jazzed! The wait was over! Wrong! Closed again…

Apparently with it being a holiday weekend with good weather, everyone’s IQ drops significantly. Angry now, I parked the Clio, again. I walked over to the entrance, again. And no sooner than I get there, one of the traffic officials opens the gate to get into the track. OH COME ON! Back to the Clio. My happy place was gone. “Even if I get up to the roundabout, it’s just going to close because of some idiot hitting a wall again.” Sure enough, closed. Amazing. I decided not to park the Clio anymore, so I circled through the dirt lot and roundabout four times. Unfortunately, it was close to 5pm and I had a hard stop at 6pm because we needed ample time to get back to the train station in Bonn on time. Frustrated, angry at overzealous drivers, and in a terrible mood, I called my wife and said “I’m done. I’m picking you up and heading back in.”

Swearing like a sailor, I brought the Clio back to RSR. I spoke with another renter and he hadn’t done a lap all day either. We sat briefly complaining about the situation and I thought about how I’d try to get a refund from Craig and Jonathon.

Suddenly we heard the wind-up of an engine in the background. It was only one though, so I figured it was just another disgruntled Ringer. But then we heard another, followed by maybe 3 others, and it was becoming more constant. The ring had reopened…again.

So we climbed back in and I wondered just how close I’d get before it closed again and I went back to RSR for good. But I got closer, and kept getting closer, until finally I was at the roundabout. It was the first time I’d actually turned right toward the track. How annoying it would be to actually get on the track before they told me it was closed again and that I would need to turn around.

But I kept moving forward and soon the car in front of me was swiping his card. And just as he did, a track official walked in front of me, stopped for a second, and looked right at me. I can’t even begin to describe the rage building up inside.

ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW!? I’M RIGHT HERE! I’M SO CLO…oh you were just looking at something behind me and now you’re out of my way. Thaaaanks!

And then, I pulled forward, now with only the toll arm between me and the Green Hell. I held my track pass up to the scanner, the arm came up, and I slowly made my way onto the track. Weaving through the initial set of cones, I found that I had spent so much of the day angry and upset that I couldn’t even be nervous about being on the ring anymore. It was go time, and I had some pent up aggression.

2nd gear! Floored! 3rd gear! Floored! I check my left. GT3, M3, something else, all flew right past me like I was driving Miss Daisy. Fair enough, I’m in a 200hp Clio after all; better get used to staying to the right with this company, especially on the straights.

Now I drive an Evo X as my daily, and I’ve never been to any racetrack, with any car, ever. All I want, is to open that thing up around some corners, but unfortunately I live in a place where that’s frowned upon. Even with this little Clio, it felt PHENOMINAL to stay in high revs and ATTACK corners. I felt out where my limits and the limits of the car crossed fairly early, and from there it was simply invigorating. GT5 prepared me well and was guiding me through all the turns, straights, blind corners, crests, etc. That said…it’s not even close.

What GT5 can never give you is 3-fold. First obviously, it’ll never give you the real experience. Fear (for us first-timers), G-forces (oh…my…god…), and the track itself just felt so big…it’s hard to describe that feeling. It’s kind of like looking at the stars and thinking, damn, I’m just a speck. The majesticnessousity (shut up, it’s a word…now…) of it all makes it almost surreal. Continues.............................

Second, it doesn’t translate the elevation changes well at all. Holy. Balls. I don’t recall the name of the length of track, but basically you climb up and all of a sudden you’re on a rollercoaster ride plummeting to Earth. I’ve ran practice laps in GT5 over and over and I never got the sense of just how much the elevation moves around on you. For you first-timers, please be careful on the crests, there might be a drop waiting for you on the other side.

Third, the game’s AI is built to always race. The game’s AI never slows down on a turn because of a yellow flag from an official. Basically what I’m saying is, the game does not reflect open public sessions. Do not confuse what you’re going to do with racing. It is not racing. It is driving fast with other people driving fast. GT5 cannot prepare you for checking your rear view every 5 seconds to see if a faster car is coming so you can pull to the right with your blinker on signaling him to pass. It can’t prepare you for needing to pass a slower car at the right parts of the track, especially when a Viper ACR is coming up on your Clio. That took a little adjusting as I had only driven in Germany for about an hour previous to driving on the ring and it seems their normal driving rules still apply on the ring…it is a public toll road after all.

In any case, I finally made my way around the Nürburgring. Apparently, with all the slowing down for people to pass me and a yellow flag that was encountered, I managed to get around in less than 15min. Now that may seem like a long time, but it was my first time, I was in a 200hp FF which I am not at all acquainted with, I had to slow down in turns where faster cars were trying to pass, etc. Frankly, I’d guessed 15min, so to hear that I was under that time given the conditions made me pretty happy. Not that I was timing myself, but I just checked the time before and after. You’ll read everywhere not to time yourself as you’ll likely try to beat a certain time and end up beating your head on the steering wheel when you hit a guardrail at 150kmph.

At the end of the day, I still had 3 laps on my card. Craig was very gracious and bought the 3 laps from me (I live in California) to help balance the cost for the day’s experience. I would definitely recommend RSR for anyone who can’t/won’t bring their own car. The guys are great to work with and the cars are top notch. That little Clio felt like a beast for having just 200hp (close gear ratios I think) and cornered quite nicely.

So I’ll be crossing a lap around the Nürburgring off my bucket list now. But I’ve decided to make an addition to the bottom of that list…a single day with at least 2 laps next time.

[majorscooby]

Ha, nice read over breakfast.

Cheers for that Nige, great read