Quote:
Originally Posted by TRAKCAR
You can't post that as a first post without spilling the beans!
Beans or Ban!! 
|
Howdy, great to have a dedicated GT car forum!
I'm not sure how best to explain the Nürburg Ring to track nuts who haven't been there - yet. Maybe like this, if regular track driving is as addictive as Caffeine, then the Ring is like crack cocaine. It's terrible!
Back in 2000 I got transferred to London where I heard about the still somewhat obscure Nürburg Ring. I had just bought a 355 Spyder and decided on a road trip to the Ring with a friend. That quickly became an annual trip for a group of us. After the second year, a buddy and I decided that we needed a Ring Spielzeug, a Ring Toy - aka a dedicated car parked at the Ring. That way we could hop on a quick flight from London to Cologne and go drive anytime. We got ourselves a 968 Cub Sport and managed to find one of the few that came with a full M030 track package from the Porsche factory. It came with a roll bar, racing seats, 6-point harnesses, fully adjustable suspension, upgraded brakes, front strut brace, light weight flywheel clutch, etc. Compared to today's cars it feels slightly under powered, but the balance is superb.
It a long story, but I wound up flying to the Ring about 10 times that year, and even more the next year. Meanwhile I also qualified for an International C racing license in order to participate in the 24 Hr race at the Nürburg Ring. After that I became part owner/driver of a semi-pro race team participating in the VLN endurance series at the Ring. And so on... Totally sucked in.
After a couple years I also got a new 2nd generation GT3. It was a Club Sport (not sold in the US at the time) with full roll cage, racing seats, harnesses and so on. Most of the time I also had that parked at the Ring, so 2 cars now. In other words a proper certified Ring nut!
One of my friends and co-drivers is a professional test driver at the Ring, who has probably done 30,000+ laps around the Ring. He taught me quite a lot. As a testament to how addictive the Ring is, this guy would spend a week at work test driving at the Ring, and still show up in the evening and drive for fun!
I think the addiction comes from the fact that the Ring is arguably the worlds most difficult track with something like 78 proper turns (and about 177 turns and kinks), leaving you forever in search of that perfect lap. At the same time it's probably also the most dangerous track with many blind turns, surface changes, and even weather changes from one end of the track to the other. Most of the track has virtually no run-off, so if you go off the track, chances are you are bending some metal. it's a combination that leaves you always wanting another lap.
I've done a smattering of other racing mostly in the UK in Formula Fords and Minis.
Now I live in Santa Barbara, recently bought a 2004 GT3 and am constantly trying to fit in tack days or fun road trips. I've been to Streets of Willow three times and Laguna Seca once. My favorite road nearby is the Mariposa Highway (Rt 33) out of Ojai.
Anyway, I'm organizing a trip in July to drive two private track days at the Ring followed by a track day at Spa.
. If anyone is interested, I'm happy to forward the information on where to book the various things. The more the merrier!
That's about it,
-Christian