Day 15 - Nurburgring.

Once again I tried to rent a Fiesta but got 'upgraded' - this time to a Ford Fusion, basically a cross between station wagon and a minivan. It'll have to do I guess. At least the rate is relatively good.

From Amsterdam it's about a 4-hour drive to the Ring. In Netherlands the speed limit is 120kph but once in Germany I open it up and do long stretches of A3 at 180 kph (112 mph) which is all this device is capable of. Not having a map we downloaded some directions from Koln airport before leaving the hotel and M was trying to read them enroute which proved challenging. So I just guessed a couple of times and spotted a Nurburgring sign once. Ended up following A1 until it ends, then following the signs from there. Worked out fine. Arriving at the ring around 4 pm there is still 3.5 hours of open time left so I buy an 8-lap ticket. Once again I meet up with Ed (who graciously offered us to stay at his house less than a mile from the track entrance). He is now instructing for a track car rental company called '75 Experience'. He takes us around on the first refresher lap which helps a lot. A bunch of bikers pass us on the straight bit but Ed stays with them through the turns which provides for good picture opportunity. Fun :)

After the intro lap I drive six more and after some hesitation M drives two so now she is also officially a Nurburgring driver. The Fusion actually does OK, reeling in and passing a number of cars and bikes out there. Of course we get passed a lot, too. We see quite a few crashes. One, a GT3 RS, leads to temporary track closure while the car and debris are removed. Several bikers go down also. It's an unforgiving place. On one of the laps I had a lot of fun chasing down a white Peugeot 206 GTI and once I closed in he was quite determined to stay ahead. So much so that he made a mistake and bounced over the tall curbing, nearly flipping the car when it landed in the grass. At one point all four wheels were well in the air. Fortunately he was able to recover, then backed way off and let me by. All is well that ends well. One of the laps M timed me with an analog watch at just over 10 minutes, with two yellows in the lap due to crashes. Nothing spectacular of course but for the Fusion I suppose it's not too bad. A clean lap is just under 10 minutes. Back at the parking lot there's the usual variety of machinery. Several M Coupes, a TVR Sagaris, couple Caterhams, Elises and of course Porsches of every kind.

Ed's house is just downhill from the Nurburg castle so after the track closes we go for a hike up the hill. Unfortunately the castle gate was already closed so we didn't get to see the inside. Back down the hill for a half liter of beer at an outside terrace, then an excellent meal at the Lindenhof restaurant a block away. An excellent day.

Day 16.

Getting a late start we have a breakfast at Am Tiergarten restaurant/hotel nearby then head to the Ring museum. The exhibits are completely different than what I saw here a few years back. There is a lot of educational stuff too and driving simulators of all kinds. I try out a full-motion one driving the ring in an M3 GTR. It is a disappointment. The motion is disorienting instead of being helpful and the feel is artificial and disconnected. My non-motion LFS setup at home is much better.

The kart picture above proves that there are crazy people out there other than myself :) My college friend Dave is in Frankfurt on business so we arrange to meet at the track. It is his first time at the Nurburgring. He shows up with a 320D BMW which, despite being an automatic, should be a more satisfying Ring machine than the Ford. We drive around to a couple spectator spots and watch bike training in progress until the track opens for public use a little after 5 pm. Ed takes Dave around in the Bimmer while M and I go out in the Ford. Needless to say I can't keep up and the traffic doesn't help either. When faster cars or bikes come up in the mirrors I lift and move offline to let them by which of course slows me down even further. Next lap we switch cars. The BMW is a fun machine but of course needs more engine. Despite that, I actually catch an orange GT3 RS. In a diesel automatic rentacar this feels particluarly satisfying despite the fact that he refused to let me pass :)

Dave and I keep switching cars for a couple more laps while M gets a ride in a very fast M3 CSL. Right before the closing of the track I also catch a ride in the same car. The lap is 7:52 timed by GPS (he was running 7:40 earlier in the day). This is FUN! Seeing the Ring at speed with an expert driver in a fast car is quite an experience. Going this fast requires better knowledge of the track than I have, that's for sure. So really it was just as well that I only got to play with rentacars myself on this outing. Eventually, though, I'll be ready to take a more capable machine out there. As a reminder that the danger here is real there was another GT3 in the armco, both ends destroyed. Better to learn the track in something more forgiving and less ego-inducing.

After the driving is done, a great meal and lots of car talk at the Am Tiergarten restaurant. The steak on a hot stone is exactly that - the plate has a superheated square stone on it and the steak is brought out rare. You cook it on the stone as desired. I can only imagine the liability issues if one tried to do this in the States! But here, anything goes it seems. On previous trips I had only visited the Ring but now staying here in town it's an experience in itself. Wish I had done this sooner (there are plenty of hotels here which are reasonably priced). So that's my recommendation to Nurburgring pilgrims - stay in Nurburg itself or in the immediate vicinity.