First Ring trip July2005

[Laney]

Cool. Not to bad then. I'll be it up for it next time ya go. Might go to donnington in the meantime.

[StuartE]

Well it's safe to say it was a top trip and I had a great time, Basically I can't wait to go back again.

Thanks to DoM for my first ever lap round in the wet when we got there on Friday and then to him and BenF for the passenger rides, it's good to go round with people that know it.

My favourite corners are the Karussel and the few corners at Brunchen, I only wish now that i'd done more laps.

If anyone is thinking of going, definately do it you'll have an excellent time.

[BenF]

Well it's safe to say it was a top trip and I had a great time, Basically I can't wait to go back again.

Thanks to DoM for my first ever lap round in the wet when we got there on Friday and then to him and BenF for the passenger rides, it's good to go round with people that know it.

My favourite corners are the Karussel and the few corners at Brunchen, I only wish now that i'd done more laps.

If anyone is thinking of going, definately do it you'll have an excellent time.

Hey Stewart, good to hear you got the bug too. Did you get back OK on Monday? It was still a long trip up from Dover home for you !

I'm sure we'll be going back again.

As for costs, Lauren is right - budget for £500-550 all in - fuel, hotel, food, petrol, and add to that the cost of the laps at the ring at around £12 a lap.

[BenF]

Just got some more pics from a Belgian pro photographer ...

[StuartE]

Ben yes I got home fine thanks.

Had to stop and have a few hours sleep on the way though so it was 3.30a.m. on Tuesday when I finally got home.

In total I covered just under 1600 miles the whole weekend.

[Lauren]

[quote="BenF"]Just got some more pics from a Belgian pro photographer ...



I really like that pic as it shows the car under load.... its a real shame though that its just a little out of focus... but defo the best pic of my car i've seen so far.

[BenF]

For those that are interested in going, a friend is arranging another trip with S2000s and Some Evos going along in September :

The trip will be over the w/e of the 17/18th Sept.

Personally I am favouring the following:

Outbound Dover-Calais: 16th Sept 06:45
Inbound Calais-Dover : 19th Sept 16:45

PM me if you want to go and I'll put you in touch ..

[vashy]

I really like that pic as it shows the car under load.... its a real shame though that its just a little out of focus... but defo the best pic of my car i've seen so far.

Yeah, good pic. You were obviously going so quick he couldn't get a focus lock!
The steering looks very neutral too.
Guess the corner..? I reckon Exmuhle.

[RoadsterBoy]

Looks like I made the wrong choice in missing this trip for the september one!! It would've been good to meet up with you all, and especially get another lap with simon in the caterham... but then again, he scared the sh*t out of me the first time round, so maybe not...

I don't think I've ever done a lap without seeing anyone, but then again I've done less laps in 2 trips than ben did in this 1!

Lauren - how did you find the real place after gt4? I think the game makes it far narrower and therefore more intimidating than it actually is in real life.. plus you don't get get the gradients - the feeling of plunging downhill after aremburg and then the compression is amazing!! Plus, knowing you, no doubt you had a little goonage stratight after at adenaeur forst?

I'm up for going again now - you lot have made my 'ring-worm' surface again!! Roger H - can you let me know the september dates please?

cheers,
Chris

edit: just seen the post above re the dates... I think you could be right about Ex Muhle, looks like it's climbing steeply out of Breidscheid

[Lauren]

Looks like I made the wrong choice in missing this trip for the september one!! It would've been good to meet up with you all, and especially get another lap with simon in the caterham... but then again, he scared the sh*t out of me the first time round, so maybe not...

I don't think I've ever done a lap without seeing anyone, but then again I've done less laps in 2 trips than ben did in this 1!

Lauren - how did you find the real place after gt4? I think the game makes it far narrower and therefore more intimidating than it actually is in real life.. plus you don't get get the gradients - the feeling of plunging downhill after aremburg and then the compression is amazing!! Plus, knowing you, no doubt you had a little goonage stratight after at adenaeur forst?

I'm up for going again now - you lot have made my 'ring-worm' surface again!! Roger H - can you let me know the september dates please?

cheers,
Chris

edit: just seen the post above re the dates... I think you could be right about Ex Muhle, looks like it's climbing steeply out of Breidscheid

Hi Chris,

Well i have to say am impressed with GT4 as they've got everything in the right place which meant all teh corners were where i thought they were going to be when i got to drive the real thing.. Someone reckoned the cars a bit big for the track on GT4 maybe thats it?

Had a bit of goonage going into adanaeur forst and in the middle of it! lifting off a little in 2nd tucked the nose right in and then some! Brunchen was good for goonage too and also Hohe Act (IIRC) as you go into the left uphill the car was drifting lovely.

Best goonage which i don't think i'll try to emulate again was all teh way round the mini-karussel... went in a little hot and well, what could i do, though the car held it lovely all the way round it and came out nice the other side, though i was aware a very slight willy up at this point would have meant instant armco..
Know exactly what you mean about the gradients it was amazing how quickly the speed piled on, was getting to an easy 120mph in my MK1 NA so would expect you'd get to positively daft speeds in something with serious power.

[cg nz]

So it seems that the Ring is better than Spa?

As for the picture, some photos are deceptive because of angle of shot that driver never gets to see unless able to watch laps from that point....

...but almost certainly not ExMuhle - looking beyond the car the track is a left hander and Breidscheid is straighter as you approach the uphill right hander - and I think the bend where the car is does not go up steeply enough....

...........but that's just my opinion after a few laps there

Hope I can get there next year to see some of you there again - might even see Lauren - the definite trip for 2006 is always Easter - FOUR full days on track plus Wed/Thur and Tue if we are lucky with opening times

[Lauren]

So it seems that the Ring is better than Spa?

As for the picture, some photos are deceptive because of angle of shot that driver never gets to see unless able to watch laps from that point....

...but almost certainly not ExMuhle - looking beyond the car the track is a left hander and Breidscheid is straighter as you approach the uphill right hander - and I think the bend where the car is does not go up steeply enough....

...........but that's just my opinion after a few laps there

Hope I can get there next year to see some of you there again - might even see Lauren - the definite trip for 2006 is always Easter - FOUR full days on track plus Wed/Thur and Tue if we are lucky with opening times

Yes it is better than Spa. It is put simply an amazing circuit and a mecca for motosport etc.. I hoped it would live up to my expectations and it didn't dissapoint.

Still think you ought to try Spa though. If the Ring is the best circuit in the world, then Spa must really be second.

[aaso]

hey lauren

greetings from holland, was nice to have met you at the Ring
(me dutchie with the golden AW11)

the Ring really is an amazing circuit, but as far as surface conditions
i wouldn't call it the best of te world

but hey, every trip to the Ring is a blast, such a shame I overheated
my MR2 at the end of my second lap already, probably due to the
aircon heatexchanger and old bad coolant still present.

I hope your journey home went well, and maybe till next time
in Nurnberg..

Jozef
mr2club.nl Holland

[Lauren]

[quote="aaso"]hey lauren

greetings from holland, was nice to have met you at the Ring
(me dutchie with the golden AW11)

the Ring really is an amazing circuit, but as far as surface conditions
i wouldn't call it the best of te world

but hey, every trip to the Ring is a blast, such a shame I overheated
my MR2 at the end of my second lap already, probably due to the
aircon heatexchanger and old bad coolant still present.

I hope your journey home went well, and maybe till next time
in Nurnberg..

Jozef
mr2club.nl Holland

Hi Jozef,

Yep nice to meet you. Hope you get your car sorted out okay was a shame it didn't last.

I thought the surface was okay and in some ways gives the circuit its charm and history.. I say best in the world, only because europe has the best circuits anyway... you could drive a perfectly surfaced circuit like magny cours, but its pretty boring in all honesty. I'd say as far as a driving experience goes, there is nothing i can think of or have driven that can compare to the 'Ring.

[acf8181]

...but almost certainly not ExMuhle - looking beyond the car the track is a left hander and Breidscheid is straighter as you approach the uphill right hander - and I think the bend where the car is does not go up steeply enough....

great pics aren't they...i reckon it is ex-muhle tho, as you can see a no entry sign further down the hill on the right which would co-incide with the breidscheid exit

[BenF]

Here's the footage I've got - NB it is a 20MB download though!

http://www.imoc.co.uk/users/BenF/Ring20 ... ootage.wmv

Its just a lap and a quarter, starting half way around the circuit.

On the first half lap I'm warming the car back up and getting back into the groove so taking it easy on the 'outlap'.

Then I start two quick laps - unfortunatly the camera battery ran out so all its got of these 'quick' laps is the first few minutes.

(edit - fixed typo!)

[Lauren]

Here's the footage I've got - NB it is a 20MB download though!

http://www.imoc.co.uk/users/BenF/Ring20 ... ootage.wmv

Its just a lap and a quarter, starting half way around the circuit.

On the first half lap I'm warming the car back up and getting back into the grove so taking it easy on the 'outlap'.

Then I start two quick laps - unfortunatly the camera battery ran out so all its got of these 'quick' laps is the first few minutes.

Ooh very good... such a shame that the battery ran out just when it was getting interesting!

Good to see 'Buffy' going well.

From what i saw looked very smooth... didn't you have some more frotage that you got later on?

[paul port]

unfortunatly the camera battery ran out so all its got of these 'quick' laps is the first few minutes.

Get yourself a huge battery off Ebay...
I grabbed a BP-535 copy for my Canon that will power it for some 5Hrs +
Cost about 15 quid delivered.

paul

[BenF]

Here's the footage I've got - NB it is a 20MB download though!

http://www.imoc.co.uk/users/BenF/Ring20 ... ootage.wmv

Its just a lap and a quarter, starting half way around the circuit.

On the first half lap I'm warming the car back up and getting back into the grove so taking it easy on the 'outlap'.

Then I start two quick laps - unfortunatly the camera battery ran out so all its got of these 'quick' laps is the first few minutes.

Ooh very good... such a shame that the battery ran out just when it was getting interesting!

Good to see 'Buffy' going well.

From what i saw looked very smooth... didn't you have some more frotage that you got later on?

Heh, I've decided to call the car Spitfire - Due to its party trick of throwing the odd flame, and also as homage to the agile fighter plane

The footage isn't that spectacular TBH, just some nice flowing laps. Its a shame that the battery ran out later ..

[Quigonjay]

Ben, whats goin on with that bit where it looks like your on the track then you go through another pit lane type thing