Spa and the Nordschleife in a weekend!
Discussion
This last weekend I had the most fantastic weekend's hooning...
I was invited by a mate who posts on the RS246.com forums to join them at Spa Francorchamps for a track day and passenger round in his BMW M3 CSL. What a car! What a fantastic track! The other chaps' Audi RS4s in various states of tune were hugely impressive as well.
On the Sunday, we were at the Nordschleife for some runs round the track and I got the opportunity to drive my Esprit in anger. Again, I passengered round for a couple of laps in my friend's CSL to see the track, but then it was time to drive myself.
I took things nice and easily as it was my first time
but what an experience it was, even if I did lose the back end at Adenauer Forst (I think)! Right in front of a crowd of people!
Karussell was brilliant fun and the fast bits between Schwedenkreuz and Hatzenbach were a nice contrast after the lunacy of the earlier parts of the track.
When can I go back???!!! (Rhetorical!)
>>> Edited by charlescrawley on Thursday 28th October 10:34
I was invited by a mate who posts on the RS246.com forums to join them at Spa Francorchamps for a track day and passenger round in his BMW M3 CSL. What a car! What a fantastic track! The other chaps' Audi RS4s in various states of tune were hugely impressive as well.
On the Sunday, we were at the Nordschleife for some runs round the track and I got the opportunity to drive my Esprit in anger. Again, I passengered round for a couple of laps in my friend's CSL to see the track, but then it was time to drive myself.
I took things nice and easily as it was my first time
but what an experience it was, even if I did lose the back end at Adenauer Forst (I think)! Right in front of a crowd of people! Karussell was brilliant fun and the fast bits between Schwedenkreuz and Hatzenbach were a nice contrast after the lunacy of the earlier parts of the track.
When can I go back???!!! (Rhetorical!
) >>> Edited by charlescrawley on Thursday 28th October 10:34
Guillotine said:
a great way to do the last REAL racing circuits!
problem you now have is that everywhere else seems tame!
It was fantastic... The one complaint I have is that for the number of cars they have through the Nordschleife (and the money they must take), the access and car parking is abysmal. When they closed the track to clear oil and / or debris, the whole area gridlocked virtually immediately for about 30 mins. Ahh well...
glenn mcmenamin said:
did a very similar trip in mid september.
did 5x laps of the ring and was totally exhausted afterwards.
spent the rest of the time since, dreaming about when i can get out there again, it's such a magnet for cars nuts, and great atmosphere.
Roll on spring '05
G.
After my first lap, my hands were shaking with the adrenaline and you couldn't have wiped the grin off my face with an axe...
The variety of cars was fantastic as well and even Porsche 911 GT3 RSs were common! In fact, my Esprit garnered far more attention than them, due to the rarity....... Which was nice...
Thought I'd share a pic I was sent by a colleague who happened to be at the 'Ring on the same day:
Apparently the chap who runs http://ring.wegen.de caught me somewhere out on the track and my colleague recognised my car!
>> Edited by charlescrawley on Monday 8th November 16:46
Apparently the chap who runs http://ring.wegen.de caught me somewhere out on the track and my colleague recognised my car!
>> Edited by charlescrawley on Monday 8th November 16:46
And how did you wangle that may I ask, you lucky git? davyboy said:
Considering they have had bucket falls of snow today....I'd say you were proper lucky!
We were okay, as we went on the 23rd-24th October... If Guillotine is going this Thursday / Friday, I hope the snow has melted or he's got a damn good set of snow chains...
This is another option, of course:
www.lotus-elise.org.uk/stuff/nordschleife_winter.mpg
(Warning!! 65Mb - but worth it!)
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