First visit to the ring
Discussion
A group of us are off to the ring for the first time this weekend, excited and scared at the same time. Some of us have done track days before, but really interested in advice for staying safe on our first trip.
Clearly hooning from lap one is out, but does anyone have any guidance that will help.
We have a route sorted but an interesting routes from Rotterdam to the ring?
Ta
Clearly hooning from lap one is out, but does anyone have any guidance that will help.
We have a route sorted but an interesting routes from Rotterdam to the ring?
Ta
You'll be in for a very intense drive Mark, spending as much time looking in the rear view mirror as where you're heading.
The place is full of all levels of talent, especially the regulars in their tin top Civic's and BMW's etc. They'll overtake you where, and when they can with none of the track day etiquette you seem to get over here.
Keep it shiny side up and enjoy it, without getting over confident at the same time.
I'm sure you'll get some much better advice off people with far more experience than me.
The place is full of all levels of talent, especially the regulars in their tin top Civic's and BMW's etc. They'll overtake you where, and when they can with none of the track day etiquette you seem to get over here.
Keep it shiny side up and enjoy it, without getting over confident at the same time.
I'm sure you'll get some much better advice off people with far more experience than me.
Unless you have an instructor or an experienced Ringer to guide you out from the Pax seat, drive it as you would drive an unfamiliar country road and you'll be fine.
On tourist driving days overtaking is only allowed on the left, so if you have cars approaching from behind, move to the right and indicate right as well to communicate them you will not jump in front of them.
There are also white dots at most turns indicating the apex. It's handy for newcomers.
You will see some instructions around the ticket office (such as "Stop immediately and call the marshalls if your car spills fluid") . Read them before you go out.
I'm afraid there aren't any interesting roads from R'dam to the Ring. You have to stick to the speed limits in NL. Trajectory controls and Gatsos everywhere. I would go to Venlo, take A61 and then fork to A1. It's a very nice country road from the end of A1 to the Ring.
Have fun...
On tourist driving days overtaking is only allowed on the left, so if you have cars approaching from behind, move to the right and indicate right as well to communicate them you will not jump in front of them.
There are also white dots at most turns indicating the apex. It's handy for newcomers.
You will see some instructions around the ticket office (such as "Stop immediately and call the marshalls if your car spills fluid") . Read them before you go out.
I'm afraid there aren't any interesting roads from R'dam to the Ring. You have to stick to the speed limits in NL. Trajectory controls and Gatsos everywhere. I would go to Venlo, take A61 and then fork to A1. It's a very nice country road from the end of A1 to the Ring.
Have fun...
Edited by DodoRacing on Thursday 9th May 16:37
On corners look for the red dot on the track to show your turn in point and then the white one for the apex.
There are no run off areas except for Arneburg(sp)
Do not switch your ESP off
Do not time yourself, otherwise you will keep thinking you can do the next lap quicker. You know what will eventually happen
I did 30 laps a few ago and it was an incredible experience. It's one of the things in life I had tick off my list. However I would not do it again, the implications of no insurance scares me s
tless now
There are no run off areas except for Arneburg(sp)
Do not switch your ESP off
Do not time yourself, otherwise you will keep thinking you can do the next lap quicker. You know what will eventually happen
I did 30 laps a few ago and it was an incredible experience. It's one of the things in life I had tick off my list. However I would not do it again, the implications of no insurance scares me s
tless nowGet as many pax laps before you go out yourself, don't go out in the wet and stay within your limits! Its an amazing place (when quiet ...) but is very unforgiving so you need to have your wits about you. Watch out of bikes ... their lines can be different to cars so give them plenty of room.
Personally I wouldn't engage in a TF session again ... only an organised TD. Seen too much carnage, yet never been involved in any thankfully.
Plenty of horror stories but there are far many who have stayed safe and come away with great memories. ENJOY!
Personally I wouldn't engage in a TF session again ... only an organised TD. Seen too much carnage, yet never been involved in any thankfully.
Plenty of horror stories but there are far many who have stayed safe and come away with great memories. ENJOY!
last year i took the shopping car round (had towed the bikes over on a trailer for a spa day) and he was experiences but kept saying left instead of right etc. Right laugh that was.PowerMalc said:
On corners look for the red dot on the track to show your turn in point and then the white one for the apex.
There are no run off areas except for Arneburg(sp)
Do not switch your ESP off
Do not time yourself, otherwise you will keep thinking you can do the next lap quicker. You know what will eventually happen
I did 30 laps a few ago and it was an incredible experience. It's one of the things in life I had tick off my list. However I would not do it again, the implications of no insurance scares me stless now
My extra-sensory-perception is generally pretty good on the road, it has the bikers that worry me, they can be pretty scary and unpredictable on the N. Yorks Moors.There are no run off areas except for Arneburg(sp)
Do not switch your ESP off
Do not time yourself, otherwise you will keep thinking you can do the next lap quicker. You know what will eventually happen
I did 30 laps a few ago and it was an incredible experience. It's one of the things in life I had tick off my list. However I would not do it again, the implications of no insurance scares me s
tless now
Drive to your own ability and do not try to keep up with cars you think you should be quicker than - they may have 1000s of laps under their belt.
Get out of the way of the idiots, if you do not they tend to include you in their accident.
Remember it is a 2 lane road and not a race track.
Have fun.
Get out of the way of the idiots, if you do not they tend to include you in their accident.
Remember it is a 2 lane road and not a race track.
Have fun.
supersport said:
Do you think the time of day makes any difference?
First thing in the morning any day (careful - there will be less grip unless deep into summer) or Sunday evening are historically the best times to be out there. Well worth getting up early and being in the car park ready when the track opens. If it is really busy then by Saturday afternoon it may be as well to park up due to traffic queues between closures and congestion on the track. If so either wait for the evening or retire for the day to a bar.DodoRacing said:
Unless you have an instructor or an experienced Ringer to guide you out from the Pax seat, drive it as you would drive an unfamiliar country road and you'll be fine.
...
Decent advice to start slow, but do be aware that if you 'drive it like an unfamiliar road' then you will have an almost endless stream of cars approaching you from behind at high speed. In general I would advise anyone not to drive the ring until you've got at least a few UK trackdays under your belt....
Olivera said:
Decent advice to start slow, but do be aware that if you 'drive it like an unfamiliar road' then you will have an almost endless stream of cars approaching you from behind at high speed. In general I would advise anyone not to drive the ring until you've got at least a few UK trackdays under your belt.
You're fine driving it without doing trackdays - just take time, keep an eye on your mirrors, keep right when someone rushes up behind you and in the wet I have found the graffiti'd sections to be very slippery. It's a brilliant place but also dangerous... don't crash there. Early Sunday mornings are pretty quiet normally.Excuse the copy and paste from my reply on a previous thread, but the info is still relevant!
....
I've done 33 laps and consider myself a novice, I've overtaken GT3s and been overtaken by mk1 Golfs!
It is not a playstation, there is no reset button!
There are no prizes other than going home in one piece with happy memories!
DO NOT time your laps, it is meaningless and encourages you to take risks!
If you can, find an experienced bloke in the car park and follow him round to get an idea of the lines!
Err on the side of caution and go 20-30% slower than you would on a twisty country road until you gain confidence in the circuit - remember there are 150+ corners, many a blind, crested, off camber and/or slippy!
It is treacherous in the wet!
Be safe, have fun, come home happy!
....
I've done 33 laps and consider myself a novice, I've overtaken GT3s and been overtaken by mk1 Golfs!
It is not a playstation, there is no reset button!
There are no prizes other than going home in one piece with happy memories!
DO NOT time your laps, it is meaningless and encourages you to take risks!
If you can, find an experienced bloke in the car park and follow him round to get an idea of the lines!
Err on the side of caution and go 20-30% slower than you would on a twisty country road until you gain confidence in the circuit - remember there are 150+ corners, many a blind, crested, off camber and/or slippy!
It is treacherous in the wet!
Be safe, have fun, come home happy!
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