Nurburgring advise

[skendrick]

I'm off to the Nurburgring on Tuesday and would like to know a few things if anyone knows the answers please.

Is the fuel in France, Belgium & Germany the same octane and will it affect my car?
Do I need a fire extingisher as as I am getting conflicting information?
Can you hire a crash helmet there and if so how much are they and are they open face?
What tyre pressures would be best, I have 205-50-ZR17 front and 255-40-ZR17 rear?
Can passengers take pictures or videos?

If I have any more questions I will let you know

Any advise would be welcolm.

Thanks

 

[Mark_Bennett]

http://www.nurburgring.org/

Required reading!

 

[Keith Calder]

MAY AS WELL TAKE AN EXTINGUISHER IN CASE , FUEL THE SAME AS HERE, JUST STICK WITH STANDARD TYRE PRESSURES.

 

[Lancerlot]

Hi Steve,
You'll really going to enjoy the 'Ring experience. [] Premium fuel is readily available most everywhere so no worries there. A filling station with Super Unleaded (Shell If I remember correctly) is on the main road just a short distance from the Northschleife entrance to keep you topped up.
Tyre pressures - I would stick with standard tyre pressures in the first instance - bear in mind pressures increase as the tyres warm up so keep an eye on this.
Helmets - Are not required on track. If you particularly want to wear one why not borrow it here and take it with you? Make sure it fits - an ill-fitting helmet is worse than none at all.
Fire extinguisher - again not required, but if you do decide to take one, make sure it is working and has a decent capacity. It should be securely installed in the car so that there is no likelihood of it breaking free.

Passengers are allowed and can take photos/video if they're brave enough to keep looking through the viewfinder! It's pretty relaxed there actually. You'll be surprised to see mopeds, 'buses - all sorts going round![]

Buy a ticket for more laps than you expect to run. I'll guarantee you'll use 'em all up! If you can afford a season ticket - it'll last you to the end of the year so you can return again and again.

Drive the track with caution - it's a marvelous experience but with some very tricky sections and road surfaces can change rapidly. You won't enjoy it so much if you stick it into the Armco or in the trees! Nut cases will be whizzing past you all the way, but ignore them and do your own thing. Keep an eye on your mirrors and move over to the right to let faster cars through.

Finally don't think you can learn the track at one visit. It is said it takes a 100 laps to get to know the 'Ring.
Best of all have fun! Hope this helps.
Regards,
Clive
PS. If you want a real eyeopener, hire the 'Ring Taxi - you'll see how it's really done!

 

[skendrick]

Thanks guys,
I was going to drop my front tyre pressure to 34psi and keep the rear at 36psi as the fronts are 205's and I find the car understeers a bit.
I am treating the ring as a fast sunday morning drive with nothing coming the other way (hopefully).
It's good to know helmets are not necessity as I didn't fancy wearing one.
I've been told that if your cought taking photos or film footage then it's an instant ban?

Been looking forward to this for months now, there are five of us going
911 C4
Boxster S
Lotus Elise
Imprezza Mk1
Imprezza Mk 3

 

[skendrick]

Does anyone know how many vehicles are allowed on the track at one time or do they let one out per minute for example?

 

[Lancerlot]

ORIGINAL: skendrick
I was going to drop my front tyre pressure to 34psi and keep the rear at 36psi as the fronts are 205's and I find the car understeers a bit.

Steve,
That's going the wrong way. Increase the front or decrease the rear to reduce understeer, but be careful if you're in a 911 as it's a natural oversteerer at high speed!
I would suggest you try the standard settings first. Take a pump and a decent pressure gauge with you and you can play around with these in the car park once you've been round a few times.
I don't believe there is limit on vehicle numbers - remember it's 13 miles long! It can get very busy so it's advisable to get there as soon as the track opens. The track is not always open to the public so check to make sure on http://www.nuerburgring.de/home/index.html?L=1 (if you have not already done so). It appears to be only open in the evening next Tuesday but all day on Wednesday. Hope this helps.
Regards,
Clive

 

[skendrick]

Thanks Clive,

We are spending the day there on Wednesday, but we also found out recently that it's a German Bank Holiday, so I expect it will be busy. we are planning to get to the gates around 7-7.30am, not sure what time they open but I hope this is early enough?.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Photos and Filming on track IS regrettably now banned [&o]

 

[Lancerlot]

ORIGINAL: skendrick
we are planning to get to the gates around 7-7.30am, not sure what time they open but I hope this is early enough?.

Steve,
On Wednesday the gates are open from 08.00 to 19.30.
Just enough time to wear out a set of boots!
Regards,
Clive

 

[skendrick]

Thanks Mark,

Might have to do all my filming on the last lap of the day.

Clive,

Hoping I will have some tread left as they are a new set two months ago, if not it could be an expensive month next month.

 

[paulf968]

you could also look here www.northloop.co.uk site created for Ringers by Ringers.

personally I would recommend a helmet and all limbs covered as per UK trackdays

a couple of passenger laps is really helpful before you drive yourself, almost anyone will oblige if asked

also have your dipped lights on all the time

finally, as you are planning to get going early in the morning, watch very carefully for damp areas -- the track might be dry as you go through the barrier but damp areas are likely to exist in various places even if there has been no rain.

enjoy


paul f

 

[Hacki]

Take it very easy the first lap! Otherwise the first one will be the very last one....

It would be good to have a guide who knows the track. Yo´ll never find the correct line through tricky sections yourself. And if you somehow make it through a corner on the wrong line, you´ll for sure crash in the next one.

So, take it easy and bear in mind that the surface is never even. Will take you some sets of tires until you´ll know your way round.

Good luck and tell us what has been going on!

Rgds

Hacki

 

[AGT]

[FONT=Arial"]i'm also there on tuesday and wednesday!

my advice is to see go out as a passenger with someone who knows the circuit then drive it yourself.

going early (8am) is a good idea as it's quiet. Late (after 5pm) is also good. Circuit usually closes at 7:30 pm.

keep a constant eye on your mirrors and INDICATE and move over to the right if anything is closing in on you.

get a helmet before you go. a passenger in a car in our group last time had to go to a german hospital after being concussed in a minor altercation with the armco. if she wore a helmet then that would have been avoided. i know i won't ever go out again without a helmet.

there is an excellent video to watch and an in depth guide on justgofaster.com

may see you there then. i'm in my green BMW this time.

 

[skendrick]

Thanks again for even more sound advise.

Never thought about having my lights on but makes sence (especially in a grey car).
I can borrow my brother-in-law's helmet as we have the same size head, but might buy my own.
I'll look out for the green BMW.
We have details of all the bends my mate printed off so my passenger will let me know but good idea about someone who knows the track.

Ferry leaves at 10.05am Tuesday and planning the get to the hotel around 6'ish. Starting to get excited.

 

[Lancerlot]

Don't be too put off by the cautionary advice. If you're sensible, you'll be fine - it'll be a blast!!
I would be interested to know how you get on.
Regards,
Clive []

 

[Lancerlot]

ORIGINAL: skendrick

Thanks again for even more sound advise.

Never thought about having my lights on but makes sence (especially in a grey car).
I can borrow my brother-in-law's helmet as we have the same size head, but might buy my own.
I'll look out for the green BMW.
We have details of all the bends my mate printed off so my passenger will let me know but good idea about someone who knows the track.

Ferry leaves at 10.05am Tuesday and planning the get to the hotel around 6'ish. Starting to get excited.

How did the Nordschleife session go then?
Regards,
Clive

 

[skendrick]

It was well worth the trip even if it had decided to rain for the first time in a month on the morning we got there.
The Ring was very greesy and slippery (f'narr f'narr) as I found myself pointing in the wrong direction at one point and fighting to keep the car from fish-tailing round the track on other laps. We managed 4 laps by 10.30 and the weather was getting worse so we decided to call it a day, but at least the track was virtually empty allowing us to play more without having to worrying about the 911 GT cars that had turned up for the day.
Attached is a picture of the weather we had, not the best for the first time on a track let alone the Ring but we all survived without a scratch and had far too much to drink and not enough sleep for the journey back.

I may have a small oil leak, smoke was coming from my drivers side wheel arch after my first two laps and Duncan said he had oil splats when he was following me. Any suggestions?

 

[Lancerlot]

Awwww! The 'Ring's good fun in the wet isn't it? []
Sorry you didn't get more laps in. Hopefully it's whetted (wetted -sorry couldn't resist that! []) your appetite for more later on.
As regards the oil leak - overfilled sump maybe?
Regards,
Clive

 

[skendrick]

It has, we are thinking of this as an annual event and nearer to the end of this year going on an airfield for some one-to-one with the car's limits.

I did find the car handled like a C2 and not a C4 as I spent a fair amount of time power sliding (felt like it any-how) out of corners, my mate who sat with me thought this was great fun, but my concern was why I had no grip? I'm using Bridgestone S02 on the car, these are great in the dry but not so sure in the wet now.

The car doesn't seam to smoke any more but then I'm not driving it that hard, will get it checked out at next service.

Pic of the cars