My first lap on the Nürburgring

[parisifal]

Hey guys, some of you might have been following my quest to drive on as many European Circuits as possible. Well today I finally conquered my fear (at least the initial portion) and got some lap time on Nürburgring, the original Nordschleife, aka Green Hell as it is affectionately called.

No pictures as I did not bring my camera long. But you can be sure there was all manner of exotica there, from Ultima GTR to Ferraris to overblown Clios that can beat the Ultima and Ferrari.

Got to the track at about 9 am, the sky just cleared and the track was somewhat wet. I went out as a passenger on two laps to get a feel of the circuit. The speeds were cut down a bit due to the slick surface, but it was an experience being driven around the Ring. And than it was my turn to go around. This is a description of my first lap at the Nürburgring.

Bought myself a 6 lap’s ticket for 76 Euros. I than don my helmet and gloves and went out onto the track. First is the gate, insert ticket than you are off.

Section 1: Antoniusbrucker

A simple matter of accelerating as this is a fairly long straight right out of the gate. I hit about 100mph going into Tier Garden than a quick series of chicanes as I enter Hohenrein. This is my first initial taste of the circuit; it was slippery and quite jumpy to say the least. It continues onto a series of turns, one of which has a view of the modern Nürburgring which F1 races on. SOmwhat dissappointing first series of corner, but oh my is it misleading.

Section 2: Hatzenbach

This section was something else. I think I did more turns here than Silverstone and Hockenheim combined. The turns just come up on you like nothing else, almost out of nowhere, like playing an old NES racing game. A great series of undulating curve that ends with Hoheichen and leads onto a LONG LONG straight call Quiddelbacher Hohe.

Section 3: Flugplatz

This was kind of weird. I felt the wheels loosing traction mid way into it as the ground basically falls away. The amazing thing is that the entrance and exit of this two small right hander create a small hill of sort, kind of like a rollercoaster ride.

Section 4: Schwedenkreuz

Ok this is right after the Flugplatz, another long straight that leads to a nice radius left hander. I got scare [shizzle]less and back way off the throttle. I think I went from like 120 down to about 80 and almost [shizzle] myself as I come out of the sweeping left hander to Arremberg.

Section 5: Aremberg

Ok, Hockenheim was crazy with the tight turns, but this is ridiculous. I think I took it at like 30mph as I was completely out of my wits as I realize that a mistake will put me right smack into a wall. I don't think I've seen curves like these except when playing Gran Tourismo. Hockenheim and Silverstone has curves, but this thing is absolutely wild. This is of course follow by another high speed series of large radius turns. I was pushing close to 100 at the Fuchsrore and than I did what I was told not to: BRAKE

Section 6: Adenauer Forst

Ok, as you come off the straight on Fuchsrore there is a slight left hander that rises about 200 feet in front of you. It is just a trip because it looks like stairs, imagine stairs in an escalator now take that same angle and turn it into a road. I was told not to brake at the beginning of the turn which is at the bottom. Well guess what I did brake and when I let go of the brake right as the turn start to rise my car got a slight bit loose. That isn't the real fun part as I had to make a series of turns right after catching my car from going into the barrier (Armco.) So as I barely regain control of the car I am thrown right into a series of turns. This is my first sense of what the track can do to a car. I never felt as useless in a vehicle before as the law of physics took over. I honestly have never felt weight shift the way I did in that one corner before in my life. It sure hell wasn't the last since I'm not even half way done with the track yet.

[parisifal]

Section 7: Kallenhard

Coming out of Adenauer Forst is Metzgerfeld, a long wide left that ends in a tight left hander. Quite amazing, it has a feeling of being squeezed into a small bottle with a siphon. If you want something similar line up a series of cone and make it smaller and smaller as the turn progress. Than of course I came into a place called Kallenhard, when I hear the word hard I know it's going to be hard. A bunch of crazy little turns and a thing called "Hit Miss Hit" apparently one of the corners in Kallenhard but I am too distracted to notice where or when I was supposed to do it.

Section 8: Wehrseifen

Oh yeah, as I am barely recovering from Kallenhard, they decide to throw in a tight chicane at Wehrseifen. Yeah by this time I am like completely spent from a normal race track. I have never even driven on any racetrack anywhere near this long and you guessed it, I'm still not at the half way point yet. As I exit, it seem to be somewhat nice, than I noticed spectator on the next corner. I took the corner reasonably well but got the car a bit loose near the entrance of it. I than remember why all those spectators are there: CRASHES. PHEW!Section

9: Bergwerk

Right after that slight little squiggle I entered Ex Muhle and it was a bit hair raising. Bergwerk was actually fairly enjoyable as it leads onto a series of long sweeping turns. Of course I didn't know that so I kept it below 80 mph all the way.

Section 10: Steilstrecken

A fairly uneventful long blast down a country road until I approach this little beauty. The entrance was nice and wide; than I remembered it TIGHTEN right at the exit. Almost bit the dust there for a bit. I was later told that this is the corner that separates those that are brave and those that are crazy from each other. It is just another unbelievable turn that would never exist on a modern day circuit.

Section 11: Karusell

Well some of you should be familiar with this thing. It’s like I entered the world of 60 degrees banked turn of NASCAR racing....ON A ROAD TRACK. It was kind of cool though as I kept it at fairly high speed going through this corner. Oh and it is made up of concrete slab so it felt like a machine gun as I went through it.

Section 12: Wipperman

I must be near the end of the track by now, oh wait, a quick right hander and what's this.....a smack load of turns at Wipperman. Just when you though it was over there it is, a bunch of high speed turns thrown in just for the hell of it. By this time I am just completely spent as far as even remembering anything about the track. I just drove it the most cautious I can possible muster. I am now almost near the end of the first lap. Most of my fears has subsided and I am actually somewhat enjoying myself; but not for long

Section 13: Eiskurve

SCREECHHHHHHHHHHH

My car started SLIDING, all I did was slightly tap the brakes and there it was, the rear came out from under me, time slowed for a split second. Thank god for traction control as it pulls me back down. Yup, I have just past Eiskurve and yes the name is just as it sounds ICE CURVE. This corner has shade on all 4 sides and remains damp and slippery for most of the day. Even on a hot day this corner can be wet as I've been told by my friends. I was cautious going into it but I took a different line than was told. Apparently I was supposed to enter it on a normal line than keep it in the middle, but my dumbass enter the curve in the middle of the track. I guess no one has driven in that portion of the turn and it was slippery as heck. Well at least I survived it.

Section 14: Pflansgarten

A bunch of turns, oh yeah, I am just oblivious to the track now, trying to just finish my first lap. How many turns do you think is too many? Well how about the fact that there's a Pflansgarten II in there! Though my adrenaline is bumping enough to keep me going. But ah what's this.....

Section 15: Schwalbenschwanz

Oh yeah another tight left hander out of freakin nowhere. Oh wait not 1 but 2 hard left hander. Than a hard right just to make sure I'm still awake. Not a bad series of corner really, by this time I knew I was near the end of the first lap so I was quite relaxed.

Section 16: Dottinger Hohe

Just shooting out of the curve and down a long long striaght. You wouldn't believe the sense of relief I felt seeing that road open up wide and striaght.

Ok, I'M DONE.

[parisifal]

If you read through all of that you might get a sense of what it felt like to drive one lap on this monster. Notice how I needed 3 damn section of this post to even post the entire experience. This thing is the lenght of a 4 page essay in Word and that's not even using double spacing. And actually, that's not really the entire thing, only small 16 encapsulated sections. I could have made it even LONGER, there are 76 official corners and 164 unofficial one as no one is quite sure what a corner is on the RING.

And if you want to have a feel of what the track felt like, jump up and down as fast as you can and you get an idea. This is LITERALLY like a roller coaster. I swear at least 20% of the turns I couldn't see the crest at all since I was staring STRAIGHT at tarmac. To me it felt like the some Stairway to Heaven, except this one might end with a crash. Truly an unbelievable racetrack.

That's right 20.832KM long just 13 miles long.

Call it coincidence that it just happens to be 13 miles long.

Prologue: I went out and did another 3 laps than it got too crowded and I decided to leave. I will be back, probably sometime this coming week to make it an even 10 laps.

[deyan]

Wow, thats amazing man! Great write up. I hope to one day visit the "Green Hell" too. Hopefully once I graduate from college.

What kind of car did you drive? (probe gt?)

edit: Nevermind, just saw in your other threads that you have an M3. Amazing car!

[QT96GT]

Must of been awesome.....just imagine running that in a Porsche 944 or a Mclaren F1



I dont think it was a probe as he mentions TCS kickin in

[L-ucky-S-ix]

I think the driver of the gtr was a pansy if he was getting beat by a clio.

[parisifal]

Originally Posted by L-ucky-S-ix

I think the driver of the gtr was a pansy if he was getting beat by a clio.

Ah but you have not experienced the joy of German craziness. There are Bugs, Vanagon, Clio, Micra and all sort of small tiny buzzing monster in this country. The Clio was a Club Sport with who knows what kind of ungodly power while the R33 was only mildly modified.

That's still not the point, on this course, a stock Golf can beat an M3 with a good driver. I know this because such a Golf pass me on my 3rd lap out. Of course the car does help as I only got pass mostly by Porsches and a crazy 350Z.

And this is one place where no one will laugh at you for being a pansy, they will however sneer as you crash into an Armco going at a speed beyond your capability and familiarization of the track. I know I was going way too slow during at least half of the track as I simply did not know what the heck was going to come up next. This is no place to mess around and be a hero, again, I was there for about 6 hours and saw 6 crashes within a 3 hours time span. It is no joke. It makes driving anywhere else seems safe, certainly any modern race track is much shorter and safer than the ring.

Matter of fact, go and look at a video or two on this track and maybe read something on it; as i think that comment shows a lack of understanding of exactly what kind of track this is.

[fpgt'91]

All I have to say is WOW. Great story I enjoyed every bit of it. I've watched a few shows and read up on the track. It seems like it's the true test track, the one you might say, the BIG one, of a drivers capabilities. I'd love to try it out one day but don't think that'll ever happen. (I can't wait to give it a go in GT4 though )

[L-ucky-S-ix]

I actually meant the Ultima.

But thats great to hear, that you had a good time since some say that the experience is all hyped. How could it be?!?! fun fun.

[parisifal]

There are a few that goes to the track, take maybe 1 passanger lap, or maybe take a cheap rental and go really slow and say it's all hype.

To them, just nod and smile, because they obviously didn't push anywhere near hard enough to truly enjoy the track. To truly enjoy it you have to drive on modern tracks than go to it, the difference is just astounding.

If at no point did you fear for your safety driving on the track you are going way too slow, i know I was going slow but i had more than a few scares during each lap.

Oh by the way, there was 2 BUSES there giving rides to tourists, so yeah, if you took a bus ride on the Ring you can probably say it's all hype.

[Shomegrown]

She's a bitch, eh?

Sorry I didn't catch you that day a few weeks ago. Adenauer Forst is probably one of the most common places to lose it as the right hand corner is essentially blind.

Here is a video from the day we were going to meet up. My buddy spun at Adenauer Forst and tapped the Armco. The only damaged was a bruised ego and scratched bumper.

He works for the Toyota F1 team...and we made sure all his co-workers got a laugh from it. I'm ahead (and lose him right away ) in the silver Golf.

Let me know if you head back. My S4 should be legally registered here within the next few weeks so I'll be taking it down there soon. However, nearly 500 hp is going to be quite a bitch to drive on the Nordschleife.

[deyan]

Originally Posted by Shomegrown

She's a bitch, eh?

Sorry I didn't catch you that day a few weeks ago. Adenauer Forst is probably one of the most common places to lose it as the right hand corner is essentially blind.

Here is a video from the day we were going to meet up. My buddy spun at Adenauer Forst and tapped the Armco. The only damaged was a bruised ego and scratched bumper.

He works for the Toyota F1 team...and we made sure all his co-workers got a laugh from it. I'm ahead (and lose him right away ) in the silver Golf.

Let me know if you head back. My S4 should be legally registered here within the next few weeks so I'll be taking it down there soon. However, nearly 500 hp is going to be quite a bitch to drive on the Nordschleife.

Hehe, 500hp should be lots of fun

[phreakintheroom]

Originally Posted by parisifal

Ah but you have not experienced the joy of German craziness. There are Bugs, Vanagon, Clio, Micra and all sort of small tiny buzzing monster in this country. The Clio was a Club Sport with who knows what kind of ungodly power while the R33 was only mildly modified.

Ahh, German craziness. Being German myself I know what you mean

About a year or so ago I saw an in-cockpit vid of a guy in a VTEC-powered Austin Mini taking the Nürburgring, and he was passing M3's and Porsches all day long. After his run it shows him getting out of the car, and you hear a Porsche driver yell "What the **** is in that little blue thing?"

Of course, his VTEC Mini has a better power-to-weight ratio than a Lamborghini

-phreak

[ouch1011]

I hate you.

I would love to take my car out on something like that. Maybe not to race, just to drive quickly.

[doc Jones]

Nice post.
You didnt say what car you were driving?

I will go there next summer. I was planning to do it this year but couldnt get any vacation approved

...and Ill be driving the Probe and Ill be bringing a DV cam

[Shomegrown]

Originally Posted by doc Jones

Nice post.
You didnt say what car you were driving?

I will go there next summer. I was planning to do it this year but couldnt get any vacation approved

...and Ill be driving the Probe and Ill be bringing a DV cam

Let me know when you go.

[doc Jones]

Originally Posted by Shomegrown

Let me know when you go.

Certainly