I'm going to the Nurburgring on saturday, after having watched a number of crash videos on youtube id be keen to hear from anyone who has been. Is it as mental as it looks? any tips and advice on how to avoid those squeaky bottom moments. Ive learnt the nordschleife on gt5 although i understand this doesn't count for much.

Use your mirrors

Don't get sucked into trying to keep up with someone who's just passed you - it ends in tears usually!

You'll need eyes everywhere if you go at the weekend. I found it best to do early morning and the latter part of the day.

If you see faster vehicles coming up behind, indicate right and move to let them pass. As above don't get sucked into following anyone, they might know less than you and relying on bravery.....

Oh and take plenty of money or plastic, last year it was 22 euros a lap!!!!

The rules are keep to the right of the track as you go round really unless overtaking (I never did much of this) although wasn't hanging around.

Ive been twice, once on my motorbike and the other more recently in my Golf GT TDI 130.

Amazingly I used 2 tanks of fuel over the whole trip

Midlands to Germany (500 miles each way) , trip to the ring twice (30 miles each way), 3 laps of the ring flat out (13 ish miles each)

avereage 60mpg over the whole trip, including the laps of the ring, gotta love VAG diesels!

You will enjoy it as I have both times, just make sure you buy an overpriced sticker (at least it will be genuine) :-)

I am going 7th July for a week and want to do at least a lap of the ring but i too am scared witless after watching many a crash video on youtube!

I will be there for the whole week and here that weekday evenings are much quieter so will probably go then if the weather ever improves!

Respect it. Simple as that.

You take the ring on like a c*.ck, drive like an a*se and you will end up in the ****.

Mirrors, think and learn.

One good tip is use someone else's car.

Fly to a major German city and you can hire things like boxters etc from hertz - cheaper than killing your own tyres and brakes

Shared between two it's not too expensive

Edit: apparently the hire companies have closed this one off 'excudes use on deresricted toll roads' and have trackers fitted.... Spoil sports :(

Also http://www.rent-racecar.de/english/prices/index.html

check http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/calendar.php for opening times and events

Enjoy

Posted twice due to iPhone.

I have had an accident at the Ring, thankfully only minor but you get hauled over the coals. My ding was in heavy rain in the Elise, I was on Hankook RS2's and it felt like I was driving on ice.

I'd either drive round far more sensibly than you'd drive on a normal trackday or do an organised trackday rather than the tourist sessions. It is most unlikely you'll be insured if you have an accident and Armco is 1500 euros a metre so treat with respect!

As has been said, keep your eyes on your mirrors, always slow more than you think you need to for the bends, as it is very easy to think it's a left hander over the brow of the hill when infact it's a Right!!

Not that i have done that

But enjoy it.

Not on the ring but I did something rather silly at croft.... Following a Caterham at speed in a single seater Mazda race car - got a bit giddy as I was keeping up after he went past. Clearly he was way faster than me but i wasnt much slower (i thought) What I didn't realise was he was on slicks and a tutor.... My car on road tyres - and driven by a numpty very funny but could have ended in a much bigger off than the spin I had

Lesson learnt... 'Till next time

"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."

  --  Mario Andretti

Forgot to say that if it's raining don't bother. There'll be patches of muck and oil all over the place that you don't notice in the dry.

There are plenty of good roads around the area when you're not on track, sorry public toll road....

Been 3 times on the bike and done under 10 minutes comfortably, just never when it's busy.

You've watched the vids of accidents and I witnessed a few, but generally it's through incompetence and lack of knowledge.

You'll pap yourself on there and love it all at the same time, enjoy.

Personally I would be looking for the quiet times too and do more than 1 lap a nice sighting one to see it experience it then one or more to push her on a bit track is far from smooth and even. Its something to say you've done not there to set any records. Recovery if you mess up costs a fortune also! Check out insurance options too unlikely tesco value will cover someone tear assing around the ring tbh.

LIKE THIS!

I'm going to the Nurburgring on saturday...

Jealous

I'm going to the Nurburgring on saturday,

Jealous

I live 90 minutes from the ring I could go every day but I have NEVER been! Only ever driven past and seen the signs

Some pretty sound advice there , you can hire a race spec Suzuki swift for 85 euros so I'm tempted to do that especially if it's busy. But we will see. ??

Some pretty sound advice there , you can hire a race spec Suzuki swift for 85 euros so I'm tempted to do that especially if it's busy. But we will see. ??

Really? Where?

I haven't seen them anywhere near that price....also don't forget you will have at least a 5000€ excess on these!

I have looked into it and would rather take my own car for a sensible lap or 2 and enjoy the experience.

I spoke to a guy with a 911 GT2 who races his E36 M3 on the Ring.

He had a wishbone snap on the 911 and took out 30 metres of Armco. Add that into the price of the circuit having to close and you are talking about a bill of nearly £50,000 which no insurance company would pick up - that excluded damage to his car which was considerable!

Just add to what others have already said;

• Keep right unless overtaking and to be honest, if it's your first visit, I'd just leave any thoughts of overtaking for lap three or four!
  
• Echoing MARCEVO1's somments - the absolute worst thing you can do is follow somebody else at speed!
  
• DO NOT even think about going out on the track if it's wet - it is lethal - I saw three or four spins within as many corners and started tip-toeing around and then did a HUGE spin myself on some oil and I was REALLY concentrating on keeping it on the black stuff. Had to factor in the cost of replacement shorts following that one! Also watch out for damp patches even if it appears dry - its a long track and you can get wildly varying conditions between one section and another.
  
• DO NOT try jumping the kerbs as if you were in a 2012 Ferrari F1 - it will end in tears and a guaranteed accident if you venture anywhere near them in the wet.
  
• Use your mirrors like your life depends on them......because it does! You would be suprised how fast some people go there and it's easy to get caught out turning into a left hand apex only to find some test pilot in a Ruff 911 there before you!
  
• Don't try and "learn" the track - it's nigh on impossible and over confidence can set in
  
• Treat each corner with real respect and don't a*rse about - some of them have odd cambers and parabolics which catch people out regularly
  
• Watch the blind brows and bends - it's not unusual to find an old banger or tour bus chuffing along at 30mph and there you are hooning into them at a ton!
  
• You will be suprised by the changes in level - it's way different in real life than on GT5!
  
• Do consider coughing up for some specialist insurance - should cost you £250 / £300 per day but might give you some peace of mind.
  
• You'll be suprised at how bumpy it can be and how absolutely carp your suspension will seem. It's not unknown to completely run out of travel on some of the big compressions.
  
• Take care of your brakes and just back off if you feel them fading
  
• Be prepared to replace your tyres - it's amazing how much wear they get especially if it's hot - make sure you stop hooning around long before you have to risk driving back home on illegal tyres.
  
• It's a public road and if you drive like an idiot there is every chance you will get reported and nicked - not for speeding but for dangerous driving. It's not something people consider but it's there!
  
• There is almost zero runoff and always keep in your mind that you will almost certainly clout the barrier no matter what speed you go off
  

Above all, enjoy yourself - its a fantastic experience and up there on the top 20 of things to do before you die if you're a petrolhead but treat it with the utmost respect - this isn't a CCC track day at Castle Combe

Don't know if you've seen this video before?

It's ace - the wiggle flat out down the straight under compression is heroic

I've "got wood"

Makes you want to go (but doesn't) if that makes sense? Stefan roser in the ruf yellow bird is EPIC!

It is an amazing place to go, such beautiful countryside and a great experience if you are a petrolhead, especially if you go with friends. But yes - respect the place!