Berg Cup 2012- Eschdorf report (media heavy)
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 9:09 pm
This years trip had its work cut out. 2011's spell in Eschdorf will permanently be my reference point for when I need a definition for motorsport event excellence. Put simply, if you weren't there last year, you simply won't be able to grasp what we experienced- and this is coming from people that have been all over the World sampling top level motorsport over the last twenty years. Make no mistake......Berg Cup round 1 2011 was something special.
Banzai Trev, Jimbob, Mafia Mike and I had been talking about a re-visit almost as soon as we'd got there last year. It was like the first encounter with a powerful drug......an instant hit and the craving would soon follow. PhatBob was less of a fan initially but he was soon converted last year and saw the crystal clear appeal of the wide mix in car types, all backed up but stunning prep and top class driving. Add great weather, cracking food, much cheapness and piss-taking galore and the trip has become my benchmark for this kind of thing. Anyway; that was 2011 and this report is all about 2012
Thursday
The veterans from 2011 were joined by two race engineer mates of PhatBob's. The Essex contingent (Mafia Mike, Jamie and Trev) had agreed to leave super early leaving the rest of us to leave at a more gentile time of day. I met Bob at his home in Suffolk and we left at 10am to get the 2pm train from Folkestone. The plan was to meet the other lads enroute and get to Eschdorf for tea time. By the time we'd got to Folkestone, Trev had already sent me a text to say that they were at the campsite!!
Coffee and food was consumed before we got on the Eurotunnel and off we went, straight on to the train, exchanging the normal mixed conversation to fill the 40 minute trip across the channel and then off to Belgium for our first stop for more grub. It was clear, right from the start, that Bob and Pete enjoyed a pretty brutal friendship
Really acidic piss taking and at a relentless pace. I was worn out after ten minutes and I thought that I was bad! Back on the road with the weather throwing everything from bright sunshine, rain and thunderclouds the same colour as this forum's background at us. The distance to go trickled down like sand in a timer, and eventually we started getting familiar with our route as we eased through the last bits of Belgium and into Luxembourg. We missed Brussels this time, and the trip was 100% better for it.
We arrived at the camp site to see Mike, Trev and Jamie all set up and looking very relaxed. A quick tent erection and down to The High Chapparal to join Ed and eat his mighty fine Ribs and steaks
The locals all wanted to know about Mike, Trev and Jamie's Golfs and it was amazing to see the fuss their cars created when the phone pics started coming out! To see the locals going bat-shit these home grown and built cars was so nice.........and that was for a spectator to it all! (They certainly didn't ask about the VR6 or the Mazda
)Loads of beer and Jagerbombs later and time for bed. The Essex boys had been up since 2am!!
Friday

The weather had obviously been crap as you can see from the ground, but we enjoyed the sunshine and chatted about the cars, the drama and the food ahead. Simple things.....
Marc @ the campsite kindly reserved our previous pitch and did us a great price for the stay.

New bodyguards for the beer

We had the entire top end of the site, easily enough for the seven of us and cars and our neighbours were another group of Brits who had travelled over for the racing. On the Friday, we were also joined by Michael Everett, owner of one of the nicest Mk1's in the country and building what promises to be a really top end Mk1 race car; lucky sod! He was really cagey about details when quized on his progress and spec, Jamie virtually fell asleep so that conversation died a death and we all went our separate ways!! After lunch, we all got in the cars and made our way up the hill to get parked up and start looking at this years entrants.
Banzai Trev, Jimbob, Mafia Mike and I had been talking about a re-visit almost as soon as we'd got there last year. It was like the first encounter with a powerful drug......an instant hit and the craving would soon follow. PhatBob was less of a fan initially but he was soon converted last year and saw the crystal clear appeal of the wide mix in car types, all backed up but stunning prep and top class driving. Add great weather, cracking food, much cheapness and piss-taking galore and the trip has become my benchmark for this kind of thing. Anyway; that was 2011 and this report is all about 2012

Thursday
The veterans from 2011 were joined by two race engineer mates of PhatBob's. The Essex contingent (Mafia Mike, Jamie and Trev) had agreed to leave super early leaving the rest of us to leave at a more gentile time of day. I met Bob at his home in Suffolk and we left at 10am to get the 2pm train from Folkestone. The plan was to meet the other lads enroute and get to Eschdorf for tea time. By the time we'd got to Folkestone, Trev had already sent me a text to say that they were at the campsite!!

Coffee and food was consumed before we got on the Eurotunnel and off we went, straight on to the train, exchanging the normal mixed conversation to fill the 40 minute trip across the channel and then off to Belgium for our first stop for more grub. It was clear, right from the start, that Bob and Pete enjoyed a pretty brutal friendship

We arrived at the camp site to see Mike, Trev and Jamie all set up and looking very relaxed. A quick tent erection and down to The High Chapparal to join Ed and eat his mighty fine Ribs and steaks


Friday

The weather had obviously been crap as you can see from the ground, but we enjoyed the sunshine and chatted about the cars, the drama and the food ahead. Simple things.....
Marc @ the campsite kindly reserved our previous pitch and did us a great price for the stay.

New bodyguards for the beer

We had the entire top end of the site, easily enough for the seven of us and cars and our neighbours were another group of Brits who had travelled over for the racing. On the Friday, we were also joined by Michael Everett, owner of one of the nicest Mk1's in the country and building what promises to be a really top end Mk1 race car; lucky sod! He was really cagey about details when quized on his progress and spec, Jamie virtually fell asleep so that conversation died a death and we all went our separate ways!! After lunch, we all got in the cars and made our way up the hill to get parked up and start looking at this years entrants.