Wow Dunk, you are excelling yourself !! Superb writeup and an amazing amount of pics !!!
Looks a lot of fun and some ace shots of the cars on track.
Annabelle and Cat look like the new Paris and Nicole lol.
Graham Family Outing to the Ring and Hockenheim
Day 5 - Rheinbach
The track was due to open at 5.45pm so we had the whole day to do what we wanted again. Nige had found a great swimming complex in Rheinbach, about 45 mins away with a variety of swimming pools, diving pools, wave pools, flumes etc. Everyone decided that it would be a great way to spend the day and quite a healthy day too after sucking in burning rubber and oil for 4 days.
As usual we were up before Lou (she doesnt do early starts
) but that gave time to have brekkie and check the car over from the previous day. As was the trend now, I checked the oil (none used), checked the water (none used) checked pads and tyres and all were good but I decided to swap the left hand tyres front to rear to even the wear a bit.
I was persuaded to do the washing up and picked up the washing up bowl with all the cups in it and caffitiere reay to take to the shower/toilet block for hot water. As I turned to head up there I noticed a particularly vicious eifel grasshopper perched on my arm. It made me jump and the washing up bowl and contents fell to the floor ... ooops The saving grace is that I wasnt killed by it as they are reknowned for many deaths inflicted in a very nasty way each year :lol: The caffitiere was the only casualty and as a result Rachel was going to be grumpy without a shot of caffiene in the morning. I set about making a replacement.
Success
The drive up the Rheinbach was nice with Nige leading the way with Bruce then us following. We arrived soon enough and bought a 3 hour pass to the centre costing
The track was due to open at 5.45pm so we had the whole day to do what we wanted again. Nige had found a great swimming complex in Rheinbach, about 45 mins away with a variety of swimming pools, diving pools, wave pools, flumes etc. Everyone decided that it would be a great way to spend the day and quite a healthy day too after sucking in burning rubber and oil for 4 days.
As usual we were up before Lou (she doesnt do early starts
) but that gave time to have brekkie and check the car over from the previous day. As was the trend now, I checked the oil (none used), checked the water (none used) checked pads and tyres and all were good but I decided to swap the left hand tyres front to rear to even the wear a bit.I was persuaded to do the washing up and picked up the washing up bowl with all the cups in it and caffitiere reay to take to the shower/toilet block for hot water. As I turned to head up there I noticed a particularly vicious eifel grasshopper perched on my arm. It made me jump and the washing up bowl and contents fell to the floor ... ooops The saving grace is that I wasnt killed by it as they are reknowned for many deaths inflicted in a very nasty way each year :lol: The caffitiere was the only casualty and as a result Rachel was going to be grumpy without a shot of caffiene in the morning. I set about making a replacement.
Success
The drive up the Rheinbach was nice with Nige leading the way with Bruce then us following. We arrived soon enough and bought a 3 hour pass to the centre costing
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Mr Fletcher
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fantastic write up and pictures duncan :thumb:
cheers
jason
cheers
jason
[SIGPIC] [/SIGPIC]
http://www.cuttersmachinerysales.co.uk
http://www.cuttersmachinerysales.co.uk
Day 6 - Hockeheim TerroristenFahrten
Tourist days at Hockenheim dont come around very often so when one co-incided with the ring trip, Nige and I decided that we needed to do it just the once to experience a different track and to tick the box.
We thought that it would be a couple of hours away so planned to leave base at lunchtime to get down there early for some spare time and grub down there.
The morning was spent chilling out and checking cars, loading up what we needed for the trip and getting the cars filled with fuel enough for the sessions on track. I went to the Rewe for grub for lunch and ate before heading there in convoy with Nige. Chris Slator hopped in with us in the Shogun and the slow journey began. A diversion off the motorway didnt help the journey time with an extra 30 mins of road time than what it should have been but we got down to the track in plenty of time to unload.
Nervous ??
Whilst we were at Hockenheim, Jim Cameron was to be taking pictures for the article that he is doing for the mags so I was told to drive around the carp park with Jim hanging out of the window getting some arty shots - I can only imagine what the other drivers thought as I circled the car park a few time with Jim hanging out.
Some of the other cars
The gates opened and we headed into the pits with everyone else, none of us knowing exactly what the evening was going to entail or what to do. People kept saying that they would cover it in the briefing... hahaha what briefing :lol:
We found a queue and joined it to find out it was the queue for tickets to go on track - result. Two sessions bought and nervous as hell after seeing the huge number of cars waiting we werent long away from going out.
Jim was to jump in with me for the first terrorist session to give more depth to his article and for a crack, this was going to be an experience.
The time came and we were called into the pitlane along with all the other cars and lined up 3 abreast in the pitlane about 15 cars back from the front. Ah not too bad then 45 cars.
But, the cars kept coming and kept coming and kept coming................... at one stage I counted 45 cars per row and we were all going to be out on track together !!! Holy moly
The bikes were called in and it was own turn. I lined up behind Joel in his Elise and we streamed out of the pitlane all accelerating hard. You had to else someone would go into the back of the car. Round the first tight right and left combination and onto the long sweeping straight up to the hairpin. As we rounded the last part of this sweeping curve we saw the hairpin and both burst out laughing (i think with fear) as there were 6 abreast into it fighting for space on the track. Cars overtaking on the left or right or basically anywhere they could - this was racing !! Jeeesh
Round the hairpin, phew, and accelerating out towards the fast right into the complex (awesome corner) overtaking where I could and trying to avoid being hit. Jim was busy calling every car's position and notifying me of any late brakers and corner divers as we fought for every inch of space on track.
Eventually it cleared a little but it was still busy with around 140 cars on track at a time and you could not relax for one second with the obvious speed and handling differences between the cars. At one stage we rounded the hairpin and confronted by two cars taking most of the track width, I debated diving right and up one side, but they was a car to my right and a car to my left, then all of a sudden a car's width opened between the two cars in front and I gunned it held my breath and we shot through peeing ourselves with laughter again. OMG this was the scariest thing I have ever done !!
The car was going like a rocket and I played with a few of the cars out there after I got a feel for what i thought the right lines were (not that you could ever use a proper line with cars diving up the inside if you even left an inch of space)
The 20 min session came to an end and the car was quite warm and thankful of a cooldown whilst Jim and I were still laughing. That was immense.
Session two and Chris jumped in with me and we went out for a repeat dent free run - this was cut short when a BMW and Subaru collided into the fast right into the complex so a safety caravanelle (yes really) came out and brought the session to a temporary stop.
Me chasing Nige
We thought they would bring us into the pits to start again, but oh no, that would have been too boring. Instead they lined all 140 of us on the grid 5 abreast and were going to start it at once - fook. That is some risk hoping that 140 cars get away in time for the grid to be clear for the cars coming in at the end of the first lap Mental... but hilarious.
Overtaking was as normal in this session with left and right (and centre) overtakes all being valid. However, this session Chris suggested that the safest place was on the grass, so I undertook an Elise around the right before the pit straight with most of the right hand side well onto the grass and the left wheels on the apex - funny as anything looking at their faces when we went past them. Loved it.
The session ended and we drew a collective breath to say that we survived intact. Everyone's faces were a picture (sadly not one I took) but we were all stunned and laughing at just how mental it was. :lol:
Amazing experience and one that I am glad that I did but probably wont repeat.
The track is fantastic and I would definitely do a full track day there as with huge traffic and compromised lines I managed a 2.18 laptime. There is another 20 seconds in that time I think.
We had to load the car back onto the trailer and then head home. The boys that came with us in their cars suggested that they pick up pizzas for us all so we gave them orders and hit the road. 3.5 hours later and we arrived back to the campsite at 11.30pm having just heard that everywhere in Adenau was shut so no grub.
Not to worry for the Pinders. No sooner had we got back had Lou and Nige started to prepare food for everyone from their supplies. Fantastic and a huge thanks from us all. Never had beans and sausages and potatoes tasted so good
As we were leaving early in the morning we had to pack the majority of our stuff up that night to save time. This was inspersed with looking at Lou's pics of the evening and general talking of sh*te (as usual) around the campfire.
Another great day but sadly our last for this trip.
Rachel and Lou had been getting on great and as for Annabelle and Matt & Cat - they were firm friends. Camping is much more sociable then hotels and we have had a superb time and I believe made some brilliant friends. I was sad to go to bed at 2am but I had to get up at 6.30 to finish packing and pack away the tent.
Tourist days at Hockenheim dont come around very often so when one co-incided with the ring trip, Nige and I decided that we needed to do it just the once to experience a different track and to tick the box.
We thought that it would be a couple of hours away so planned to leave base at lunchtime to get down there early for some spare time and grub down there.
The morning was spent chilling out and checking cars, loading up what we needed for the trip and getting the cars filled with fuel enough for the sessions on track. I went to the Rewe for grub for lunch and ate before heading there in convoy with Nige. Chris Slator hopped in with us in the Shogun and the slow journey began. A diversion off the motorway didnt help the journey time with an extra 30 mins of road time than what it should have been but we got down to the track in plenty of time to unload.
Nervous ??
Whilst we were at Hockenheim, Jim Cameron was to be taking pictures for the article that he is doing for the mags so I was told to drive around the carp park with Jim hanging out of the window getting some arty shots - I can only imagine what the other drivers thought as I circled the car park a few time with Jim hanging out.
Some of the other cars
The gates opened and we headed into the pits with everyone else, none of us knowing exactly what the evening was going to entail or what to do. People kept saying that they would cover it in the briefing... hahaha what briefing :lol:
We found a queue and joined it to find out it was the queue for tickets to go on track - result. Two sessions bought and nervous as hell after seeing the huge number of cars waiting we werent long away from going out.
Jim was to jump in with me for the first terrorist session to give more depth to his article and for a crack, this was going to be an experience.
The time came and we were called into the pitlane along with all the other cars and lined up 3 abreast in the pitlane about 15 cars back from the front. Ah not too bad then 45 cars.
But, the cars kept coming and kept coming and kept coming................... at one stage I counted 45 cars per row and we were all going to be out on track together !!! Holy moly
The bikes were called in and it was own turn. I lined up behind Joel in his Elise and we streamed out of the pitlane all accelerating hard. You had to else someone would go into the back of the car. Round the first tight right and left combination and onto the long sweeping straight up to the hairpin. As we rounded the last part of this sweeping curve we saw the hairpin and both burst out laughing (i think with fear) as there were 6 abreast into it fighting for space on the track. Cars overtaking on the left or right or basically anywhere they could - this was racing !! Jeeesh
Round the hairpin, phew, and accelerating out towards the fast right into the complex (awesome corner) overtaking where I could and trying to avoid being hit. Jim was busy calling every car's position and notifying me of any late brakers and corner divers as we fought for every inch of space on track.
Eventually it cleared a little but it was still busy with around 140 cars on track at a time and you could not relax for one second with the obvious speed and handling differences between the cars. At one stage we rounded the hairpin and confronted by two cars taking most of the track width, I debated diving right and up one side, but they was a car to my right and a car to my left, then all of a sudden a car's width opened between the two cars in front and I gunned it held my breath and we shot through peeing ourselves with laughter again. OMG this was the scariest thing I have ever done !!
The car was going like a rocket and I played with a few of the cars out there after I got a feel for what i thought the right lines were (not that you could ever use a proper line with cars diving up the inside if you even left an inch of space)
The 20 min session came to an end and the car was quite warm and thankful of a cooldown whilst Jim and I were still laughing. That was immense.
Session two and Chris jumped in with me and we went out for a repeat dent free run - this was cut short when a BMW and Subaru collided into the fast right into the complex so a safety caravanelle (yes really) came out and brought the session to a temporary stop.
Me chasing Nige
We thought they would bring us into the pits to start again, but oh no, that would have been too boring. Instead they lined all 140 of us on the grid 5 abreast and were going to start it at once - fook. That is some risk hoping that 140 cars get away in time for the grid to be clear for the cars coming in at the end of the first lap
Mental... but hilarious.Overtaking was as normal in this session with left and right (and centre) overtakes all being valid. However, this session Chris suggested that the safest place was on the grass, so I undertook an Elise around the right before the pit straight with most of the right hand side well onto the grass and the left wheels on the apex - funny as anything looking at their faces when we went past them. Loved it.
The session ended and we drew a collective breath to say that we survived intact. Everyone's faces were a picture (sadly not one I took) but we were all stunned and laughing at just how mental it was. :lol:
Amazing experience and one that I am glad that I did but probably wont repeat.
The track is fantastic and I would definitely do a full track day there as with huge traffic and compromised lines I managed a 2.18 laptime. There is another 20 seconds in that time I think.
We had to load the car back onto the trailer and then head home. The boys that came with us in their cars suggested that they pick up pizzas for us all so we gave them orders and hit the road. 3.5 hours later and we arrived back to the campsite at 11.30pm having just heard that everywhere in Adenau was shut so no grub.
Not to worry for the Pinders. No sooner had we got back had Lou and Nige started to prepare food for everyone from their supplies. Fantastic and a huge thanks from us all. Never had beans and sausages and potatoes tasted so good
As we were leaving early in the morning we had to pack the majority of our stuff up that night to save time. This was inspersed with looking at Lou's pics of the evening and general talking of sh*te (as usual) around the campfire.
Another great day but sadly our last for this trip.
Rachel and Lou had been getting on great and as for Annabelle and Matt & Cat - they were firm friends. Camping is much more sociable then hotels and we have had a superb time and I believe made some brilliant friends. I was sad to go to bed at 2am but I had to get up at 6.30 to finish packing and pack away the tent.
Re: No pics
The only one I have of yours in the one in the campsite whilst putting the bung in. I think Lou has a load of it on track as you did loads of laps on Monday :thumb:BIGFUD wrote:None of mine duncan ??? looked like you had a good time well done mate ..
Did you get your brakes sorted?
Wow!!
Superb mate
I love the photo of you following the Viper into the Karussel. Really nice
How did you find the towing aspect of the trip? Did it have a significant affect on the trip?
Look forward to the balance of the write up and the details of the Hockenheim bit.
Superb mate
I love the photo of you following the Viper into the Karussel. Really nice
How did you find the towing aspect of the trip? Did it have a significant affect on the trip?
Look forward to the balance of the write up and the details of the Hockenheim bit.
http://www.auto-genie.co.uk
07733 527430
stuart@auto-genie.co.uk
Valeting, detailing and undersealing
07733 527430
stuart@auto-genie.co.uk
Valeting, detailing and undersealing
Day 7 - going home
Up at 6.30 and loading the shogun up trying to be quiet (sorry if we woke anyone). Nige, Lou and Matt were awake to see us off. Matt and Annabelle were both very sad to be leaving each other. Something tells me that they will be friends for a long time. Cat wasnt up as she is always the last up in the morning but I know she will read this at some stage. It was great spending time with you all.
It was also made special by the many others that were in the NL campsite area and those we chatted to at the track or out and about: Al, Dan, Andy, Chris, John, Andy, Matti, Owen, Jim, Darren, Maddie, Bruce, Lee, Barney, Simon, Andy C, Martin and Heidi ....... the list goes on and on. The ring is more than just a track it is a lifestyle and great social place for all the family.
I hate goodbyes and we were tight on time so was told to jump in the car and get going. Little did I know when I pulled away, that both Rachel and Annabelle were crying to be leaving the place and the people.
Boring drive and a ferry and a boring drive later and we were home.
What a trip - if anyone is thinking they wont like camping, get prepared and you will. It is brilliant and is helped by great company. Thank you everyone.
Until next time :thumb:
Up at 6.30 and loading the shogun up trying to be quiet (sorry if we woke anyone). Nige, Lou and Matt were awake to see us off. Matt and Annabelle were both very sad to be leaving each other. Something tells me that they will be friends for a long time. Cat wasnt up as she is always the last up in the morning but I know she will read this at some stage. It was great spending time with you all.
It was also made special by the many others that were in the NL campsite area and those we chatted to at the track or out and about: Al, Dan, Andy, Chris, John, Andy, Matti, Owen, Jim, Darren, Maddie, Bruce, Lee, Barney, Simon, Andy C, Martin and Heidi ....... the list goes on and on. The ring is more than just a track it is a lifestyle and great social place for all the family.
I hate goodbyes and we were tight on time so was told to jump in the car and get going. Little did I know when I pulled away, that both Rachel and Annabelle were crying to be leaving the place and the people.
Boring drive and a ferry and a boring drive later and we were home.
What a trip - if anyone is thinking they wont like camping, get prepared and you will. It is brilliant and is helped by great company. Thank you everyone.
Until next time :thumb:
Cheers mate. The viper disappeared after that but objective achieved as I knew Lou was there taking pics and it was pure chance that the Viper appeared, it had to be set up.stuart wrote:Wow!!
Superb mate
I love the photo of you following the Viper into the Karussel. Really nice
How did you find the towing aspect of the trip? Did it have a significant affect on the trip?
Look forward to the balance of the write up and the details of the Hockenheim bit.
Towing was fine to be honest apart from slowing down the journey but it meant that there was no limit on what we could take. I took spares & tools galore, tyres, wheels and rachel and annabelle had no restrictions on what they wanted to pack. For a camping trip I think that is useful particularly with grils that were unsure whether they would enjoy it.
Hockenheim is up now ^ Two words sum it up though. Fooking mental !!!