Headed To The Nurburgring/Spa Again!

junglejustice · #1 (**permalink**) 04-28-2006, 06:16 PM

Well, the only redeeming factor of the week for me personally (aside from my health and my beautiful baby-girl), is that I am sitting here ready to go drive the Ring in Germany as well as Spa Francor-Franchor-Francorschamps???? next week with some mates...

Even sitting here at SFO on a WiFi connection (because I got bumped from my Frankfurt flight) won't phase me. I am on stand-by for London (and then Köln/Bonn), but I will get there...

It's going to be awesome - the topping will be the European Grand Prix at the Ring next weekend while we are there and then on to Barcelona for the Spanish GP the very next weekend...!

I am putting together the next trip for mid-September to coincide with Monza and the Italian GP with drives at the Ring and hopefully Spa again. we already have two takers...

Talk to me!

junglejustice · #2 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006, 05:08 PM

I am without words!!!!

Spa - driving it - is a once in a lifetime experience! The Ring is AMAZING!

Got rides in an F50 with Ron Simons driving at Spa - chasing after one of the 2003/2004 Arrows F1 cars (now privately owned and repainted white...)

911 GT3RSR with some crazy Brit doing 175 mph in places at the Ring.

Some of the guys got to go in the Ferrari 288 GTO Evo (one of only 3 in the world), a 54 D-Type aluminium body Jag (1 of 1), an Ultima Sportsracer w/Cosworth V6 - on and on....

It was the best - being on track at the same time with DTM E46 M3s (two), Radicals (including the blue one that just broke the record at the Ring), 360s, 430s, 575s, (more GT3RSs that you can shake a stick at) and yes, the gutsy Alfas!!! Love those T-Sparks - tried to break one - couldn't.

Hung out and drove (and killed some Bittburgers) with Plastic Pig, a_Alfa, Jarle, Alex Jupe and many other crazy Norwegians, Brits, Dutchmen, a Spaniard and even some other yanks.

The F1 newbies enjoyed the Euro Grand Prix at the Ring on Sunday before we left as a topping, but watching at that point paled by comparison... Some of the guys went on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend however, I had to cut my trip short to come home and take care of some business.

September... Monza... Spa... the Ring...

Ron Simons is a fantastic friend and an amazing host!

tomp · #3 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006, 06:45 PM

OK, I think I just turned permantly green.... I love tracks with lots of elevation changes. What was done to the alfa in the pictures? Have any more you can share? Looks great!
-Tom P.

Greg Gordon · #4 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006, 08:12 PM

It looks like a great time. Say hi to Jarle for me.

Mezevenf · #5 (**permalink**) 05-13-2006, 11:30 PM

Awesome

Looks like you had a lot of fun there JJ, me jealous.

Plastic Pig · #6 (**permalink**) 05-14-2006, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junglejustice

Hung out and drove (and killed some Bittburgers) with Plastic Pig, a_Alfa, Jarle, Alex Jupe and many other crazy Norwegians, Brits, Dutchmen and even some other yanks.

Plastic Pig · #7 (**permalink**) 05-14-2006, 04:42 AM

Evidence of Norwegians, hanging-out, Alex's car, 'Ring weather

: & more hanging out

:

Plastic Pig · #8 (**permalink**) 05-14-2006, 04:44 AM

junglejustice · #9 (**permalink**) 05-14-2006, 05:44 AM

That's awesome Bill! Thanks for posting.... Who was the photographer on some of the copyrighted pics - we would maybe like to buy a few...

Sorry, I can't post too many pics - some of the other guys paid for them...

Yeah, the Ring changes elevation by more than 900 feet!!! Spa has some nice changes too - especially at the most famous part of the circuit - the Eau Rouge/Raidillon combination. After negotiating the La Source hairpin up by the paddocks, you run down the straight before launching steeply uphill into a sweeping left-right-left collection of corners (the first of which is the actual Eau Rouge bend, the rest of the climb is Raidillon) with a blind crest (-just waiting on you and your "bad line" at the start of it all...!)

The Alfas are mostly standard 75 Twin Sparks. Ron prepares the cars in different ways for different purposes to demonstrate his wonderful suspensions - some with V6 engines so that 2-3 people can go on demo rides with instructors, some with just T-Sparks for beating up and driving at the limit. Experienced drivers can pay more and rent a V6 for the day - even on slicks if you dare.. Some of the demo cars have the full RSRacing suspension setups on them and then some of the general instruction cars only have the front anti-roll bar and rear springs installed.

They all have one thing in common - they get beat-up at the Ring something fierce - no wonder Ron does not invest in body-kits and crap! At first sight you look at them and think: what a **** bucket! Then you go to Spa and take Eau Rouge at 160 kilos or the turn at Blanchimont at 175 kilos and you think: I'm OK with not running more power here... First time that you run down the double-apex at Pouhon and screw up the line, you thank the lucky stars that be for the P6000s on the car that just howl as they give (and make-up for your short-comings as a driver...) as you head out on to the margin put there by Sir Bernie's F1 run-off requirements...

At some point or another we were each in a few situations last week where slicks or even just grippy R-compounds would snap the car around on ya REAL quick...

tomp · #10 (**permalink**) 05-14-2006, 05:54 AM

I liked the volvo delivery van!

Plastic Pig · #11 (**permalink**) 05-14-2006, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by junglejustice

... Who was the photographer on some of the copyrighted pics - we would maybe like to buy a few...