Club Arnage

<Herecy alert>

I happened into going to Le Mans about 12 years ago and have been every year since, now organising a party of 30 people every year. The general chav factor, Gendermerie clamping down on fun stuff, faffing about with campsites from the ACO etc, is getting so tiresome, I'm tempted to skip the 24h this year and maybe try something else - the Classic appeals somewhat (but then the Silverstone Classic the following weekend is said to be very good indeed) and I'm wondering about the ADAC 24h at the Nurburgring. I note a few CAers went last year and seemed to have a blast - is anyone else thinking of doing it *instead of* Le Mans, this year?

If not going instead of, are other CA teams planning on making it to the 'Ring this year?

cheers
Ewan

Ewan,  You're right.  Some of us did go to Nurburgring last year - partially because I was getting married a couple of weeks later, and couldn't get to Le-Mans (bad planning, but genius in the long run, trust me!)

Anyway.  Nurburgring.  Perhaps the best weekend of my life.  Beware though - It's absolutely flaming brutal.  It was hot when we went, reasonably warm at night, and the germans thought I, and most of the people I was with, were absolutely nuts (perhaps due to the expletives written on my back, as I was stripped naked and left 2 miles from the campsite with nothing but a shoe and a pack of fags to cover my dignity - just as the last car crossed the line and 200,000 people started to head for the  same campsite!).

I can't honestly comment on the racing - my only exposure was the last 30 mins of the race, and for 5 of those minutes I was pinned to the floor with Andy Zarse ripping my clothes off me - literally (Team Zarse is a very close group - apparently!).

But it is a fantastic weekend - as with any of these events, the people you go with make it, but the general atmosphere was far more chilled out - and believe it or not, the germans do really know how to party (until 6am it would seem too).   

However, perhaps the ultimate part of the trip, especially if you drive something reasonably fun, is the drive down, especially the last hour.  Once you get off the autobahn (yes, unrestricted fun), you then have the most INCREDIBLE roads to and from the circuit.  Not only are they fantastically twisty, technical, and smooth, they also open up, so you can see about 2 miles ahead (handy if you fancy wanging around, at warp speed, knowing nothing is coming in the other direction).  I would recommend a Sat Nav with European Maps though - two reasons for this, mainly the fact that its not the easiest place in theworld to get to, but also, if you have said fun car, and said sat nav, and a passenger, he or she can read pace notes to you as you make rapid progress towatrds the circuit.

All in all, If I couldnt, or didn't want to do Le-Mans, Nurburgring would be my next option - it's truly a superb weekend away - sadly I can't do both, so chose Le-Mans - but have a great weekend - and look out for the Team Zarse stickers and branding everywhere - It's definately clear we've been there :)

Enjoy.

Brad

One word - Sebring.

All the best for 2010.

thanks Brad! I stopped off at the 'Ring on the way back from a pan European gran turismo last year, and when walking around on the banking by the track, though "hmmm, this could be a pretty cool place to watch the 24h race...".

Maybe what I need by way of preparation is a "Club Adenau Guide" or something like that ;)

cheers & happy New Year all,
Ewan

Ewan - Matt is right though - I'm told Sebring is everything we want LM to be - laid back, no pikeys, no chavs, etc etc.  It's a long way to go, but its not actually hugely expensive (although currently out of reach for me owing to new job etc).

I'm also told the hospitality of the Turn 10 crew is legendary - having met Matt a few years back, I wouldn't doubt that for a single moment :)

Have to agree with all Brad said. Idid both events last year. The Ring was a great weekend, but you need to bear in mind it's only GT2's with a host of clapped out Max Power type saloon cars driven by rank amateurs. Sebring is full-on prototypes, GT1 etc, and you can get to some fantastic corners to watch close up and meet the drivers. The Ring is blighted with the dreaded catch fencing like Le Mans. Great fun, but what with all social side and all our USA based pals too, for my money Sebring is the one to go to. It can be done as a "cheeky weekend" too.

Without doubt a trip to the Nordschleife for a race is must for any serious racing enthusiast, it is, above all other circuits, the cathedral of speed.  Places like Le Mans, Monza, Indianapolis, Spa, Sebring, etc, are all legendary circuits, with rich histories, but then there is simply THE RING. My advice...do them all eventually! That's my plan.  I was watching the July DTM round from Zandvoort today on Speed TV, would love to see a race at the historic circuit in the dunes, perhaps I can talk the Mrs into a trip to Amsterdam and Zandvoort...
Sebring is great though, the place absolutely oozes racing history from the moment you drive in and see the plaque with the winners names on it.  While the press and race control facilities are all modern and top notch, the rest of the place is kind of old and crumbly, the circuit largely unchanged, with little or no fencing to have to squint though, and unlike Le Mans, there's no ten foot high cement walls topped by razor wire to have to deal with, its all friendly and laid back.  Buildings that were there when it was a Eighth Air Force bomber training base are still sitting around, with the ghost's of young men preparing to rain bad news on the Third Reich, still walking the grounds.
And yes, the Turn 10 guys have elevated hospitality and good old fashioned fun to a new standard.
Fax

The Nordschleife and rank amateurs doesn't sound the safest of combinations, I have to say. And the thought of driving the Nordschleife in the dark is a pretty scary one as well, thinking about it.

Still, it is my all-time favourite racing circuit and I'm certainly considering visiting the 'Ring next year and then possibly heading for Le Mans as well. As 'safer' as the 'Ring has been made, I don't doubt that it still provides an awesome challenge for both drivers and cars alike, and it's one of the very few of the circuits from the glory days of racing that hasn't been either abandoned or so watered down that it's a shadow of its former self like Spa, Reims and others.

The drivers aren't rank amateurs! The entry requirements are quite strict. For example, drivers must compete in at least 2 rounds of the VLN champ on the NS. It is true that the majority of the field are privateers but they are what the race was built around.

That's the one.  Now that I'm an old f*rtess and now a bit f*ck*d to boot, I know well that this is the best advice in this thread.  I'm determined to do the 'Ring before I pop 'em, plus several other circuits.   I still love LM for all its faults - the combination of entrant and atmosphere is still second to none imo, but then I may well change my mind when I get more events under my belt. Do the 'Ring, do Spa, do Ricard...  Petit, Bathurst....  Where did I put the credit card?...

I'm a bit old school when it comes to where I go to watch a race.  For me its not so much about the type of racing going on there, as the venue.  I would rather go watch a shopping kart race at the Nordschleife, than sit at one of the cookie cutter Tilke F1 circuits at watch Bernie's kiddies.  My list of still must see's include the Ring, Brands Hatch (a race on the full GP circuit), Monza, Spa, Ricard, Zandvoort, Mosport, and Bathurst.  Doesn't matter whats there, cars or bikes.
Fax

F1 - seen my last one of those - only good for passing  a couple of hours in front of the telly in the summer if I've got nothing else to do - there it ends. But when I was living near Brands I'd rather have nipped out and watched a club meeting there than stay in for F1.  Likewise now I still (when I get) catch the clubman's meetings on the Bugatti when I can.  I may try Valle de Vienne this year for the first time as I have an open invitation to go to stay nearby which I'll take up if things go well in the legs department.

Oulton Park was great back in the day (may well still be but haven't been for 30 years), and Dony ain't bad either.  In fact the UK has some great circuits when you think about it - and the "home" of motor racing is Silverstone.  Would you bloomin' credit it? ::)

thanks for all the advice, folks :D

I've a feeling we might give the Ring 24h a miss, too. Talking it over with The Boys, we might just end up going for a big drive for a weekend - since the exercising of fast cars is kind of the point of going to LM anyway (ie it's the whole experience rather than just the racing that I go for), and that effectively rules out Sebring too.

Hell's Bells. I'll probably end up in some arse end campsite nearer Arnage than the village, but will be there all the same in June...

I've been looking at doing Sebring as a "cheeky weekend" this year but even if I leave asap on Sunday (ie: dept MCO Sunday evening) I won't get home until Tuesday.  Bloody time zones!   >:(

Dx

PS:  Ewan, go to The Ring.  It's such a brilliant circuit that you'll kick yourself forever more if you don't.

In reply to our darling Doris... I want to do Sebring if I can get a fooking job in time... and in reply to Ewan, I was one of the 11 nutters that did the NBR 24 last year and it was a belter of a 4 day weekend.
We were lucky enough to camp on the best site and have some tolerant neighbours who I think thought we were all mental.... Lovely atmosphere and superb food and facilities. T  Highly reccomended! Do the 'ring and Lm... its a cracking month!!

Hi Doris,
            It wouldbe great to see you again. If you fly through Europe don't you get your day back ;D ;D
Phil

Hi Fax,
          Mosport I can help you with. ALMS in August or any Region race week end.
Phil

Nope.  Just lots of air miles.   ;D

Dx

Sounds like just another CA night out to me.

i haven't been to the N24 yet but ive been to the ring the last 2 years and can honestly say it takes my breath away each year. The views and people are really really breath taking, the track is fanbloodytastic & the trip there and back is a experience ( Belgium roads are utter shite btw! )

If i wasnt going to Lemans this year id be going back but Lemans then a proper holiday is needed for a change in 2010!

Not sure if you are talking about the Ring or Spa but have to agree about the views absolutely treefastic well around Spa anyway. I will have to agree with you on the state of the roads though, but not quite as extreme in the sense that I think we are all spoiled by the roads, and signposting, in France which is a little special compared with the 10-20-30 year old roads in Belgium, some even being concrete plus the relatively poor signage and traffic speed warnings. I am told that the Belgians are harder on speeders than the French but think this is a little unfair as the signage is poor, take care. Anyway who wants to drive fast when there is such stunning scenery?

BTW roads in Guernsey are very good, if not very long.

>Martini...LB

belguim roads are crap i meant.

So, fellow CAers, it is done. I've given the ACO the bird.

After 11 years on the trot in MB, BN, HA and BN again, the masters of coordination awarded me 15 campsite spots in BSJ. I sent the obligatory "surely you can do better than that" email, pointing out that I'm offering to spend €4,500+ for the nth year in a row, having followed the same process as in years before of emailing them a week or two before the current year's race, to request the tickets for the next. I enquired if Bleu Nord - hitherto the unlucky draw for punters requesting MB or HA - was really sold out more than a year before the race...


So, to hell with it. I've requested tickets for the Classic, but will probably be offered camping in Mulsanne or somewhere. The Nurburgring 24h may get a look in though I think this year I'll just get together with a dozen or so of my closed pals, and stage a multi-thousand mile drive across mainland Europe unencumbered by chavs, pikeys, officious Gendermerie and the likes.

Besides, there's always next year :)

cheers
Ewan

Bit late but still ... do both Le Mans and the Ring  ;D.

I live about 270 km from the Ring, and whenever the weather's fine, I drive over there, do a few laps myself and either stay for another day of driving fun or get back home over those sh*te Belgian roads (yes, they're even worse than sh*te).  Last year I attended Le Mans, the 24h of the Ring and several VLN-races, this year it won't be different ...  The Ring is magical, 'cause it's 22 km, has 173 bends and you can drive on the track yourself, especially when you have a Jahreskarte and do as many laps as you like  ;D ...  If only they would do the same at Le Mans  :P ...

The Belgian idea of road maintenance appears to me to be to stick up a sign saying the surface is lousy and leave.

But they can build motor racing circuits.

Road maintenance in Belgium ? You must be joking !  With the cold temperatures in the past weeks, most roads are driven to pieces ... makes you wonder why we're paying a few thousand euro's on roadtaxes every year ...

Crossing the border into France, Germany or Holland is like driving into heaven ... driving home again is like killing your car and your back ...

if only they would do that with lemans, although id need a faster car for the mulsanne  ::)

Oh my dear aunt.... I have just looked back through my pictures and have found some of the most horrifying images from our trip to NBR24 last summer. :police:
They are truely shocking..... fkcu me did we have fun >:D
Personally, I blame it on the heat and the incorrect labelling of the beer strengths... and the Jagermeister...and the fact that 11 nutters invaded the quiet woodland setting and entertained the locals for 4 days!
My only suggestion to those that are indecisive over LM or NBR is.... do both! We all did last year and I would do it again if I wasnt skint ...
Last summer was one that I will remember forever and still snigger about.
NBR is a perfect warm up for LM.... so stop talking about it, do it! Its a cracker... and we saw some cars too! Pink Holden was my fave!