SPA later this year

[Stu160]

Yes great fun, but so much better when you have a little more time to take in the surroundings. Plus the hotel does a great pint of Jupiler!

Oh yes, and there is nice staff as well

Stu

[neil]

Yes great fun, but so much better when you have a little more time to take in the surroundings. Plus the hotel does a great pint of Jupiler!

Oh yes, and there is nice staff as well

Stu

There is that too

[ceejam]

Right, I've been looking at ferry / chunnel / travel options for the November double header.

What's the consensus re: just drivingit there with European breakdown cover, or using the trailer i have access to?

The cheapest was of getting a trailer across is the Dover - Calais Ferry. Out on Friday morning, back on Sunday.

Next is the chunnel, which doesn't take as long, but is slightly more expensive

Gives time for Quick visit to see the Nurburgring on Friday afternoon (just to say I've been, even if I can't drive a lap that day), Spa on Saturday and then hang around Spa to see who's going out, or head off early to get a ferry back to drive home on Sunday.

The other option I had thought about was Hull - Zeebrugge to get a rest, but they leave early evening, dock not so early in the morning and are very expensive! A Dover ferry & Pikey Lodge would be cheaper for the same effect.

I am very keen to do Spa, probably will be more so after the F1 there in 2 weeks, so looking for some fellow runners?

[Andy G]

might do the race there later in the year, but time is looking tight - would love to do the ring and spa and this time actually make both !!

[ceejam]

So, Frolic's been and gone, the Beglian GP has happened and Her Majesty's Revenue have sent me an unexpected cheque

I'm going to book the trackday at Spa on Saturday 12th November. My sister's boyfriend is keen to bring his Nissan 350Z. Who else is with us?

[campbell]

Who else is with us?

In spirit, very much so

[Stu160]

Are you just doing the sat one Jamie?

I am sure once I have got caught up, I will sort something out.

Stu

[robin]

I would avoid the trailer. Even if the worst happens and you bin it, you'll normally find people rally around to get the car road worthy enough to limp it home, or if it's really gash then european recovery might be required and then maybe you need to persuade somebody with a trailer to tow the carcass out of the race track so it looks like you crashed somewhere else ... but that's worst case. In all the years I've been doing these trips I've never known a car not make it home one way or another unless it was a total write off ...

Depending on timings the least mileage route is the Newcastle/Ijmuiden ferry but you would need the Thursday pm crossing, arrive Ijmuiden Friday am, then drive to Ring for the afternoon and some beers (oh oh, this is where it went wrong last time I was there!) and then up early doors for the hour-ish jaunt across to Spa.

If you don't plan on getting to the Ring then there isn't so much point using the Ijmuiden crossing as it costs you half a day. If you're going to stop at Spa the night before (and I really think you need to have a reasonable night's sleep if you plan on driving the circuit rather than being a jakey in the pits like me) then there is not much point aiming to arrive before 18:00 on the Friday. Even allowing for stops and traffic it won't take more than 6 hours to get from Calais to Spa so you want a crossing that disembarks around noon which means one that leaves around 10:00 local time in Folkstone. I would use the chunnel 'cos it's easier but the ferries are cheaper if you can make their timings work for you (and you get a bit of a rest). You can make a 10:00 crossing by leaving Edinburgh at 03:00 if you're keen.

Cheers,
Robin

[Dominique]

might do the race there later in the year, but time is looking tight - would love to do the ring and spa and this time actually make both !!

Spa could possibly be combined with the DF trackday on the ring:
http://www.driving-fun.com/DF-Nurburgri ... again.aspx

It's not exactly cheap, but then again, if you calculate it per mile track length, it's a no-brainer compared to other tracks.

DF is working on a translation for the text which I'll post when ready. If you're impatient, Google translate will probably be your best shot.

[mckeann]

was that who ran the day we did last november?? If so, it was well organised, would definitely use them again

[Andy G]

With Robin on the avoiding the trailer font aft doing it for frolic especially if you are taking the Elise .

Would love to go on this but don't rate my chances of another pass

[Dominique]

was that who ran the day we did last november?? If so, it was well organised, would definitely use them again

Yep, it's run by the same organization.

This year the trackday on the ring starts with two familiarisation laps.

[mckeann]

was that who ran the day we did last november?? If so, it was well organised, would definitely use them again

Yep, it's run by the same organization.

This year the trackday on the ring starts with two familiarisation laps.

I dont think it had anything to do with unfamiliarisation, it was like an ice rink out there

[foz01]

Assuming the move goes ok and I get the car sorted ne and boyner are seriously looking at this, is there no rosyth zeebruge option these days?

[BigD]

Assuming the move goes ok and I get the car sorted ne and boyner are seriously looking at this, is there no rosyth zeebruge option these days?

No it stopped last year.