Spa, Book-a-Track, Saturday November 13 2010 - Blitz Krieg

[campbell]

On-board lap with Kimi in 2007 here:

http://motorsportcircuitguide.com/circu ... .php?id=43

And one in the RBR simulator with Marky Mark:

http://ndtv.f1pulse.com/features/Webber ... ticle.aspx

[robin]

Campbell, it's cheaper to stay in Germany than Belgium and the food and beer is better. (Belgium has fantastic cuisine, but we rarely stumble across it whilst staying at Spa). Sure it'll cost 2-3 gallons more in fuel to do the round trip, so we wouldn't be saving money, but it won't cost substantially more either!

So, let's buy a box of these to share with everyone: ring reinforcers and head out to the Ring in time to do a lap or two in the evening, with the attitude that if it happens, great, if it doesn't, who cares. The best 5 laps I've driven on the ring in the last 5 years were last year when we did a similar trip with a cheeky visit to the ring last thing on the Friday with no expectations of success.

If you don't want your car on the Ring I know everyone on here will be happy to respect that - I'm sure I'll manage to jump in somebody's car for a pax lap or two which will be OK with me too

Two days at Spa is perhaps asking a lot from the car, and of course you double your chances of spading it.

So more or less plan A, out on Friday (albeit a little earlier than expected), spend the night "near" Spa, do Spa on Saturday and straight back home (with or without Lenny Henry stop).

Cheers,
Robin

[campbell]

Ring Friday evening on the off chance? Well who am I to spoil the party

I've tried to think it all through and I'm afraid I can't see a lot of opportunity for sleep - which bothers me, as someone who is still suffering from broken sleep from time to time thanks to wayward children. And clearly the last thing I need is sub-standard concentration on EITHER of the circuits in question.

Anyway, clearly I am being persuaded and I guess at a push I can try to snooze while Robin pilots us between venues

[Cisco]

Guys,

Couldn't resist a Friday steak..so have booked Spa for the Saturday.

Take care,

Frank

[mckeann]

glad your on board frank. Campbell, the good thing about sharing cars is the ability for one to sleep, one to drive, then swap about. Certainly, when robin and i (and wheely, we should point wheely to this thread) have got up at 2am, and driven 900 miles, i've still been alert enough to drive properly. The ring itself will pump so much adreneline into you that you wont need redbull.

[kenny]

Reserved my place at Spa for Saturday. I'll go with the general consensus of early Friday departure to hopefully get some laps at the ring then home after Spa on sat, although I am thinking I might need an overnight stop somewhere back in blighty.

[campbell]

The ring itself will pump so much adreneline into you that you wont need redbull.

I remember that feeling, certainly!! My 18 laps over a long weekend in 2003 rank amongst the most memorable things I've ever done. Period.

Will need to start some research on how I insure the car for it though. I know for sure my chosen insurer explicitly excludes it, with whom I renewed in July safe in the knowledge I'd not be going to the Ring for the foreseeable

Do people like CCI provide specific cover for just a day or two, even though it'll be a Public Ring day and not a closed trackday?

PS - Robin - I think we should change the radiator before we go. Views?

[campbell]

although I am thinking I might need an overnight stop somewhere back in blighty.

Covered. Travelodge at Ashford Kent was £42.50 per room at that time when I checked the other day. Robin has currently talked me out of it, intending to beat a hasty retreat back to Scotland immediately things finish on Saturday eve at Spa, but this was before the Ring was chucked back into the mix!!

[mckeann]

i dont want to talk anybody into driving when overly tired, as the result of falling asleep is too dangerous. However, myself and robin have done this before, and its not THAT hard, nothing a few cans of red bull wont sort. By all means though, if your not up for it, or you feel tired, stop, sleep, do it on sunday. Not worth dying over.

[Cisco]

i dont want to talk anybody into driving when overly tired, as the result of falling asleep is too dangerous. However, myself and robin have done this before, and its not THAT hard, nothing a few cans of red bull wont sort. By all means though, if your not up for it, or you feel tired, stop, sleep, do it on sunday. Not worth dying over.

Too true Neil, I'll be spending Sat evening in Spa or Dover/Deal...

[BigD]

Sounds epic. I have done 2 or 3 Ring & Spa trips and they're some of the best Euro trips I've had. The prospect of the Ring/Spa on a wet November day sounds awesome. Spa in the dry, not so much but not a deal breaker.

The Ring should be quieter that time of year so plenty of tracktime should be had. I concur with Robin about not staying in Belgium, Germany is much better. I may even think about being a total PP (Paine Pikee ) and take my tent.

Of to work out some figures.............

[mckeann]

BOOKED for spa. will sort out eurotunnel and hotels once the plans have been decided.

My current plan is thursday night/friday morning drive to the ring, do some laps on friday afternoon, stay in nurburg, eat steak on stone, drive to spa on sat morning, spank lots of nice cars, drive straight home afterwards.

[campbell]

i dont want to talk anybody into driving when overly tired, as the result of falling asleep is too dangerous. However, myself and robin have done this before, and its not THAT hard, nothing a few cans of red bull wont sort. By all means though, if your not up for it, or you feel tired, stop, sleep, do it on sunday. Not worth dying over.

I knew you would look after me in the end

Depending on what happens with Ring insurance, I may or may not put the car on there on the Friday. But if I don't, the consolation prize is the chance to get the camera out, check out a couple of different access & vantage points, and record you lot behaving like loonies for a couple of hours

Oh and the ambience and cuisine that comes with the region.

No answers flooding in re: insurance as yet, but a quick Google revealed the following useful page, including reminders about breakdown cover and personal injury insurance:

http://www.nurburgring.org.uk/insurance.html

[campbell]

My current plan is thursday night/friday morning drive to the ring, do some laps on friday afternoon, stay in nurburg, eat steak on stone, drive to spa on sat morning, spank lots of nice cars, drive straight home afterwards.

Funnily enough, my plan seems to be sounding a lot like this now. Apart from the spanking part, obviously.

So...2am at Robin's on 12th Nov, then?!

[Stu160]

BOOKED.... Now which pedal makes it go again ?

Stu