Crashing at the Nurburgring

[DavidB]

I'm heading over there at the end of the month and wanted to ask some question(s).

If I am in an accident on track and somehow damage my car to the extent that it can not be driven home, what will be the outcome with regards to insurance, recovering the car, and actually getting home without a car, and how to prepare yourself before going?
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to crash as I'll be taking it easy, but you have to be ready for this type of thing.

[DavidB]

Oh, and this hilariously amateurish 80's hatchback racing:

[RetroWarwicK]

if you crash, you are bum raped basically.....the ring will bill you for the damage to the track, the armco and the clean up of spillages, the bongo wagen will bill you for carting off your wreck plus storage and the ambulance will bill you for their services.

then you take the receipts to your insurance company back home. unless you have specific ring cover, they'll laugh at you......as i think most policies have specific wording in the small print.

if you crash and manage to limp off the track, they do pick you up on the cctv and possibly inform the police as your car might not be road legal. if you've limped around the track spunking liquids on the track, and a biker comes off.....

on the other hand, you be ok kissing the armco lightly and carrying on...

[Paul]

Aug 12, 2014 12:06:08 GMT RetroWarwicK said:

if you crash, you are bum raped basically.....the ring will bill you for the damage to the track, the armco and the clean up of spillages, the bongo wagen will bill you for carting off your wreck plus storage and the ambulance will bill you for their services.

then you take the receipts to your insurance company back home. unless you have specific ring cover, they'll laugh at you......

THIS.

No regular insurance will cover you - in fact many policies now exclude the 'ring by name.

You can get track insurance, but it's very pricey.

My advice would be not to crash.

[ontheedge]

Insurance ! what insurance, you arn't covered for racing or speed trials are you ?

[DavidB]

Yes, that's the best advice, I'm going to take it easy anyway.

[RetroWarwicK]

also, get a helmet and some gloves.......seriously.....you might take it easy but a lot of folk don't.......

[PhoenixCapri]

RetroWarwick is basically right! Crashing there is not a good idea. If you're worried about it there are a lot of places you can hire a 'track' car, which does remove some of the problem.

But then as someone who has, it all depends on how badly you get it wrong. A 'kiss' of the barrier, leaving no mark that can be easier attributed to you, no fluid loss, a car that still drives and one of the nicer marshals and you'll get away with it like I did! I was probably very lucky.

But in general, yeh you're screwed. I have heard of people getting insurance that would cover it, but not recently - it's a well known place in the insurance world now for some reason...

Helmet is a good idea, as is doing laps where you push even a little bit only in the week. At weekends I generally find it best to either just spectate or be about the first car to go out when the track opens (or reopens after one of many crashes) or last car to lap before the end of the day.

In case you're near the first car out at a weekend there are two things to bare in mine 1) you need to be able to do at least a 10min lap for it not to be a horrible place to be due to getting overtaken left, right and centre (literally), 2) Watch out for buses; honestly there are tourist coaches going around that are meant to get off the track before any cars catch them, but if you're fast you'll catch the, as I found out coming into Hohe Acht (it's a bit blind) and having to go very off line to miss one. You never forget that level of brown trouser moment!

It's a great place though, worth going for just the atmosphere (and the beer, and Pizza at Pinocchio's, oh and the Steak at Pistenklause). Have a photo of what not to do!

[VIP]

Aug 12, 2014 11:55:34 GMT DavidB said:

I'm heading over there at the end of the month and wanted to ask some question(s).

If I am in an accident on track and somehow damage my car to the extent that it can not be driven home, what will be the outcome with regards to insurance, recovering the car, and actually getting home without a car, and how to prepare yourself before going?
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to crash as I'll be taking it easy, but you have to be ready for this type of thing.

You'll want to worry more about the charges you'll incur from the track owners themselves, rather than the damage to your own car.

Base fee for attendance of armco truck: €150
Removing damaged armco: €10/metre (x2 or x3 or x4 for multiple-height sections)
Replacement armco: €31/metre (x2 or x3 for double/triple height)
Removing damaged armco posts: €5.10 each
Replacing armco post: €39 each
Safety car attendance: €82 per 30 mins (car + 2 people)
Circuit closure: €1,350 per hour
Recovery truck: €250 (inc VAT)

Everything except the recovery truck is then subject to 19% VAT

[dbizzle]

My advice would be: have someone else in the car with you. Use them as a spotter.

The old cliche about locals in diesel Golfs overtaking tourists in top-flight 911s is totally true, and you have to assume that everyone there knows the lines better than you. I'm not ashamed to admit that my first lap was genuinely scary (as well as being awesome fun), and having someone in the passenger seat shouting 'motorbike about to overtake!' or whatever is really useful on your first go.

[RetroWarwicK]

even the pros get it wrong - this the other week

[RetroWarwicK]

keep an eye out for Ringmini

[tdk]

Good advice above. I've been going on and off for over ten years now and I am quite sure I will never drive my own car on track there again.

I wrote a guide to the different companies offering cars available for hire on the Nurburgring which might help you. I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned and have tried them all with my own money. Jaco at Jaco's Paddock is a bit belt and braces but good value and flexible too, here's a gratuitous pic of me collecting a car from him (at the pub!), I had a blast.



If you need any pointers, drop me a line, I'm happy to help. Have fun!

[sharkattack]

I dropped in on the way back from the Alps last year as I've obviously always wanted to see it. I was staggered by the scale of it. Driving around country roads, through little villages, trying to find a spot to get a little peak of some action. All the time you can hear the sound of hoonage in the distance. It's pretty vast and hard to get a handle on. I was there on my own and had no idea what to head for but eventually found a car park and camping spot next to Wippermann, walking distance from the Karussell

It was a very busy weekend when I was there and I was a bit alarmed at how mental it was. There were loads of wealthy young men in new M3's absolutely caning it. Loads of locals in sheds who knew the lines outrunning much more expensive cars. Pretty much everyone looked to be hanging on at the ragged edge and kicking up grass and dust on every corner. The ones who weren't had fear in their eyes as they were eaten alive every 5 seconds by whatever came screaming up behind them. It was very fast, very loud and very lairy.

It was also dangerous. I saw lots of recovery trucks with utterly destroyed cars on them and one carrying the two separated halves of a Yamaha R1. I have to admit it put me off a bit! Way too busy and too many people obviously taking it very seriously. It just didn't look fun. Luckily I was in a campervan full of bikes and kit and had a good excuse for not going round.

[dbizzle]

As odd as it may sound, I also found it very useful that I'd done countless laps of the 'Ring in Gran Turismo before I went - not in terms of judging the perfect lines through corners (you won't get to take them, there'll always be a faster Porsche clipping the apex) but just in terms of knowing which corners are coming up, which parts are going to be up/downhill, etc.

[8tee8]

+1 on not crashing being a good plan. I've just got back from there and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in cars. Your left hand mirror will be the most important thing in you life, as the locals and serious machines come up on you very quickly. I found that although it was fast and tight, people were considerate and patient enough to wait for a safe opportunity to pass, so I was sure to extend the same courtesy when I got a feel for the place and caught up to a few cars. The pace really does have to be seen to be believed though, the track, the roads and the surrounding towns are dedicated entirely to petrolheads. The place is absolutely stunning to behold as well. I want to go back, now

[Paul Y]

Been going for more years than I care to remember and have seen some pretty scary stuff (and been involved in some myself!)

Advice:-

1. Drive to what you can see. Sounds simple but most of the offs I have seen are from those that 'think' they know the next corner is a right...and it is a hairpin left..... (slight exaggeration but you get the idea)

2. Don't think that just because you can do an 8 minute lap on GT5 or Forza 5 that you can replicate that in real life (see above)

3. Do book a lap in the 'Ring taxi. if you do get Sabine ( or any of the other very skilled drivers) you will not forget it. Plus I learnt a whole new German vocabulary when Ms S was describing those that would not move over or didnt keep to the right.

4. If you are overtaking somebody assume that they haven't seen you. Flash and indicate if in doubt.

5. Great bit of advice above. Take somebody with you as a spotter.

6. All motorcyclists have a death wish and want to kill themselves and you.

7. Make sure you have plenty of fuel in you tank, you will use way more than you think possible to do a lap. Having to be recovered because you ran out of juice is very Very expensive (ask me how I know...) And embarrassing. And nobody ever forgets. Ever. Even after 20 years....

8.Make sure that you have an understanding wife/girlfriend/partner as you will be talking about nothing else until the next time you go. It is more addictive than Pringles....

9. I would concur with the above that renting a car is probably the best investment you will make on your first visit. And some instruction.

10. Helmet and Gloves are an absolute must have.

11. Enjoy yourself. It is fantastic.

12. If you are going all that way make sure you do Spa on the way home. Another corker.

13. Take loads of pics and remember to bore us all stupid when you get back. We would.

14.Probably loads more, get on Pistonheads and join the ring group as it is way more fun with friends.

Enjoy!!!

P.

[Paul Y]

Oh yea, to answer the question.

don't.

P.

[volospian]

My write up of my first time on the 'ring... blog.cranc.org.uk/?p=165

And if anybody is interested in the rest of the road trip... blog.cranc.org.uk/?author=7

[TurboDieselWeasel]

Aug 12, 2014 13:35:58 GMT RetroWarwicK said:

keep an eye out for Ringmini

Catching a ride in this was one of the best things I ever did Unforgettable!