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Hi guys,
Just a short note; we just settled for the Ring trip in May. We arrive in Cologne on Friday May 15, we drive all day on Saturday and fly back home on Monday May 18. This 2-day deal saves a bit on costs (hotel, rental car and food) Right now there's about 8 of us from here. Things have changed a bit with 75experience there, Ron can't run the courses the way he did so far, no convoys are allowed and no two-way radio instruction. So, the game now is to have some 'experienced' guy show you around for a few laps...I strongly recommend this to all first-timers. All cars now have RSR suspension and semislicks. With this arrangement there's lots more driving time available to all paricipants! Please visit Ron's site for prices, news, terms etc. For the curious, there are many new fast cars available in the stable, all in Ron's site.
Jim K.

You guys can walk from Cologne to the ring!
See you guys the 16th.

JimK,

Are you just renting the car or are you taking the class? The one-day Group 2 TS (semi slicks, fuel, tickets, etc) will cost Euro 1399. I wouldn't paying that as long as I get the car all to myself. Yeah I'll let the coach drive a few laps to teach me.

There is no class any more, the Ring authority has changed the rules. What goes is this: one car for all day 500Euros, second driver 150, fuel ~70-100, track ticket 250Euros/15 laps or 390Euros/25 laps. NO instruction, you just take the car and get lost until the track closes! So, for 15 laps you pay 970 for 2 drivers or 485Euros each; for 25 laps you pay 1140 total or 570Euros each. I strongly recommend getting someone to show you around the first few laps, no two ways about it!
The above is for a 75TS with full rsr kit and semis.

Well, I just had a call from Maurizio and Jim, from the Pistenklause.

They sure know how to twist the knife...

I hope they don't over do it tonight though, it sounded like they were pretty "happy" already.

Mats, we had to let you know what you where missing out on & wanted to check that you were working on your car, the only valid excuse to not be there!!!

Resume: We had a marvelous time.

Friday after lunch I went straight from work to Adenau. Did some laps waiting for the greeks to arrive, already started drizzling.
After a schnitzel friday night, it was raining and the greeks did a sight seeing lap in the rental cars, I even couldn't keep up with the stiff TS on the semi-slicks
The trick to keep ~1 [m] off of the ideal lines didn't even work, was like driving on ice.

Saturday morning nice, weather and no rain!
Sadly the track was closed until 10.15 in the morning due to a german, english car owner club which rented the track for them selfs
It was a long weekend for touristen fahrten (open from fr - su)): very full and lot of unexperienced drivers with fast cars/bikes on the track (mixed international crowd, [uk, f, l, it, gr, swe, swi, etc...and a lost dutch guy]).

We had a lot of closers but I did some decent laps yesterday.
We started off with the splitting the new guys up into cars with a more experienced ring driver and myself I took a car behind me to show them the lines for 2 laps.
After that everybody was on his own The guys who ever experienced the ring know how difficult the track is... not good to just let people get lost on the track!

Did some laps on my own and pax laps with a greek tourists as a passenger
Even did a nice lap driving behind each other with Jim and his buddy Georgy (behind the wheel) in the V6.... I need more horse power

End of the day I just timed it wrong, needed gas and when I returned at the track to get the last 2 laps for the day it already was closed (officially 19.30 but I couldn't get onto the track anymore ~19.14 )
Did 12 laps in total on saturday.

I am envious... Have to make this one of those goals to do before kicking the bucket and heading for that great race track in the sky. Hopefully Barry and Kevin will join me. To the Ring that is...

Hey Fernie, before you do, you gotta have a warm up lap around Bathurst...sorts out the men from the boys..

Howzit Mike,on that I most heartily agree. Bathurst ranks up there with the Ring and SPA as amongst the most incredible race tracks still left before those frikkin safety nannies try and ban them one day.