ALFAGTV6.COM

[Mats]

Hi all

I know a couple of you have participated in the 75 Experience at the Nürburgring held by Ron Simons and I'd be grateful if you could share some thoughts.

I know tha basic setup is that you drive either your own car or Rons prepped 75 TS.
As I understan it you drive together with another participant in pairs?
-How do you get instructions from the instructor?
-What if I get paired with a nutcase?
-Do you drive around in a line of cars all day or what?
-If the instructor rides along for a lap, where does the other dude go? in the back seat? Is there even a back-seat in these cars, I thought they had a cage?
-Insurance covering, what about that? Who pays for the car should one smash it up? Who pays for the Armco? Who pays for my hospital visits if the other driver mess up with me in the passenger seat? What if I have a stiff neck for the rest of my life?

Lots of questions there...
Waht was the general feel of the course? Good, clean fun? Did you learn anything? Good instructors and such?

Was it worth it?

Edit: Forgot the link...
LINK

[Dennis]

Hey Mats,

I've participated with my own car so I didn't have to drive with another "nutcase"

It's still public road so your car insurance pays for the damage to the track and , god forbid, other cars/people. I had an incredible amount of fun. Will do again when I get my trackcar sorted.....

As for your other questions, just ask Ron! He knows best.

[Mats]

We have a couple of issues with Swedish insurance companies which refuse to pay anything if you damage your car driving on the Ring...

But I meant Rons coverage, is insurance included?

I thought I'd hear from someone who was a customer, always nice to hear from someone who is not trying to sell something (Not saying Ron is a bastard here or anything )

[Dennis]

Well, Ron has basic insurance on his cars (needed by law). You can ask him if you can have a car on your own.

[Maurizio]

Well I did the course in one of Ron's cars.

After I discovered the ring was only 150 km from my home (always thought the ring was in Nurnberg ~450 km from home)
I went there to go have a look end 2002. (about 10 years to late.... )
After some walking and sightseeing along the track I thought it was not a good idea to go blind and unprepared to attack the track.


I did the course in the same weekend as Dennis, march 2003.

Nowadays the course is much better, from what i've seen the last year . One instructor car drives in front of 4~5 cars.
You pair up with two people in one car and the instructor car has radio contact. Just two seats in the car.
Normally the evening before the actual driving you get instructions, about the dangerous bends, some basics about driving, grip etc...
And of course the danger of driving on the ring.
The actual driving start with slow laps in the morning behind the instructor car to show the lines.
Gradually the speed increases and at the end you go out on one/two laps on your own. Every lap you change seats with your co driver.
At the end of the day, Ron takes you out in his car for a demo lap. And shows you, that there is still much to learn

When car included there is a basic insurance (the details better ask Ron).

And yes it was worth every cent, it got me hooked.......... After the course, you start driving there with a nice base.
Normally you need ~30 laps, before you even get at the point were you start working on your lines!

[Plastic Pig]

Mats,

During the first of my trips last year, students and instructors were in communication via a one-way radio. I.e. Ron watched me in his mirror and I could hear his comments via a speaker in the car. By staying close behind (which he encouraged) I was able to keep to the same line as him, see the braking points and be at the right speeds for each corner. I felt perfectly safe. When I wasn't driving, I rode with Ron in the front car (safer still ).

There have been some issues with the Nurburgring organisers re. driving the cars around in long convoys and "officially" it's not done now. However, there's a very good chance that you'll "meet" your instructor near the begining of the lap . When that happened to me, it just seemed like a good idea to keep close behind him. We all had some one-on-one tuition from an instructor sitting next to us in the car as well and some free practice when we went out with our student partners. Ron is flexible. if you're seen to be capable/sensible, you'll get out by yourself.

Re. insurance: the 75 Experience is covered for public liability etc. and I THINK 3rd party damage (check with Ron), but if you prang a school car YOU are liable for the damage and for any ARMCO that you bend .

IMHO, the course was worth it (I have another three trips planned for this year). I have some track experience, but there's nothing like the Nordschleife for scale, tricky corners and changing track conditions so I wouldn't like to have driven it without any help. Ron and Jaco (spelling?) had good advice, were very encouraging and are great guys.

[Jarle]

Mats:
I joined Rons course twice last year and have booked a course june this year.
Talking about insurace. There is practical no insurance. If you wreack the car you pay for:
-getting the car removed from the track
-any damages on the track
-the car/what it costs to repair it. (think the max price for the car was 3000euros)

You should have this in mind when you drive on the track. I know this becouse one of the members in our team wreacked a car on the ring last year.It is a risk to take, but what you get is so much more......

If it is worth the money? YES, definitivly. It is really a 75 EXPERIENCE!

Jarle

[Jim K]

Looks like you're about to cross the line into the Ring Mats, so stop mucking around and DO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know you want to !!
I'll use distance hypnosis on you, hahah!!!!!!!
Micke, Maurizio, Andrew, how about May 15 we all meet there??
We'll arrive Sat. noon at Dottingen. We already got the air tickets, 12 of us.
Jim K.

[Maurizio]

May 15 th so soon with the current progress on the engine we better plan on 2006
But I will be there! The track opens this weekend and it really starts to itch.... If the TS is not ready, I just have to throw the my girlfreinds 33 around the ring

[Plastic Pig]

I'll be there May 1st, June 26th & September 4th. Hope to meet some of you then.

[KenguGo]

Yeah, you are right man!

[Zamani]

Hmmm..... should I go? I'm thinking....