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Published: July 13th 2009
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Ring-Werk
A rollercoaster at a race track. At this time of year, Europe enjoys its Summer months. But the Hungaroring preferred to keep thing Arctic for my brief but exciting visit.
I departed Faistenau and the rest of Austria at 04:00am on Thursday morning in a minivan with the team, for the 800kmjourney to the historic Nurburgring for the ninth round of the Formula 1, and of course the latest Porsche Supercup event with
Lechner Racing.
I knew there would be little else in Europe to rival Fuschl and Austria in general for its beautiful landscape and fresh water lakes, but the constant rain was something I was keen to see the back of. What I wasn’t expecting was Antarctic temperatures in Germany, to accompany yet more patchy rain!
Even so, the Nurburgring was amazing. While I
wasn’t able to drive the historic 24km Nordschleife circuit due to it being closed for the weekend, what I
did see of the GP circuit was something to behold.
Since the last event here in 2007, an entire village has been build behind the main straight which includes a number of classically-styled, but brand new bars, clubs and restaurants and a mall-like area where many manufacturers and
Jono and Walter
Notice the jacket - it was freezing! motorsport-orientated businesses show off their toys. At this time of year, it becomes merchandise city.
The crown jewel, however, is
Ring-Werk, the new
rollercoaster. A rollercoaster at a race track - it’s unbelievable! It’s still in the finishing stages of its build, and runs right through the heart of the mall above the heads of the shoppers underneath, outside into a barrel-rolling loopy section, and then up the main straight in the grassed section in between the track and the main grandstand. It’s literally two or three meters from the cars on the track.
The rollercoaster alone is a reason to visit here again, and as it’s still a few weeks from being operational, I certainly plan to do so in the future.
I helped the team set up camp on Friday in the support paddock, where the Porsche Supercup, GP2, Formula BMW and Mini Challenge are all based. All have big fields for the weekend but what really excited me was seeing the GP2 Series, which we get on TV at home but was far more exciting in the flesh!
The drivers are madmen, all hell bend on impressing the F1 teams and doing anything
Taking Laps
Doing my bit for the team. they can to get noticed, even if it means squaring off tyres and hitting the opposition into the barriers!
Throughout the weekend, it was clear that the support classes have an amazing standard of presentation despite the stars of the show being the F1 circus across the paddock. Their massive transporters, F1-style paddock setup and even corporate entertainment ‘motorhomes’ for those with big money backers was quite remarkable. The Mini Challenge had perhaps the most impressive, with a warehouse-size tent that housed all the cars on two separate sides of it and had the capacity in height and width to fit all of the Porsche Supercup and GP2 Series - and their trucks - as well if needed.
And the Mini corporate hospitality, which I was lucky enough to score a ticket for, is a cut above everything bar F1 within the confines of this place. As a consequence, four course meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner have left me feeling a little bloated as I headed to bed each night!
I spent the weekend (to the horror of the team mechanics - they don’t know how we do it down in NZ) sleeping at the ass-end
Success!
Team driver Stefan Rosina scores second place. of the team transporter in a sleeping bag. Considering the
daytime temperature there struggled to top 12 degrees C, I was relatively warm in my purple cocoon, however when the rain came down in the middle of the night and found its way into a gap in the top of the trailer tailgate, I was forced to move camp further up towards the kitchen area
I was wearing two ski jackets and my team polo all weekend and still couldn’t feel much of my body, but the atmosphere in this place made up for it! Luckily, a bit of warmth crept into the air for the F1 race on Sunday.
In the Supercup, Lechner Racing driver Stefan Rosina scored a superb second place overall in the Sunday morning race, in front of championship leader Jeroen Bleekemolen and not far behind local race winner Rene Rast.
One thing was certain from seeing the Supercup in the flesh over the weekend - it’s a series I could certainly see myself in. I got along like a house alight with the team and its various levels of personnel, and all went out of their way to make sure my stay
Hot Chocolate
at Cologne Train Station. in Germany and Austria was a trouble-free one.
I spent Sunday night in the Hotel Ibis in Koblenz, about 40 minutes from the race circuit, and after a short train ride to Cologne this morning I’m once again in awe at how things work in this place called Europe.
This is a train station, but it isn’t your bus stop cubicle with a bench seat like at home. A spaghetti bowl of train tracks converge into one inside a massive dome, where a quick trip downstairs houses a shopping mall and (thankfully for me right now) wireless internet with an easy-to-guess password!
There’s pretzel stands, restaurants and sports bars; McDonalds, BK and Pizza Hut; fast food ‘weiner’ joints with every sausage you can imagine and the young and beautiful carrying a myriad of shopping bags from swanky clothing outfits.
I’ve taken refuge in a cafe called
Le Crobag with a hot chocolate and a filled roll, awaiting my transfer to Brussels, and then onto London this evening to meet up with my good buddy Dominic Storey, who I’ll be staying with in Milton Keynes for the remainder of my trip.
I’ll have another update real soon!
Jono
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Frank
non-member comment
Thats what I call on a misson!
Thats great stuff - learning the ins and out of Europe at track side and getting your apprentiship. What impresses me is that you are willing to start at the bottom with what I can only say is an impressive record to date on the tracks! Humility is a trait very few have and with your 'track' record - you will do vcery well! The eagerness to jump in and race must be huge at every meet! It is probably equivelant to us being the best fighters in town but at the tournament having to watch a competition rather than take part! You are a part it however and the future is a bright one I am sure! Best wishes Time to recollect and evaluate seems to be appropriate now.