After seeing my latest blog on my trip through Germany, my cousin Jesse made the remark that there is no photo of me in my blog.
Very true indeed, because most of the time I travel alone. And still have not found a camerawoman to accompagny me on my journeys.
But people that travel alone will become very resourceful over the years. I found my help in Tourifotos.de . The guy that owns the site photographs almost every car that drives the Nordschleife on "Touristenfahrten"and Trackdays.
He made some nice shots of me driving.
See you again in about a week after my visit the the Spa 24 hrs.
A few days ago, I had a short holiday. I spent it visiting the BMW Museum in Munich, The DTM Races at the Norisring and did a few laps on the Nordschleife of the Nurburgring.
Not far from my first sleepover, the Germans showed one of their fortes: Efficiently and continiously improving their Autobahn. And I must admit that for some reason, I don't want to play my favourite car music: french chansons. Driving 200+ and easy listening, just don't go together well.
The first sleepover was in the Town of Au in der Hallertau . A small provincial Town, with nothing to do and absolutely no decent restaurants. The owner of the Hotel were I stayed for the night, suggested me to visit the Schloss Brau Keller from the local brewery Auer.
The Beer was very good, but the food served, tasted like it had been bought at wholesale and then just heated up in the kitchen.
Some photos to show you the impressions of a quiet sommers evening.
Thursday the BWM Museam and BMW Welt were on the Agenda.
I drove to Munich, avoiding the Autobahn. The reason, the Autobahn between Nuremberg and Munich was undergoing some big repears and for more than 15km their where infamous "Baustellen".
I had visited the BMW Welt and the adjacent BMW Museum, some six years before, and I must say, not much had changed, or been added since. Therefor I was able to spend more time in BMW Welt.
Is the Museum about herritage, the BMW Welt is about buying, selling (a dream) and even a bigger marketing tool than the BMW Museum. And I must say: it works. People love to sit in the cars, getting there photos taken, and buying clothes and gifts in the BMW Shop.
Another interesting aspect from BMW Welt is the opportunity that BMW give German and Non European residents, to pick up their new car, straight from the factory - altough not all BMWs are built in the factory in Munich.
The costumers get a nice treatment. And the Non European residents can take their car for a trip through the Alps and do a few laps at the Nurburgring. (More of that later.)
After this visit I headed for Nuremberg where I stayed at the Hotel Petzengarten. A nice family hotel, with a reasonable kitschen. On a half an hour walk from the track of the Norisring. Thursday is generally a relaxed day for everybody on the track. Spectators can walk through the pitlane, Mechanics are having a laugh and drivers and engineers are doing their track walk.
The Camera on the picture below is used to measure the speed of the cars in the pit.
Mercedes Team Mucke is getting some final instructions on how to conduct the tire change.
BMW Team Schnitzer start their Trackwalk.
Look at the doors. They weight used like nothing and are simple hooked on the rest of the body. At the bottom part of the inside you can see the golden protection against the heat that comes from the exhaustpipe, that exits the car just behind it.
On the right, BMW driver Maxim Martin is chatting with some team members.Sunday he would drive an excellent race and finish third.
The ideal route for a DTM car entering the pit for fresh tires.
Gorgeous details. Notice the exhaustpipe and the old fashion thread to setup the car.
More measuring equipment installed
Team Schnitzer finished their trackwalk
After the trackwalk its time for supper. First testday waits tomorrow.
Early friday morning started very quiet. A few photos to show the immediate surroundings of the track.
Cars on display still had to be cleaned,
Frontsplitters had to be installed. (The BMW M4 GTS could only get up the ramp, without its frontsplitter.)
Look at those curves at the back of the new Audi S5.
Mechanics got their paperwork from tire supplier Hankook.
Drivers handed out autographs, Marco Wittmann from BMW and Mike Rockenfeller from Audi.
Lance Strolls F3 was used to instruct the medical staff how to extricate a driver from a F3 car.
These photos show two winning F3 teams this weekend, Italian Prema team en Dutch VAR, at the FIA scrutineering. (Never knew that the team had to help out)
Its is something special to walk on the track. Hence: Selfies!!
The grandstand at Scholler S blistering in the sun. My place for saturday and sunday.
Friday evening a big thunderstorm broke lose over the track. It blew away the heat from the days before. Not good perhaps for the beverage sellers, but much better for the spectators.
Always busy: spectators crossing the track between races.
Just before the start the driversparade was a bit of a disappointment. To quick, not the complete track and not very enthousiasticly waving drivers.
And then there was the race. On saturday
And on sunday.
A Great race weekend. But still not over yet. More tomorrow, monday!
I had visit the Nurburgring before, as you can see in one of my previous blogs. But still very much wanted to drive there myself.
I arrived there at around 4 oclock in the afternoon. The track opened at 17.15, So after I bought my tickets (4 laps, just over 100 euros), I had plenty of time to check out the gorgeous cars, al ready to attack the track.
The famous Ring Taxi from Bridgetogantry Dale Lomas. So famous, a touringcar filled with Japanese tourists entered the little Ring Taxi office.
It was cold and windy.
Fast cars of all sorts. Like these Porsches 911 GT3, GT 3 RS and Cayman GT4.
The bonnet of the car closest to the viewer is a brand new BMW M2. It had just been picked up by an American buyer at the BMW factory. Because of the limited distance the car had driven, the software kept the car in somesort of safemode,
Like always a lot of drivers come over from England. In all kind of cars.
Sometimes it goes a bit wrong
Fresh tires on a GT3 RS.
No photos of me, driving around the Ring. Sorry for that. I was too busy, going as fast as I dared. Perhaps next time?
