There is nothing that prepares you for it: the size, the speed, everything is just mind numbing. In itself it is truly a site to be seen and a kind of warm joy overwhelms you, right before the guard rail comes into frame in the front windshield. But I am getting ahead of myself.
The day starts way too early, but I hardly notice because I am wide awake like a 7 year old on Christmas morning. My parents and I endure the 2 hour drive to the airport from our stay in the south of France. My mom stands at the check-in counter grasping my tickets, she’s not handling sending her first born son out alone to a country she’s never been, to meet a man she’s never met.
I arrive on time to a call from my taxi service, they are already their and ready to go. It’s not very often that your taxi happens to be a 1975 911s with a 3.6 stuffed up the back. Smitty (K9handler) was happy to see I made it all right and introduced me to John and his 993 as well as his friend Travis. Before long with were off and running, running at 160mph in a derestricted area of Germanys Autobahn.
Within the 13miles of track that makes up the Nurburgring there are 147 corners, 4 villages and a castle. The track is the longest, most challenging, and most dangerous race track man kind has ever created. It is the Mecca of the automotive world.
We arrive early at the gas station to fill up from the track and man is that a something to see in itself. (Points to anyone who can see what is interesting about the picture)
We spent the day drooling over the cars, talking with the owners and taking our own share of laps on the track. Smitty and John were nice enough to take on the burden of driving me around again and again. I could tell they were just furious in having to do so.
We also met a gentleman named Matthew who was running a Miata…with some suspension but otherwise stock. We come to find that he lives in LA and keeps this car in London so he can come out to the Ring for 5 weeks a year and go lap after lap after lap. I had my doubts on how much fun a Miata could be on the track. He took Smitty out for a lap to see how someone who knows the track would go about things. Matthew kept up with the Ring taxis for a bit in the twisty sections, 507hp vs 130hp?! So after they returned I was itching for a ride myself. Wow, the guy was absolutely amazing, there is no way anyone could drive that car faster on that track. The tire squeal and slip angle started at the first turn and ended on the back straight away. All the while Matthew is smiling and waving to other drivers. What an experience.
All in all the weekend was one of the greatest in my life and I cant wait to return someday to have a go in a car myself. But for now I will have to settle with the inacurate and watered down versions that I find in my video games...sigh.
Dont worry pictures will follow.