# Report on the Nurburgring Driving School



## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Part 1 of my ED Adventure was in June, and it included an incredible visit to Corsica, mainland France, Italy and Germany. You can read that report at http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=216372

After parking my new ride in Munich at the end of June, I went home for a month, and then returned for the 45th Fahrerlehrgang auf dem Nurburgring. The school is organized by the BMW Club Muhlheim - Ruhr, and BMW Club members from around the world attend this 3-day test of the world-famous Nordschleife each year. For many years, BMW CCA has arranged for a North American group to participate, and I was one of the lucky attendees.

Part of the Ring School adventure for the CCA folks typically includes some group activities and tours prior to the school, usually starting in Munich. This allows everyone to meet and get to know each other, and work off the jet lag for a few days before the intensity of driving the Ring. Hotels are arranged through the club for each location. For those with less time, it is possible to meet the group mid-tour, or to go directly to the Ring.

This year, we arranged several activities in Bavaria. The agenda was:

Wednesday: Meet and greet at the hotel at 6 PM, walk to dinner in Schwabing.

Thursday: 
Group Tour at BMW Mobile Tradition. (This incredible facility is not usually open to the public - but we have inside connections and were given a special guided tour). 
Lunch at the Aying Brewery
Visit the EFA Museum in Amerang
Several of the Ringers Group also arranged for an evening tour of the BMW factory in Munich.

Friday - A choice of 3 different group activities were offered:
Group A: a morning guided tour at the Alpina facility in Buchloe, followed by lunch at a beautiful lakeside restaurant, and Bavarian backroads driving in the afternoon.

Group B: Drive to Berchtesgaden, Germany, where we could choose one or more of the following: take the salt mine tour at the Salzbergwerk; take a lake cruise on the Konigsee; visit the Kehlsteinhaus ("Eagle's Nest"); and drive the beautiful high-mountain road known as the Rossfeld Ringstrasse. As it turned out, the weather was quite wet, and most of us opted for the salt mine tour. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. After the salt mine, we formed a group to drive back to Munich via the Deutsche Alpenstrasse, and the clearing skies made for a beautiful tour.

Group C: This option was to take an all-day drive to the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse in Austria, and return to Munich. I was planning to lead this group, but due to bad weather, the drive was cancelled. So we all went to the salt mine and had a barrel of fun.

Saturday: We left Munich and headed for Heidelberg, Germany. Along the way, we visited the incredible Sensheim Museum. We headed out to a group dinner at Brauhaus Vetter in old town Heidelberg, where we sampled some of their Vetters 33 - the "world's strongest beer" - 33% alcohol!

Sunday: We took a leisurely drive along the Rhein and Mosel Rivers, and had lunch in beautiful Cochem, on the Mosel. A short afternoon drive brought us to the Dorint Hotel at the Nurburgring.

Pics:
1.	BMW Mobile Tradition - no photos allowed inside, so this is all you get.
2.	Aying Brewery
3.	EFA Museum
4.	Cutaway of Porsche 959 at EFA
5.	Famous Bimmers on display
6.	Look what I saw when I stopped by the Delivery Center in Freimann


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

Thanks for the report Laguna.
How does CCA select the participants? Is there a lottery? How big is the group?
I gotta know.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Great report LS! Sounds like a wonderful trip.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Asteroid said:


> How does CCA select the participants? Is there a lottery? How big is the group?


I think you just sign up when they announce it.


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## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

Asteroid said:


> Thanks for the report Laguna.
> How does CCA select the participants? Is there a lottery? How big is the group?
> I gotta know.


I have seen ads in the Roundel and AFAIK, no mention of a lottery so I guess you just sign on. There was an article not too long ago also in the Roundel about the school as well where I seem to recall two guys rented a 1er for the school.

Cheers


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

JSpira said:


> I think you just sign up when they announce it.


Yes, that's correct. Except that you have to meet the experience qualifications. Participants should already be familiar with high performance driving skills, including smooth steering and shifting, driving lines, and advanced car control techniques. A minimum of at least 3 two-day driving schools (BMW CCA or equivalent) is a prerequisite. This school is about learning to drive the most difficult road course in the world. So you already need to have the basics down.

Some years, the number of drivers who want to go exceeds the space. So the BMW CCA adopted a system whereby everyone has an equal chance to get in. Registration is via phone to the CCA national office, and opens at a specific date and time. The number of participants from Nordamerika usually is between 40 and 70. In recent years, the dollar/euro exchange rate has escalated the dollar cost significantly, so entries haven't filled up by the first day.

More to come.


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## White05X3 (Jan 30, 2006)

By sheer coincidence I was at the Heidelberg Marriott at the same time many of you were there. It was very cool seeing some LA Chapter instructors there and seeing some familiar faces. Sounds like a great trip and I am glad you all had fun!


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

L Seca said:


> More to come.


I'm hanging on the edge of the seat... the Ring, man! The Ring!


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## Contact Patch (Nov 11, 2005)

Can't wait to read about the 'ring portion of your trip. : popcorn:


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

adc said:


> I'm hanging on the edge of the seat... the Ring, man! The Ring!


 OK, OK. I'm working on it. I'm still playing catch-up at work after so much Euro fun this summer.


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Day 0 – Arrival

Registration is held in the Dorint Hotel, and every student gets a packet – much like all drivers’ schools. This year we all received a white “Fahrerlehrgang Nurburgring” polo shirt. This was in addition to our regular “Team Nordamerica” shirts sent out to the Americans prior to the school. 

Numbers are put on the cars, fuel and supplies purchased, and then there may be a little time to see the Nurburg area. We led an impromptu tour around the area to show first-timers where the track entrance is, how to get to the castle, various restaurants, stores, gas stations, etc. This year, the Ring was not open for public laps immediately before our school, so there was some extra time. When the Ring is open before a school, we do not recommend that rookies go out during public laps, at least until getting a few orientation laps with a veteran. 

During the preparation and orientation, you start to see the European students arriving in their cars. And amazing cars they are: M3 CSLs, GT3s, Elises, Alpinas, Skylines, Weismann coupes and roadsters. Ever seen a Weismann? The program lists each student’s name, home and car. There are people here from Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands, Australia, Iceland, Canada, USA and many from Germany. This is truly an international event, and participating in it is an amazing experience.

At 20:00 on Sunday evening, we attended the Welcome Banquet dinner at the Dorint. This is a sumptuous buffet, with seating arranged by group number. Everything in Germany is done in order by number, it seems. This is a chance to meet all the students and instructors in your group, including those who may not have been on the pre-school tours. There is a minimum of speech making at this dinner, unlike the awards banquet on Day 3.

Pics:
1.	Program cover
2.	School schedule
3.	Weismann Roadster (M54 motor I think)
4.	The competition
5. View from the top of the castle toward the start area
6. In the Dorint


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

White05X3 said:


> By sheer coincidence I was at the Heidelberg Marriott at the same time many of you were there. It was very cool seeing some LA Chapter instructors there and seeing some familiar faces. Sounds like a great trip and I am glad you all had fun!


You should have joined us for some Vetters 33!


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Day 1 of the school

The first day of the school dawns clear and dry ***8211; woohoo! Breakfast is at 06:30. The Ring school is unlike any driver***8217;s school you may have experienced stateside. You line up at 07:30 and start driving at 08:00. All 13 groups line up along the main straight, and then head out one group at a time. The Nordschleife is taught in sections, because it***8217;s too long with too many curves to learn it by driving full laps alone. Instruction is done by lead-follow, with one instructor and one or two coaches (assistant instructors), each leading a few cars in sub-groups. 

When you reach the end of the segment, the entire group does a mass 3-point turn, while shuffling student positions by one slot. That way, each student gets to follow the instructor and coach at least once in each section. We call this mass turn-around the ***8220;Bimmer Ballet***8221;, and you get quite practiced at it. Two driver cars also may switch drivers at this point. Think ***8220;Chinese fire drill***8221;. Second drivers are welcome to hop in with an instructor for a run also. Then you return to the start of the segment, turn around and go again. 

You have 75 minutes to learn a segment, and then it***8217;s on to the next one, and so on. By the afternoon of the first day, the segments tend to blur together for the rookies in a mix of hard-to-pronounce corner names and blind crests. Then you are expected to stitch these segments together into a smooth, coherent sequence. This is hard work, taking intense concentration. You are driving quickly, but not at the limit. That comes later.

You drive more or less continuously for 12 hours ***8211; that***8217;s until 20:00 (PM)! And other than a lunch break, you are almost always driving. So none of this Drive One Session and Sit Out Three stuff. By the end of Day 1, many of the rookies have a bedraggled look to them. That***8217;s why it***8217;s usually a good idea to share a car with another student, and trade off the driving. When in the right seat, the co-driver (not just a passenger) helps the driver remember where the track goes next, and points out turn-in and shift points. It***8217;s very much like being a rally co-driver.

This year there are 7 segments on Day 1, and 6 on Day 2. That***8217;s the equivalent of learning several new racetracks on the first day alone! We are Gruppe 1, and we start at the Flugplatz-Schwedenkreutz-Aremberg section. Then it***8217;s on to Fuchsrohre-Adenauer Forst, and Metzsgefeld-Kallenhard-Wehrseifen. 

In the middle of the day, there is a 50 minute session of full-lap practice worked in around lunch at the Dorint. The full laps are also done lead-follow behind your instructor. Of course, at this point you have only had instruction on 3 of the 10 track segments. So that makes the sections you haven***8217;t yet studied especially interesting! Full laps means multiple laps, without stopping. This is something that you can***8217;t do during public laps on the Ring, where you have to exit and restart after each lap. Most drivers find they have to stop after about two laps, due to the concentration required on a mostly unfamiliar track. Two driver cars stop after two laps to swap seats. Helmets are required for full lap practice, but are optional for segment training, except drivers of convertibles must wear helmets at all times.

After lunch, we move on to Breidsheid-Bergwerk, Kesselchen-Klostertal, Karussel-Hohe Acht and Wippermann-Brunnchen. It***8217;s important to learn the names, sequence and details of all these sections. If you are able to get a head start on this memorization before arriving at the Ring (by studying maps, reports, playing video games, etc.), you will be ahead of the curve, at least somewhat. But don***8217;t think that becoming a video game expert at the Ring will make this easy. It***8217;s nowhere close to the real thing.

At the end of the day, we drag ourselves off track, refuel the cars, and head out to eat. This is the only night where we are on our own for dinner. I choose to join a group at the Pistenklause, a famous watering hole in Nurburg. After a couple of beers and a decent pizza, I head back to my hotel for a well needed rest. This has been a good day ***8211; dry, clean, demanding and rewarding. The weather forecast for tomorrow looks bad.

Pics:
1.	One choice of car to drive ***8211; Rent-a-Racer.
2.	Another Rent-a-racer
3.	335i coupe ED for an American couple
4.	The cars of Gruppe 1 stop on-the-line in the Karussel, then get out to discuss the finer points of this amazing corner.
5.	3 Alpinas
6. Day 1 schedule. "Gesamtrunden" means Full Lap Practice. It takes a little study to figure out where you go next and when.


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## Contact Patch (Nov 11, 2005)

So, L Seca, what's your "training wheels"?


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Contact Patch said:


> So, L Seca, what's your "training wheels"?


ED 335i.


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Day 2 of the school

The day starts off damp and foggy. Well, this could be worse, and it could improve. We have six sessions today, but only three of them are track segments. They are Pflanzgarten (my favorite section), Schwalbenschwanz-Galgengopf, and Hatzenbach-Hocheichen. The other three sessions include some exercises on the straightaway (a slalom and a “drunk driving” simulation using special goggles that mimic various levels of intoxication. Germany is very serious about preventing drunk driving.) Sadly, they no longer do the “Leaning on the Guardrail” exercise. You may have heard about this from amazed students at past Nurburgring schools. BMW would provide a couple of cars, and students used them to learn how to stop a car against a metal guardrail without using the brakes. That’s right – drive the car against the rail! It was hard for many people to actually do it, and the sound and feel was excruciating. But the cars always held up well – after being stopped against the rail by 100 students, the doors and windows still worked. Also, there was one classroom session covering basic cornering dynamics and first aid. In Germany, you are required by law to render assistance at the scene of an accident. 

The third session is a hoot. It is a visit to the Fahrsicherheit Zentrum (Driving Safety Center) located just down the road from the Dorint next to the Grand Prix Track. I’ll write a separate report for this session.

The weather stays wet, but it does not rain heavily. The Nordschleife is notorious for being slippery, and great care and concentration are required to stay between the painted lines. The full lap practice is run in a steady drizzle, and with appropriately reduced speed, comes off safely and smoothly. All Team Nordamerika students are performing admirably – there are no spins or off-track excursions in our Group. A pair of rookies from Washington State say that this is just like their driving schools back home – wet and slippery! 

Our last section at the end of Day 2 is Hatzenbach. This is possibly the most technically challenging section – it has about 8 corners encompassed under that one name. We take the time to stop on-line in a couple of places to allow us to walk around and look at the track up close. Turn-in points are pointed out: “Turn in at the end of the curb”. “Hold your downshift until there”. “This double apex corner should be done as one long constant radius.” “Stay a meter off that curb and hold that steering wheel position all the way to that curb”. “The judges will be looking for that.” Yes – the judges. We are always preparing for the judges and the infamous Graded Lap on the last day. This will be the measure of your driving skill, how far you have progressed, how well you have learned the Nordschleife. But that’s tomorrow. Now it’s 8 PM and time to leave. Since we finished on the Hatzenbach, which is the first section on the track, we get the bonus of doing a full lap as we exit the Nurburgring.

Tonight, the USA/Canada group has a traditional dinner at an Italian restaurant, La Lanterna, a few miles south of the track. We get to reconnect with Groups 2 and 3, who we don’t see much of during the training sessions. They are always on a different section, and we only see them when we pass in the parking lot. It’s rather like a military unit – you get to know your platoon members pretty well during these three days of Ring boot camp. We carpool in my 335 to the restaurant, and after one initial beer, I am voted in as designated driver for the evening. I switch to mineralwasser, and don’t grumble too much. The food is great, and we don’t get back until nearly midnight. It is still raining.

Pics:
1.	These are the BMW Fahrertraining cars, used in the company-sponsored (and very expensive) driving schools. They were on the Grand Prix Course while we were on the Nordschleife.
2.	Alpina Roadster
3.	Gruppe 1 studies the Kleine Karussel
4.	Porsche Carrera
5. A shot of the "Leaning on the Guardrail" exercise from a previous year
6. Schedule for Day 2


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## gmlav8r (May 28, 2003)

Did you see any USA plates there?


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Fahrsicherheit Zentrum

This high-tech training center became a regular stop for the Nurburgring School a few years ago. It has a skid recovery course, and a large wet skidpad. In past years, we did the skid recovery exercise. You drive down a ramp toward a large wet area, with a metal plate at one end that you go over at about 35 mph. When you hit the plate, it jerks the rear wheels sideways (you don’t know ahead of time which way it will throw you). Then you have to recover from the lurid slide that results. Everyone spins a few times, and then starts to get the hang of it. This is really difficult, and made harder by the wet surface with sprinklers.

This year, they gave the group the choice of the skid recovery exercise, or trying out the big wet skidpad. Gruppe 1 chooses the skidpad. The instructor jumps in a car to demonstrate. Turn off the traction control, goose the throttle to throw out the rear end, then hold it out there with more throttle. This is drifting! He does three beautiful consecutive tail-out laps of the skidpad, then tells us to give it a try. We line up and each take turns at drifting practice. It’s not easy, and requires a delicate touch. The same visual techniques (“look ahead” and “look where you want to go”) that we learn in drivers schools apply equally well here. To keep a slide going, you must look ahead to control the car.

I love this exercise, but it’s really hard. I manage to put several half-lap drifts together, and then my turn is over. I get back in line and take another run. This could be addictive!

Pics:
1. Skid Recovery Exercise. Could you recover from this slide?
2-4.	L Seca tries out drifting on the wet skidpad


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

gmlav8r said:


> Did you see any USA plates there?


No, I never have, other than an occasional generic "USA" plate that appeared to be someone on military assignment.


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Day 3 of the school – The Graded Lap

We get to sleep in a bit on the last day, since our first scheduled time on track is 10:00. This is full lap practice, our final preparation for the graded lap, also called the evaluated lap. We have a full hour of open track time to practice. That’s about enough time for five laps if we don’t stop too long between laps. The rules prohibit starting a new lap if there is less that 10 minutes left in the session. But five laps in one hour is a lot, and most students wind up doing four laps and being very satisfied with that. The instructors are available to lead students who want to follow to have the line reinforced for them. But following is optional today and most students head off solo (or with co-driver) to take all they have learned in the two days of instruction and put together as perfect a lap as possible. The weather has been damp, but the track is starting to dry somewhat. We really want the graded lap to be dry, but we have had a day plus of wet track, so we are ready either way.

The graded lap is a German tradition at this school, and it provides a focus for the students. It also adds to the stress level for first-timers, who aren’t sure what to expect. The rules say that the evaluation is based on your “driving style”, but not the lap time. The general understanding is that judges look for precision (on line), smoothness, and lastly, speed. Speed is no good without the first two. So, if you fly into a corner really fast, but not on the perfect line (in the eye of the judge), your score will suffer. The instructors and selected other Ring veterans act as judges, and assign scores from 1 (Weltmeister) to 10 (Blech oder totales chaos). That just about says it all. The participant with the lowest score in their group wins a trophy. Ring veterans (called Routiniers) compete in their own class, as do motorcycles. There is also a separate award for Damen (women). A score of 4or lower at any corner is good, and your highest score is omitted from your total score. So you get one mulligan.

Group 13 (motorraders) is the first out for the graded lap. Then comes Group 1. The coaches assign the starting order based more or less on having the faster cars first, to reduce the chance of catching the car in front of you. The starter waves a German flag and you are sent off at 30 second intervals to do your graded lap. This is cool. It is prohibited to pass another car on the graded lap, so if you do catch the car in front, you must slow down in a straight section between corners to maintain some gap.

As Gruppe 1 lines up, a light rain starts to fall at the start. We know that the Nordschleife is so big that there are often different weather conditions in various parts of the track. But the track is getting rather wet, so I elect to leave the traction control on for the lap. They never announce ahead of time which corners/sections will be graded. I have seen as few as 14 graded locations, and as many as 21. Some corners are always graded, some never. But the best approach is not to worry about it, not get distracted by someone standing at the fence (“Is that a grader or just a spectator?”) and just drive as perfect a lap as possible.

Then, in about 10 minutes, your graded lap is over. You survived, and give a big sigh of relief. But you also feel a great sense of achievement – especially the rookies. You have gone from knowing almost nothing about this challenging track, to successfully completing a test of precision. You think back to various corners where maybe you weren’t perfect, and wonder if the judge saw it. That corner where you feel you nailed it – will they agree? You won’t know until the end of tonight’s awards banquet. 

The Ring is open for public laps tonight for a couple of hours, but most of us have had enough, especially in the wet conditions. And public laps aren’t cheap. So only a few die-hards put in more laps before the banquet.

The awards banquet is held in a huge room with many tables (all numbered of course). The buffet dinner is wonderful; the beer (extra cost) is also great. Everyone has a story about his or her graded lap – where we screwed up, where it was diabolically slippery, and so forth. Finally, after dinner, the speeches and awards start. Everything is translated into English, but it’s still a little hard to figure out exactly what they are saying. Awards are given for each group and each overall category. Those who don’t win an award receive a nice participant trophy. At the end of the ceremony, the score sheets are passed out, and everyone can see all the scores, corner by corner. 

We linger to speak with our new friends, exchange addresses and phone numbers, arrange to meet at track schools stateside. Some are planning the continuation of their Euro vacation the next day. Others have to leave early tomorrow to fly back home. Everyone promises to return to the Ring School in the future. Those who did ED have to get their cars to the chosen drop-off location. In my case, I have two days to get to Munich, drop off the 335, and have Rolf take me to the airport. 

The dates for next year’s 46th Fahrerlehrgang auf dem Nurburgring won’t be firmed up for awhile (typically in January). But we were told to expect that it will be in early August 2008. I can’t wait.

Pics:
1.	Schedule for Day 3
2.	2 ED 335s stage for the graded lap
3.	A page from the results booklet, listing the sections that were graded, names of the evaluators, and the description of each score. (These are in German – perhaps Jspira or someone could translate then for us.)
4.	The scoresheet for Gruppe 1.

My apologies for the length of this report, and the time it took me to compile it. I was asked for a complete report, so that's what I tried to give you.

L Seca


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

L Seca said:


> My apologies for the length of this report, and the time it took me to compile it. I was asked for a complete report, so that's what I tried to give you.
> 
> L Seca


Don't be daft, your reports on the school have been some of the best posts we've had here period. Thanks for taking the time to write about this. :thumbup: (yes, I'll go and translate the document now)


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Sorry for the delay - had a phone call.

Quick translation of the second sheet
(for some reason, having seen some english on the first I thought it was bilingual but I'll have to try to come back to that)

This is sheet two:
First line - self explan.

Second line
More than 40 Years - "Better driving with BMW"

Third line
Loose translation: positioning for the final exam
Wednesday, the 8. of August 2007

Fourth line
Departure of judges latest 11.30
Start of the first car 11.45

The chart shows the positions along the Ring and who goes there.

The point system is
1 World Champion
2 Excellent
3 Very good
4 Good, quick, clean line
5 Satisfactory following the line
6 Somewhat unexact but sufficient
7 Hardly followed the line - deficient
8 Line and car never met (my words) - insufficient
9 almost Blech - insufficient (Blech is short for Blechschaden or fender bender)
10 Blech or total chaos


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

JSpira said:


> Don't be daft, your reports on the school have been some of the best posts we've had here period. Thanks for taking the time to write about this. :thumbup: (yes, I'll go and translate the document now)


+1.

I'll probably have L Seca to thank for attending this school sometimes in the future, and it's probably best that my wife never learns his name or meets him.


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

JSpira said:


> The point system is
> 1 World Champion
> 2 Excellent
> 3 Very good
> ...


Thanks Jonathan! I never really knew what some of those meant.


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## Me530 (Feb 17, 2005)

JSpira said:


> Don't be daft, your reports on the school have been some of the best posts we've had here period. Thanks for taking the time to write about this. :thumbup:


+1,000 :thumbup:


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## White05X3 (Jan 30, 2006)

I also agree. GREAT!


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## Contact Patch (Nov 11, 2005)

Great report, L Seca!:thumbup: I enjoyed reading it.


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Jspira, Me530, adc, White05X3 and Contact Patch:

Thanks for the positive feedback!

adc: you'd better sign up for a future school. You owe me now! What are you going to pick up in '09?


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

Thanks for the report Laguna. :thumbup:
Maybe if the moon and the stars line up right, I'll get in touch with you for 2009. And maybe by then I won't have to dream of an Alpina D3 in the US.


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

Great reporting. I was there with some Norwegians doing a little in car coaching, and as a result didn't get to meet too many of the Yanks. 

Although I spend a ludicrous amount of time instructing on the 'ring that was the first time I had had the chance to cover the sections backwards. It felt really strange. The view of the GP Strecke stands from Quiddelbacher Hohe was a revelation as I am usually pretty much focussed in the other direction when I pass through there. 

I spent a couple mornings getting cars sorted out at Tom Schirmer's, but the rest of the time in the co-driver's seat of several cars. I would recommeend the course to anyone, especially to those who have never experienced the Nordschleife.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

L Seca said:


> adc: you'd better sign up for a future school. You owe me now! What are you going to pick up in '09?


I'll be probably picking up a 135i, if it lives up to my expectations...


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Hammerwerfer said:


> Although I spend a ludicrous amount of time instructing on the 'ring (...)


Hmm, the instructor I had for one lap also drove a 951, which was in the repair shop at the time. Are you the same person who gave a charity lap to a fellow with a Grey/Red 335i Coupe? :thumbup:


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## redadair (Dec 11, 2006)

Fabulous story. Makes me want to sign up for next year as well.

Red


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## flyga3 (May 8, 2007)

Thanks for taking the time to write this!
Awesome read, and now I need to make plans for next year!


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## skier (Oct 19, 2004)

Amazing report; the ultimate European Delivery! :thumbup: Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with the groupies.


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Hammerwerfer said:


> Great reporting. I was there with some Norwegians doing a little in car coaching, and as a result didn't get to meet too many of the Yanks.


Probably not coaching Thorleif, though, correct?


Hammerwerfer said:


> The view of the GP Strecke stands from Quiddelbacher Hohe was a revelation as I am usually pretty much focussed in the other direction when I pass through there.


Pertty Much ??? I guess maybe you check your mirrors occasionally.


Hammerwerfer said:


> I would recommend the course to anyone, especially to those who have never experienced the Nordschleife.


Ben Lovejoy was an honored guest student last year, and said he got a lot out of the school. For first-timers and those with little Ring experience, this three-day school will give you the confidence to do public laps, and you'll be faster than 75% of the public, most of whom don't know their way around the Ring.


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

adc said:


> I'll be probably picking up a 135i, if it lives up to my expectations...


I am thinking about a 135i in 2008, if available for ED. You see how addictive the Ring is - now I have to buy an ED car just to do the Ring, whether or not I need a new car. I just figure I'll dispose of something when the new one gets back, or I can sell off the new one for close to what I paid.:angel:


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

L Seca said:


> Probably not coaching Thorleif, though, correct?
> 
> No, Thorleif never listens to me when I ride with him. That is probably why he won.
> 
> ...


.


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

adc said:


> Hmm, the instructor I had for one lap also drove a 951, which was in the repair shop at the time. Are you the same person who gave a charity lap to a fellow with a Grey/Red 335i Coupe? :thumbup:


It wasn't me. My car was in the carpark, a very tired and faded red one.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

L Seca said:


> I am thinking about a 135i in 2008, if available for ED. You see how addictive the Ring is - now I have to buy an ED car just to do the Ring, whether or not I need a new car. I just figure I'll dispose of something when the new one gets back, or I can sell off the new one for close to what I paid.:angel:


Well my wife has pretty much resigned herself to another ED 2 years from now, and I figure out I'd better not push my luck. After that, who knows? What's encouraging is that she mentioned when her "mom-run" in the X3 is over, she'll want a sports car - maybe she meant a Boxster or next Z4 via ED? One can only hope...

In 2009, the only difficulty will be choosing whether to attend the BMW school or one of the other excellent local ones. If I choose the BMW school, I must go in August. If I choose something else, I can go in June and maybe catch LeMans, or in May/June and catch Monaco. Decisions, decisions...


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Hammerwerfer said:


> It wasn't me. My car was in the carpark, a very tired and faded red one.


Ah well, maybe next time then? :thumbup:


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## Dirtboy (Apr 19, 2002)

That was a good report. I have always wanted to go to that driving school but have always been busy when that time of year rolls around. I'm one of those lucky Americans who happens to live about an hour South of the Ring and I still haven't been able to go to that school... I might get a chance to go in 2009.

Until then, I'll just have to get up there at the end of this month.

Again, thanks for the report!:thumbup:


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Dirtboy said:


> That was a good report. I have always wanted to go to that driving school but have always been busy when that time of year rolls around. I'm one of those lucky Americans who happens to live about an hour South of the Ring and I still haven't been able to go to that school... I might get a chance to go in 2009.
> 
> Until then, I'll just have to get up there at the end of this month.
> 
> Again, thanks for the report!:thumbup:


You are welcome. We'd love to see you at a future school. I have this fantasy of retiring near enough to the Ring to justify an annual pass!:thumbup:


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

L Seca said:


> I have this fantasy of retiring near enough to the Ring to justify an annual pass!:thumbup:


I actually checked some real estate prices all over Europe - southern France was pretty stiff, but not too bad around the Ring. The weather can be horrible in the Eifel, though - maybe ok a little farther away, on the Mosel or Rhine valleys...  But then, real estate prices go up again...


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## IrvRobinson (May 10, 2006)

Great report, thanks!


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## Dirtboy (Apr 19, 2002)

L Seca said:


> You are welcome. We'd love to see you at a future school. I have this fantasy of retiring near enough to the Ring to justify an annual pass!:thumbup:


I'm working on that as I speak. I just have to get my wife convinced to let me get a place big enough to open a small guest house around there...


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Dirtboy said:


> I'm working on that as I speak. I just have to get my wife convinced to let me get a place big enough to open a small guest house around there...


And is she going to run it so that you can spend all your time on track?


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

redadair said:


> Makes me want to sign up for next year as well.





flyga3 said:


> now I need to make plans for next year!


OK, guys. No wussing out...put it on your calendars! Start exploring Ben Lovejoy's website. Memorize those corner names. We need commitment here! :thumbup:


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

adc said:


> Ah well, maybe next time then? :thumbup:


Sure. You know hwere to find me.


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## gmlav8r (May 28, 2003)

> L Seca: "I have this fantasy of retiring near enough to the Ring to justify an annual pass!:thumbup:"


*Hey that was my idea.*

*A little place near the Ring.*


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

so you can leave your car overseas, go home, come back, and visit it again?


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

skywalkerbeth said:


> so you can leave your car overseas, go home, come back, and visit it again?


Sure, as long as you pay for the extended insurance (in my case I paid for two months), and you have a secure place to park your car. The maximum length of time you have before you must export the car is 6 months, IIRC.


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## Thorleif (Apr 24, 2008)

Nice write up, and hope to see a lot of you at the ring in early August


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## L Seca (Apr 22, 2005)

Thorleif said:


> Nice write up, and hope to see a lot of you at the ring in early August


Thanks, and yes, I'll be there again this year! I also hope to see some Festers there this year too.

I sent you a Private Message.


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

Thorleif said:


> Nice write up, and hope to see a lot of you at the ring in early August


Thorleif, have you nothing better to be doing with your time these days than browsing BMW sites?

Should you not be in training for your racing debut?


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## Thorleif (Apr 24, 2008)

I guess I should, and it is nice to be pushed so I remember what to do


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

Can't have you doing a Bibendum impersonation in your new Nomex!


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