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Old 28 May 2019, 18:09 (Ref:3906561)   #1708
SnoodyMcFlude
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Join Date: Aug 2015
United Kingdom
Posts: 520
SnoodyMcFlude should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridSnoodyMcFlude should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
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Originally Posted by Anyopenroad View Post
Don't hesitate. Plan it now. You'll only scratch the surface on a single trip, which means you'll have to go again the next year to visit different parts of this incredible track.
^^This.

TL,DR version: The racing is great and the atmosphere is great, you should go.

A couple years back I was planning my first trip to an endurance race and asked a few of the RLM/sportscar type people on Twitter, they were almost unanimous. Me and dad went last year and loved it, the set ups that the crowds have are just mad and there's something remarkably special about the whole event. We're heading back this year with a few more spot on the list to watch, and a bit of a better idea what to take and how to get about.

We tend to be fans of the budget end of things so camped near Schwalbenschwanz, but slightly away from the main party bit. We also took push bikes in the van to help get around. Having the bike makes for a lot of exercise but also means you get to see a reasonable amount while not worrying about parking/who's Des etc. I loved that you can watch at one point, ride a few hundred yards and see the track from a completely different perspective. Through Pflanztgarten a few laps into the race (when Grid 1 catches Grid 3) is bonkers, the speed differential through the compression is eye opening. We also watched the Friday evening qualifying shootout at Hatzenbach, well worth the effort (and the walk back up the hill). It's arguably the quickest that the cars will go during the whole event and some of them were really pushing the limit.

Downside was that the rain came on Sunday in the early hours, while we were up at the GP track. Luckily we had waterproof kit but still had to wait for a bit of a break in the weather before riding the 10-15 minutes back to camp. Thankfully it's downhill, so lesson learnt about where to be in the early hours if the weather is dodgy. Also the waterproofs weren't top quality, so replaced for this year. The real negative was when it started warming up later in the morning and the mist caused a few hours of stoppage, which I don't think is uncommon for the event (although hopefully less likely in the June slot this year)
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