Today wasn’t just a lovely November Touristenfahrten day, it was the final planned day of Nürburgring Nordschleife driving in 2015. BTG was there, to the very last minute, and the very last lap…
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While the temperatures did drop yesterday and today, Sunday remained mostly dry. And although it was certainly busy, the car park at the Nordschleife entrance was never quite full.
Cars from as far away as Finland and the UK made the trip.
After a quick look at the carpark, the family and I went to Brünchenn. Luckily no €5 surcharge today, so we drove straight in. And, like the carpark at the Nordschleife, it was just the right amount of busy too.
With the sun already low in the sky, we walked down, past the tunnel and over to Brünchenn 2 (aka YouTube corner).
It didn’t feel like we were there long, but the action was none-stop. One driver choosing to ignore the perfectly great marshalls parking spot on the right side of the track, and instead checking his tyres on the most dangerous part of the circuit. Right in the firing line of YouTube corner.
Some of the cars were lapping fast, some slow. You could easily spot the girls and guys driving on their winter tyres, screaming all the way through the corners. Many cars were obviously still on the last of their summer tyres and semi-slicks though.
On the way back to the SEAT, I spotted an opening in the fence that allowed an unobstructed head-on shot into Brünnchen 2. I couldn’t leave it alone. I stood there for 20 minutes, just waiting for somebody to get it sideways and use those grass-covered cobbles. But the closest was that tiny little red hatchback:
So back to the carpark (after a small tow-job for a friend and his Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious) and the whole family got ready to take the final lap of 2015. A 16.10 we left our parking spot, and drove through the gates to wait.
We wanted to take a nice easy lap, with no worries about traffic arriving from behind at speed. So the tactic was simple, be the last car on to the circuit…
… and with the gates flashing closed behind us, we drove on to the Nordschleife under a stunning sunset and massive red light.
PERFECT.
Though not perfect for this Megane driver who had just crashed ahead of us.
The rest of the lap was beautiful and, apart from my boys waving like crazy as we drove through the biggest spectator points, largely uneventful.
With no traffic behind us, we took it very easy. Enjoying the circuit for what it is; an amazing road open to the public.
Now the track is closed, and there are no more dates advertised for 2015. The 2016 dates should be released any time between December and February.
And tomorrow? Construction work begins for that new FIA License. I’ll bring you photos and details of that during the week, I’m sure.
Until then…
