After sleeping in the forest for the night I awoke with sore legs and stiff knees.
The GTI was no luxury hotel but it kinda did the job, the hugging seats were nice but the leg room was little.
I slept like a rock for a few hours which was enough to recharge my energy for the day to come.
I fired up the engine around 7am and head’d out of the forest for the super market and breakfast, cruised the back roads to the pits area and waited for the rain to ease.
The day was called for rain in the morning and then to clear later in the day, this only meaning that once again it was going to be a **** to walk around in the mud. I start’d off in the main pavillion and walk’d up to the N.Schleife start (Track) having been here once before I knew it was an ok spot, still pissing down rain I decided to walk down track more and see what the mass of people were up to.
I wanted to see what was around the corner more, sloshing through the mud, caravans and other asortment of **** lying on the ground I found Hatzenbach along with some more holes in the fence to poke my camera through now I just had to stand there in the rain and wait for the Porsche cup to start.
A wet start for these guys and still they drive them like they stole them, sliding around the bends and still giving gas.
Not wanting to sit in the one place the whole time I was soon on the move again. Slipping and sliding through the amusment park I went.
Hocheichen this place was nice, very tight for the camera to get in and really only one man at a time but still it’s nice and low on the track.
By the time I got to Aremberg it was the end of the porsche cup. Here a few cars had gone off and the Nuerburgring team of men were repairing the armor for the next round of battering. Once again my legs were killing me so I decided to sit down and see what was going on.
Not much was going on.
I had a few hours before the main race start’d and had to decide on what I wanted to do.
I wanted to walk back to the pavillion and see what the Nissan store was like and then walk back out to where I was….crazy I thought. I end’d up on the other side of the track instead sitting under the Audi VIP stand. Sitting under a tree out of the drizzling rain for hours bored with nothing to do, I had to tell myself that walking so far was stupid and not going to happen.
Finally it was time, with the ring prayers being heard over the speakers I knew it was about to get exciting.
Standing up at Flugplatz you can hear the cars start up and rev around the grand prix circuit then up into the nordschleife, louder and louder they come then into sight, Ferrari then the two Mercedes followed by the Bmw and then a flurry of autos.
Another 10 minutes or so they were on there way around again, this time full throttle. The noise was amazing a high pitch’d note from the Ferrari followed by a deap note by the two Mercedes then the flurry of noises came through. Gaps were starting to show but that didn’t really matter, this was a long race, this was a 24hr race.
As time went on into the evening I slowly head’d back to the pavillion.
After refueling myself I wanted to head back to Hatzenbach for some long exposure shots but that only ment I had to walk there again another 3-4 k’s my legs couldn’t do. I cruised off in the GTI to find a parking spot closer to my destination.
It was midnight or 1pm by the time I park’d the hotel on a side road, hopped over to the passenger side and spread out.
Woke around day break.
First light was starting to break throught the cracked clouds and it was time to try and move.
I was still so tired but wanted to visit my favourite spot (Schwalbenschwanz) and the kleines karussell, the empty pitch’d tents were full of dead bodies or just passed out from drinking themselves stupid, somehow they were still able to sleep with the roaring cars flying by.
sparks fly from the under carage of the audi.
By this time I had had enough and thought I would call it a weekend.
I would watch the rest from my t.v.
Off to the GTI and get ready.
Driving home was a quiet Sunday morning, people either sleeping in or on their way to church I have no idea. All I know is that the roads are quiet and it’s time for me to think I’m in a race car.
Finally came out of the 130k’s zone and seen my favouorite sign…..endless, floor it, give gas, clock this thing, see what you can get to - the list could go on and that’s what the GTI was doing.
Soon I was up to 200k’s
Then up to 230 with some room running out. Hitting a corner at this speed was a little daunting and I had to let off some, soon the straights were in sight and the navi said so too.
Back on the gas I gave a quick look in the rear view mirror to see an Audi A5 coming in fast.
And all I could think was this is a race, Audi pass’d me at about 240k’s, he would have been on 260-270 easy. The GTI finally got up too 250 and that’s all it allowed me .
The Audi was a good distance in front - for safety reasons but there was no way I was going to let it out of my site. Unfortunately for the Audi it was cleaning the road for me, the GTI was now on a move and no cars were going to stop it! only corners.
Still hitting bends at 230k’s was scaring me and I wasn’t sure on were the limits of the car were, the battle was on, I would pass the Audi then he would return the same. I was loving it sitting on 250k’s just chewing up the autobahn.
This went on for about 30mins or so then I had to turn off for my exit, I was in love the little GTI didn’t disappoint me one bit. Well to sleep in it’s not that good but for fun on the autobahn then it’s not a bad choice.
I think I made the journey home in around an hour.
I was watching the final hours of the race on t.v when I fell asleep and somehow woke up on the last lap to watch the #18 Porsche cross the line and finish another year that was/is Nurburgring 24hr race.
When I look back on this event it always blows my mind to think that for 24 straight hours cars are banging it out. Lap for lap just going hard - to me it’s crazy, I always wonder if some of the cars just cruise around for a lap or two. I guess not aye.
Anyways I’m looking forward to next year’ s race.
If you would like to view more pics then click on this link : http://48frames.zenfolio.com/nurburgring
Smithers
