Da Groj

Executed another visit on Easter...so did 500 others! Worst traffic ever...traffic jam to get 'off' the track.

Did only 4 laps with hold ups...and one 15 minute session on the Nurburgring GP track. That is not open very often...actually fun to probe the limits of the car...nothing to hit!

Likely the coolest image that will be taken of my car...:



This is nearly off the 1.2 g scale the car is equipped with...bumpy too!

Nurburgring GP track lap:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMS-zrJqpLA

Tim, I really wish I could have timed my trip better, it looks like you've been having a blast out there! I wasn't able to get on the track with the renatal, but I did get a ride in the Range Rover SVR pictured which apparently holds the record for the production SUV. I also met some great people out there, I'm truly envious. Definitely one of my favorite stops while making my way around Europe.

At least you were there and got a selfie. Who invented that word?

twistedwankel wrote:At least you were there and got a selfie. Who invented that word?

My sisters might argue that I did!

Mike - glad to see you made it! And on a great weather day...heck you got a better a ride than I could have ever offered. World record holder, yea!

Another one...nothing to write home on this one...my glasses fogged up at the end so ended lethargically...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq8ulvAOX1o

More spirited with less Chevrolet nannies involved. Traffic was a bit of an issue - but feeling better about the course...4 laps straight helps that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtNmY_TuEqg

On the way home, a convertible AMG Mercedes put distance from the Camaro deep into 5th. Little bit disappointed!

Hockenhiem may be in two weeks - just tourist drive so we will see how that goes.

I don't spend much time at the ring to take photos...

This one looked familiar (not enough doors though!):



And a bit of a sleeper - I'm not a Mercedes guy, but I recall when these cars came out - advertised as first Mercedes with a wing. Notice the full cage and full interior, special wheels. Likely had some serious heat under the hood.

Tim_M wrote:On the way home, a convertible AMG Mercedes put distance from the Camaro deep into 5th. Little bit disappointed!

Was the top down? More bald guys drive verts and they didn't start out that way:)

The AMG was up, but coincidentally (cough, cough) a red convertible Corvette with its top down was directly following me. And yes he was a bit light on the top...sound familiar?

Not Nurburgring, but call it chaos at Hockenheim. Tourist day brought out all kinds of craziness - 20 Euro gets you 15 minutes on track. The one time I did not feel comfortable on track - concerned for my Chevy's health!

The #1 issue...nearly 100 cars on a ~3 mile track! Ridiculous! No seeding whatsoever...run what you brung...some to take a sunday drive and some attempting to do drifts (into the dirt).

Never again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxlGTtymivs

A change of pace - back to the Nurburgring for Father's Day...perfect weather and a new best time. This time I kept the windows up to record the beautiful engine music from the LT1. I still get lost on the track...more comfortable with another 6 laps under my belt. I wondered how long a tank would last...last turn of the 6th lap - low fuel light (1/16 of a tank!) Pretty cool, Chevy. Subaru would starve at just under half a tank...

Sloppy driving video...maybe another 50 laps I will be closer to the Camaros limits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI_c-WDSll8&t=414s

Most enjoyable portion - 7:15. WOT at over 100 mph in a turn where the track drops away...the car 'transitions' about a feet to the right. Reminds me of some fun mountain biking!

Not exactly Ring related, but likely an interest to any auto enthusiast:

Arrived uneventfully from a 1400 mile trip to southern UK to attend first day of Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Certainly the most impressive spectator motorsport event I've witnessed. I was there 12 years ago and since then it has grown (along with the crowds!).

The SS was a joy to drive - ~23 mpg. That included an hour of idle traffic on the M25 around London - disappointing traffic congestion.

We made our way thru The Netherlands, Belgium, and France where we hitched a ride on the Eurotunnel (Chunnel) for a train ride nearly 400 feet below sea level at 80 mph...crossed the gap in 35 minutes while standing around eating Burger King out of the trunk. Modern technology is impressive.

270 runs up the hill by various cars/motorcycles of every type. Ken Block was present as was Richard Petty and many others I'm not familiar with. Red Bull Lambo Drift car, jet powered motorcycle (Jay Leno?), NASCAR, Paris to Dakar support trucks (drifting!), Peter Solberg's Subaru rally car, flame throwing 1920's race cars, modern V6 turbo F1 (muted sound) to the late 2000's V10 F1 machines (crowd favorite with the 20,000 rpm V10 shrek!).

A rally course is setup along with demo rides in seemingly everything. We couldn't see everything in a day...just an overload to the senses...

The Netherlands:



Belgium we missed...

Entering the train...bottom deck outbound and upper deck on return:



Electric locomotive for propulsion:



All loaded up with BK burgers!:



Arrived to a Performance Car parking...we were likely the least expensive - and proud of it!:



An easy $20 million on the grass:



2019 Nurburgring 12 hours winner - R8 as raced...from two weeks ago:



Only other Camaro we spied:



I like Subarus!:



One of my favorite cars - Ultima. I visited the factory a few years ago and got a ride in a demonstrator...very impressive and with your own hands:



Heading home with a $85 99 octane fill up at Folkestone:



Preparing to load the train...among a dozen Ferrari's, Mclarens, and Porsche autos:



Loaded up once again:



Camaro is a wide car...only about 5 inches total on the chunnel cars:



My navigator was weary and I couldn't convince him to pull 20 minutes off course (yes we drove right by!) for a few laps of the Nurburgring! Bummer...nonetheless - I'm scheduled to return next Sunday for a few laps with family - should be a hoot!

Fun....

Tim_M wrote:The SS was a joy to drive - ~23 mpg. That included an hour of idle traffic on the M25 around London - disappointing normal traffic congestion.

You spent long enough in the UK to know about the M25...like I-4 westbound near the Disney exits!

Belgium we missed...

Unless you're going through the Ardennes, that's like missing Iowa....

An easy $20 million on the grass:

That's a Muria on the right side? Mmmmm....

Jamie - we actually missed the photo op in Belgium, but we won't forget the country as Brussels was a traffic jam...

Of the 4, I prefer the F1. Awesome video of it hitting 243 mph with an NA BMW V12 @ 627 HP.

Also thought of you when taking this snap:

Tim,
Thanks for sharing. A Brit friend recently told me they wouldn't rent him a car in the UK as he's over 70 so they had to ride a train a short distance to home town for a small fortune. Guess our European travels will be much less outside Greek Islands. I have been fortunate can borrow a car from the kids so far in UK. Apparently EU is anti oldies.

Doug: hadn't heard of that, but Google confirmed 70 or 75 can be a cut off for some rental companies. I'm sure with some searching a Lambo could be had for your light foot...worst case, I did see a well tended to taxi stand servicing Goodwood...as well as a helicopter transportation if you want to splurge. Although the roads departing to the east toward the chunnel were wicked fun - tree canopy with rises/falls and 45 mph curves that made my navigator a bit giggly.

twistedwankel wrote:Tim,
Thanks for sharing. A Brit friend recently told me they wouldn't rent him a car in the UK as he's over 70....

Where is that fake ID you bought 50 years ago to prove you were 21...?

Jamie wrote:Where is that fake ID you bought 50 years ago to prove you were 21...?

Haha. When you had to get your paper no pix Draft card at 18 they assumed your small town ass would be Nam dead by 19-20 so no one ever checked. 3.2 beer was legal back then at 18 on college campus as was smoking in class (all draft beer is still 3.2% min.). Paper driver's license no pix no one checked either. Guys with 5 o'clock shadow at 16 on and it was 7% Rolling Rock by the case every weekend for all summer. Still think the whiskey drinking, legal car title and voting age should be 21. No one has been drafted for decades and the logic was if you can be forced to die for your country @ 18 you should be allowed to vote. Now they have women volunteeringly in combat. Go figure.

Had some visiting family in town...offered them a tour of the Ring. Bit eye-opening as they had not ever been faster than 100 mph! Touching 150 on each lap was a nice roller coast ride for them...along with the air time. :-)

4 laps in the 8:20 range...I continue to learn the lines. The high speed sections are most challenging and where the most time to be had. Great fun with 55 degree temps.

https://youtu.be/bH0JMVga-2Y

Will likely seek an updated alignment with increased negative camber. I'm near a street spec - Chevy's track manual recommends something much more performance oriented. Now to find a competent shop...

A good day is when the low fuel light warning illuminates as you cross the finish line on the last lap of a visit to the Nurburgring :-)

Amazing Chevy allows spirited driving down to ~1/16 of a tank.

Sloppy lap, but the clearest of traffic Saturday morning - personal best of 7:53 B to G.

I hope to have a good alignment prior to the next visit - work interfered with my apt.

Great Chevy product makes me feel like a hero out there...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jCyWzBNkA4

Looks scary fast. You passed more cars than I did between Orlando and Tampa on I4 yesterday.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk