Q. Nurburgring – where is it?

The Nurburgring is a famous racetrack in Germany. It is around 290 miles drive from the channel ports. It is not far from Bonn, which at one time before unification was the capital of West Germany. There are two race tracks actually, and one is open to the public. It is possible to drive your normal road car around the track at a current cost of around 16 Euros per lap 

Q. How much will it cost?

The run pack, which will include the parade laps at Silverstone and the Ring, camp site fees, ferry crossings, hotel fees on the way there and back, run plaques and stickers, and a T shirt.  You’ll have to pay for your own fuel, food and drink, and incidental expenses, and any extra laps of the Ring. If there is more than one person in the car, the costs have to rise because the camp site charge per person. The 2008 Price is not confirmed yet but we are aiming for this to remain under £250

Q. Where does it start and end? 

It starts at Silverstone at the race circuit, and includes a parade lap of the race circuit, and ends at Brand Hatch(option), with everyone going to their own respective home locations. No doubt there will be groups who are from similar areas, so there will be some convoying at least part of the way home.

Q. What is there to do in the area of Nurburgring? 

It’s an area of outstanding beauty, with forests and rivers, valleys with grape vines, pretty villages and fantastic driving roads. There is literally something for everyone, and we will be organising some runs out into the German countryside for those who do not fancy driving their cars around the race track. It will be the height of summer, so it will be warm, and the local villages and towns are not far away, so you can stay around the camp site and socialise with the other mini owners, or go your own way. We will not be insisting on any particular activities, there will be some organised, and it’s up to you if you want to take part or not. We will be setting up two “spirited drives” around the German countryside, and have two routes, one of which takes in the Mosel valley. This is not a race, it’s a nice drive around some areas of outstanding natural beauty.

Q. What is the camp site like? 

It’s well appointed, with excellent hot showers, clean toilets, and a small shop and café. There will probably be a beer trailer open in the evenings. This social event will allow us all to get to know each other better. The site has electric hook ups, and is level on the whole. It is very near the race track, and during some days you can hear the roar of the engines from the site. They do not normally race overnight, so you will get a good nights sleep. At night, there is a camp fire set up by the organisers.

Q. Who else will be going? 

This event is open to anyone with a mini (classic or BMW). We encourage families, which is why we have organised it for the summer holidays. 

Q. I see you have lots of day trips out, do i have to do them?

The days out and planned stuff is put on for those who wish to have a complete "adventure", but this of course is optional, for example Daz only goes to sniff petrol at the Ring, and thats where he will be found all weekend!, Jeff however will be found on all the tours and days out. Its your holiday, your adventure, make it how you want!

Q. I see you have do stuff for charity do i need to be sponsored? 

No, although the SRR team do like to raise money for charity for this event, you don't have to be sponsored, we hold a small "auction" usually at the ring for a lap with the fastest drive. Any charity raising is optional and not compulsory.

Q. How do I sign up for the trip? 

On line booking has been arranged, and there is a button on this site to book electronically through Paypal. Unfortunately, Paypal make a charge for this, so if you do not want to pay the % fee, there’s an alternative way for booking by sending a cheque or postal order. Check the cost/booking page for more details.

Q. Can I meet other runners before the trip starts? 

After you have booked for the Silver Ring Rally you will have access to a special section on the website (open in May08 when booking is closed) that is just for runners. Main Chat will Take place here on the minidirectory

Q. How many days will it be from start to finish? 

It will be around six days from start to finish, from early on the Thursday until late on the Tuesday. We expect to spend three nights at the camp site, with two days spent getting there and two days back. The drives will be a fair distance each day, but not difficult drives, and cars will travel in groups which we can sort out nearer the date we travel. 

Q. When does it start? 

TBC

Q. What route do we take? 

We will travel from Silverstone down to Dover, and take a short ferry crossing.  We’ll then drive on the other side of the channel to our outbound hotel stop, where we will have a meal and freshen up before having a bite to eat. We will then be up early in the morning for the drive to the camp site near the Ring itself. The drive will be through France and Belgium before dropping down into Germany and on to the camp site.

Q. What speeds will we be travelling at?

It is impossible to keep a convoy of over 50  Minis together. We will be splitting the group into different groups, and each group will have the responsibility of looking after each other. We will – as far as possible – try to keep people in groups which suit the speed they wish to travel at. So if you have a car that like to travel at 60 – 65mph, we can sort that. You will be asked as part of the booking process what your preferences are.

Q. Where do we stop overnight? 

We have a number of hotels we can use. Once you have booked and paid, we will tell you where these are, and our aim is that major groups of runners will be located at the same hotel.

Q. What camping equipment will I need? 

The usual stuff. Tent, sleeping bag, camp bed or air bed, plus clean clothes and washing gear. A list will be provided for you as a guide. It will be a very long one, and you will just cross off the things you won’t be taking! Most people travel light, as we all know minis do not have a huge space to carry gear!

Q. Do I need special insurance for my car? 

You will need to check that your insurance covers you for Europe. Some insurers make an extra charge for this, some don’t.

Q. Do I need special break down insurance for my car? 

Yes, you will need breakdown cover for Europe. This is mandatory. Although most minis are reliable, some owners experience an unexpected breakdown which requires recovery back to the UK. Without insurance, this would cost many hundreds of pounds. In some cases, you would not be able to afford to bring the car back, and that would be a tragedy! We will be taking spares for most types of failure, but serious problems, although rare, can occur, so copies of the European breakdown cover certificates will be needed prior to setting off.

Q. What things do I need to take to make sure I comply with the European traffic laws? 

We have provided a list of the things which are required on the SRR website.

Q. Do I need a passport? 

Yes. Check they are actually in the car before you set off, and not on the kitchen table, or you will not get across the channel! 

Q. Who will book the ferry crossing? 

We will do all of the booking for you when you have booked and paid for the run. 

Q. What is included in the price of the run? 

Well, everything except your own food and drink, fuel and incidental expenses, including additional laps of the Ring. So:

Ferry there and back

Hotel there and back

Lap of Silverstone

Lap of Nurburgring

Camp site fees for one person

T shirt

Run Plaque

Stickers for your car

e-Run pack with full instructions

Q. Do mobile phones work on the continent?

Some do, some don’t. You need to check with your service provider to make sure that your phone will work on the continent.

Q. What happens if I get lost? I am hopeless at map reading...

You  will need to take maps with you. We will give you a route card with simple instructions to help you to get to Nurburgring using the route which the organisers will follow. Obviously, if you in a convoy, you stand less chance of getting lost. Several of the runners will have satellite navigation, and if you let us know you are not a confident map reader, we will pair you up with a buddy who will stay with you through thick and thin to help you. 

Q. Are families welcome?

    Can children come along, will this be suitable? 

We welcome families, and the hotels we chose will be suitable for parents plus a child. For more than one child, there is room for another to sleep on the floor, but that would be very cosy! We aim to make this event appealing for both serious petrol heads and also people who like to drive through areas of beautiful scenery, and see what Germany has to offer. That’s why we are organising this event in the school holidays.

Q. Is it legal to take a car around the Ring racetrack?

          Am I insured?

          What if I have an accident?

The answer to all of these questions is not straightforward. It is legal to take a car around the track. To understand the other  issues around this, you need to visit the web site which is shown in the section “Spirit of the Run” on this website.