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Euro Combo 2008
Euro
Combo 2008
A
review by Tony Harris (tony1scooby)
Thursday 8th May: Overnight at Dover
I met up
with Mark Stevens, aka Stormy (Sti Spec C) and his co driver Hugh Buckley and
fellow Euro Blaster Martin Forrest (Bug Eye WRX) at a small guest house five
minutes from the speed ferry terminal. Then we all got the beginning of the trip off to
an appropriate start with some reminiscing about last years
Euro Blast and way
too much to drink. Unfortunately (for him) Martin made it to the pub just in
time for last orders due to M20 traffic.
Friday
9th : Dover - Luxemburg
05:45
alarm, ouch my head. “Stormy, have you brought any aspirin with you?” First
stop, petrol, the first of 8 fill ups during the next five days, then straight
to the speed ferry terminal to meet up with Mark Ahlin (Mrk) and his awesome Evo IX
GT. One large coffee and a bite for breakfast later and we were disembarking at
Boulogne Sur-Mer ready for our convoy (otherwise known as ’chase Ahlin across
Europe’) (Stormy’s words not mine) to our overnight stop in Luxemburg.
After
hearing the French police are clamping down on drivers caught at high speed,
we made our way south to Reims at a brisk but sensible pace. Once
into the ’champagne area’ of this stunning region it was time to turn off the
autoroute and onto the twisting rural roads through vineyards and picturesque
villages in search of a suitable stop for lunch.
Mark (big
appetite/food lover) Ahlin has a knack for spotting good eating places and true
to form we pulled in at a quaint old converted mill house next to a small lake
that seemed to be a very popular local gathering place. After some language
related confusion over hygiene facilities and menus we realised the only lunch
available was steak. So Steaks all round then! However, unlike the stiff and dry
lump of meat you would be served in the UK this steak was so tender and fresh
I’m convinced a good vet could have brought it back to life. My hangover now
completely cured it was back on the road, through more beautiful sweeping
scenery before a quick hop back on the autoroutes and onto the clean, modern
Hotel Parc Belle-Vue, Luxemburg.
Parc
Belle-Vue is a very appropriate name as the rooms and bar/patio overlook a
magnificent, lush green valley, overshadowed by a huge arched
stone bridge. After checking in and getting refreshed this was the view we
enjoyed while having a few beers and deciding on the nights entertainment.
A twenty
minute walk, after a detour saw us in the centre of the city. and met with
a busy café/bar culture with
dozens of choices of restaurants to sit outside, so we had a few more beers before
enjoying a great meal in the last rays of the days glorious sunshine.
Unfortunately Hugh wasn’t feeling very well and headed back to the hotel. That
left Martin, Stormy, Mark and myself to explore a few very busy bars until late
that night. After walking rather unsteadily back to the hotel, we convinced the
bar manager to re-open for one last round.
Saturday 10th Luxemburg - Germany
Sore heads
and bleary eyes! Fortunately we could afford a lay-in as today was a relatively
short run down to our usual hotel in Nurburg. Unfortunately Hugh’s condition was
getting worse. With a blockage in his esophagus he was unable to eat or drink
anything. It was decided Stormy and Hugh would continue via the shortest route
straight to Nurburg and seek medical attention as this was already another very
hot day and Hugh would soon be suffering severe dehydration.
This left
Mark, Martin and myself to continue with the days planned route to drive some of
the ADAC German World rally championship stages and link roads in the Mosel
region.
More
power, I need more power! I surprised myself by just about managing to keep Mark
in sight on the tight, twisty, bumpy stages. However, once into a fast flowing
section all I see is a rapidly shrinking blue dot in the distance. Oh for
another 200bhp! The whole point of these trips is driving enjoyment, so each
person drives at the speed they are comfortable with knowing the lead drive will
stop and wait before any junction or turn off. It’s a great way to enjoy some of
the best roads to be found at your own pace.
On the WRC stages
Lunch, and
once again Mark’s uncanny ability to sniff out a good place to stop found us a
friendly little village pub surrounded by hills and vineyards. A typically
robust German lunch of Sausage and potato salad and we’re ready to tackle the
last couple of WRC stages and a quick blast on the autobahn to Nurburg.
Good news,
Hugh is ok. After being admitted to two hospitals, one with a long enough
endoscope to reach and clear the blockage he can now eat and drink normally.
Stormy may have to cut up and chew his food for him, along with the other
bizarre things Stormy like to eat. Flowers, cigarettes anyone?
Dinner
that night. Tables booked for the whole group, most of whom we met at the hotel
bar earlier, now some twenty or so people, at the famous Pistenklause restaurant
run by the Schmitz family who have the Nurburgrings fastest daughter, Sabine.
This was a meal I had been looking forward to for days. Two inch thick
Argentinean fillet steak served on a hot stone. With plenty of tall frosty beers
to wash it down, it doesn’t get much better.
Sunday
11th The Ring - Belgium
This being
only my second time at the infamous Nurburgring I was looking forward to driving
as many laps as I could to learn and remember as much of the track as possible.
So breakfast at eight and straight into a quarter of a mile queue to get to the
car park. Not a great start. Unfortunately the whole day was just as congested
with hundreds of cars and bikes (nearly all going faster than me) on track all
day. Thank you Jeremy Clarkson! I used up my four lap ticket and gladly spent
the rest of the day soaking up the atmosphere and once again the lovely hot
sunshine. A passenger ride with Mark in the Evo giving it the full banana was
certainly a highlight of the day.
Photos from left to right:
Ring carpark. Tony parked up next to a new GTR &
Mrk
Most
stayed at the Ring until about four that afternoon at which time we began to
head out and make our way to Stavelot in Belgium. This was a
short run of only seventy miles to a delightful cobbled square in the village
of Stavelot where the Hotel La Maison was situated. Changed and refreshed,
dinner that night was outside a small restaurant in the square where everyone
had stories to tell, good and bad, about the days adventures at the Ring.
Outside our Stavelot Hotel
Monday
12th Spa Francorchamps
This is
how a track day should be. Arranged by the MLR, this whole day was very well
organised and a brilliant way to enjoy driving one of the best race tracks in
the world.
Photos from left to right:The man himself leaving the pits - His car,
everything that moves out.Tony on track at Spa, nice apex - Going
through Eau Rouge - M3CSL got licked, prior to Eau Rouge
I believe
there were one hundred and forty cars at the track this day, however, with fifty
cars allowed out at any one time, the amount of time available to each driver on
track meant you could drive as many or as few laps as you chose. This was
another blisteringly hot day and being on road tyre's I found three lap runs the
best way to keep the tyre's from going off. From what I heard even the guys on
track-day tyre's and slicks were having the same issue and had to limit the
length of each run on the track.
Spa is a
fantastic track and the opportunity to place my car faster and faster as
confidence was gained through corners such as Eau Rouge, Radillon, Pouhon, and
Blanchimont is an experience I will never forget. Having a garage in the pit
lane as used by the formula one teams to prepare your car for the track only
added to the fantastic atmosphere of the day.
Thanks to
Donny and Martin for a couple of great passenger laps.
Happy
birthday Nick, who took a dunk in the fountain.
Tuesday
13th Belgium - Home
As usual
with these trips organised so well by Track-Masters the journey home is a bit
subdued, as each person reflects on the sights, sounds, locations, laughs,
company and camaraderie gained from shared experiences. As you shake hands and
wish each other well on the return ferry you have a chance to begin to soak in
all that the trip has meant to you. And of course to look forward to the future
meetings with great friends. Whether that is a track day or driver training
event in the UK or the proposed Transcontinental Blast 2009.
Thank you
Mrk & Stormy
Tony Harris
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