3rd day - From Spa to Giessen to Nurburg

So it’s 9 o’clock in the morning of Monday and we’re at Spa.
It’s a beautiful sunny day and we have to go to Giessen to get the car checked out by one of the BEST specialists in the world.
I had sent him an email a few weeks ago confirming date and time of our arrival and everything was going according to plan.
I had scheduled a hotel in Giessen to let him work on the car for two full days before going to Nurburg with it to tackle the ‘Ring!
We have breakfast and head out to the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Major disappointment!
It’s closed, it’s just a race track, and pales in comparison with the magic that we had just experienced at Le Mans.
I mean…. It’s “just” a race track.


We leave and enter the highway for Germany, straight on, 300 kms to go.
We are reminded that we are about to exit Belgium and enter Germany, which we happily do.
And then it happens: a de-restricted autobahn!
AHH!!
Bliss!
Heaven can’t be much better than this.
Well, only if you get to be here and drive a Ferrari Enzo instead!
200, 220, 230, 240, nearly 250 and I lift off.


It’s scary in a little car, with two people, filled with bags at the back, and other cars around you, and not having to worry about the police….
Weird stuff that happens in some parts of the world.
I look at the time and immediately became aware that there’s no way I’m gonna be on time.
I call Mr. Regelin and let him know that I’m late to which he replies that he’s: surprised I’m coming because he didn’t receive any email from me and he has absolutely NO time to look at my car for the next two weeks”
…… Now I’m speechless (and trust me this is hard!)
“Can you please do a remap on my car?” – the map has been showing some pretty serious holes and I believed a remap might solve this.
“Yes, a remap can be done, but there’s nothing else I can do if that doesn’t solve your problems.”
It didn’t! But he was the Kindest person you could think of.
He took the car for a spin when I arrived, opened up the engine compartment, checked all out, remapped the ECU, took it for another spin, and gave me a full report on what he believed was wrong with the car – I’m currently waiting for my technician to assemble the new parts and do the stuff Mr. Regelin said.



When we were there, it stopped making sense spending the extra night in Giessen, so we called the hotel and they were really nice with our annulment and didn’t charge anything (it was before 18:00).
We packed up and left for Nurburg instead with strict instructions not to use the car on track.
“I’m serious, the engine will BLOW if you push it! Let the Porsches go!”
I was sad, bummed, disappointed, whatever you want to call it.
I had planned glorious adventures in the ‘Ring.
Record beating laps.
Front pages on all international newspapers, an invitation to join Ferrari as an F1 test driver, everything really!
And now, none of that would happen!
(which is actually good, ‘cause this way I have an excuse for it NOT to happen!)


I was still going to go to the NordSchleiff, even if it was just for a quiet drive around the track.
And then I remembered having read about these guys, close to the track that rented cars specifically for using on the NurburgRing: RSR Nurburg!
And I cannot recommend them enough!
I mean they are THE GREATEST!




We arrived at the hotel in Nurburg beaten, bummed and sweated (you do sweat allot inside that car) and I just wanted to get my hands on something that I could take to the track and not be afraid of it blowing in my hands the next day.
“What’s wrong with your car?”
“Uh? Well, it’s the Intercooler that it’s not cooling...”
I tell him what car I drive, and all the other info he asks me and he says with a “smile in his voice” that he knows these guys that are great with this sort of car.
I mean, this is amazing! He’s genuily concerned and interested in my car.
We booked a Alfa Romeo 75, Stage 2, complete with Roll Cage, Racing slick tires and rear wheel drive.
And I took a shower, had a beautiful dinner at the Hotel Rieder’s restaurant – great service, great guy in charge of it, and peaceful quiet rooms with great view; and went for a walk alone in the nearby roads.

It was magical!(picture taken upon arrivel of the view from the room)

Very warm outside, I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt; seeing the airplanes flying above me, noticing how different the stars look from here, all the different constellations…..

And then it dawned on me: the next day I would be racing the NurburgRing!
The Green Hell!