The Ring – This and That

02. August 2009This time it took a little longer than usual to write the ‘This-and-That’ report. Evidently many of our readers have been waiting impatiently for this report – if we are to believe the emails sent to us. But we, too, needed to distance ourselves a bit from six busy days – in fact, we were at the Ring from Tuesday afternoon until midday on Monday. Moreover, due to the intense preliminary works done particularly for the video live streaming a lot of other tasks were left undone and had to be caught up with. And, last but not least, during the weekend there was no incident nerve-wracking enough to require an urgent review. The event proved to be a complete success.
But there was a matter which, however, was not within the competencies of the TGP, the organizer ADAC Mittelrhein and the FIA officials, but the Nürburgring GmbH.
Many of the visitors had been looking forward to riding the world’s fastest roller coaster, but it is still out of order.
According to the rumour that was going around in the paddock, the subsequent improvements and touch-up will be dragging on for quite some time, so that it is unlikely that this super attraction will be put into operation this year. Anyway, it doesn’t matter that much, as for the time being the TGP was the last event attracting such a big crowd.
But really annoyed were many visitors about something else – although we can not speak from personal experience. Allegedly it is no longer possible to get a beer or some sausages without presenting a ‘Ring Card’, a sort of pre-paid card. No less flabbergasted were many fans when, as they went to see the parade trucks in the Müllenbach Loop, they were frisked from head to toe, and there was hardly anything they were allowed to take into the area where at the same time the concerts took place. Those were measures taken only for the event ‘Rock am Ring’ so far, but they did not go down well with the visitors of the TGP.
Because the truck racing event again passed off smoothly, as usual – although there was an audience of 177,000. And many of them – being genuine local patriots – were a lot more delighted about the success of Jochen Hahn in the FIA races and Hans-Joachim Stuck in the Mittelrhein Cup. Stuck, the allround racer – is there any racing series he did not yet participate in? – won also the title ‘Truck Master Germany’.
But Hahn, too, won a title; he was elected ‘most popular driver of the TGP’
Hard on his heels was Heinz-Werner Lenz, although in the Mittelrhein Cup race, where the three-time European champion introduced his newly acquired Mercedes Benz, not everything went according to plan – neither for the senior nor for his son Sascha with the Mercedes Hauber. Both had some problems with their technical equipment, which promoted guest pilot Uwe Nittel in the Iveco truck to the best driver in the Lenz Team. But the Go-and-Stop contest became the ‘very own event’ of the Lenz family. In the end the junior beat his father by a fraction of a second.
But not only the Lenz Team was in the mood to celebrate. Even though several things were on a smaller scale than in recent years – there was no sign of frustration. Team Hahn Racing certainly had the biggest team tent. Their performance was well received by the sponsors and supporters of the privately run team. What the fans and the truckers could not understand or even found somewhat disappointing was the fact that several big manufacturers of commercial vehicles stayed away from the event. Actually the only representatives of this ‘guild’ were Renault and MAN; both a bit smaller than during the previous years, but particularly MAN markedly impressive and representative. And the truckers were very pleased.
On the traditional Iveco Square the Dekra had opened a Segway course; after all this two-wheeled self-balancing vehicle is not that easy to handle, but was recently declared road legal.
Right beside the course the Eisele company had established their aerial work platform. Anybody brave enough was raised into the air by the crew, up to a height of 103 metres (338 ft.) From there you had a marvellous view not only over the entire circuit, but also the beautiful Eifel scenery.
The most unique exhibitor was certainly a man from Stuttgart. His invitation to test-sit was at first refused with a smile by many passers-by, as they didn’t want to become the laughing stock of the crowd, because what the Swabian displayed was a ‘Not-WC (emergency WC). But once the ice was broken, people gave it a try in quick succession. The emergency WC consists of a bucket, an extremely solid toilet lid, plastic bags, and toilet paper. The truck driver came up with the idea when he had to pull into a spot in order to comply with the regulations of the mandatory rest period and, as is often the case, there was no toilet far and wide. And since Brussels plans a new law stating that people who relief themselves in the great outdoors will be fined, this project will certainly benefit from these regulations.
And there was a masseuse from Switzerland who during the day took care of the physical well-being of visitors as well as the truckers who often suffer from chronic back pain because they have to sit for long periods of time. In the evening she placed her massage couch in a pit, and mechanics and drivers were queuing up waiting for a thorough massage. Some flippant remarks were offered by those standing around, but those who had been enjoying the massage came back for more, anyway.
As some of the well-established participants did not show up this year, the organizers of the industrial estate had the opportunity to introduce some completely new things. Perhaps the one or other of the new participants will in future be well-established, too.