I was catching the 8am ferry from Dover to Dunkirk - I packed the car up the night before after the garage had checked it all over and given it a clean bill of health.
Therefore, I was less than pleased to go out at 5am in the morning to a flat battery :-( the neighbours must have loved me (not) I had to start the Audi A8 in order to jump start the M3 - so both cars rumbling away on the driveway......
I then drove down to Dover with no other incidents and boarded the ferry with no further issues - apart from a strange resonance from the exhaust.
Drove through France and up into Belguim where the road through Eupen was closed and had to take a detour through some backroads. I met up with some fellow Northloopers at a service station in Belguim - I had a bit of confusion trying to fill the car with petrol. The pumps I was trying to use are specifically for Belgians with Belgian credit cards!!!! with no signs to inform you of this oddity.
Arrived in the Eifel area and stopped of at Marc Ludemann's place TTE- Technics to check out the exhaust noise and put on the other wheels with the R888's. As usual Marc and his guys were very helpful. It looks and sounds as if the baffles inside the central silencer are adrift/loose so I will need to get it changed when I get back to the UK.
Went down to the Ring for a few laps before checking into the hotel - it felt good to be back.
We then all meet up at the Pistenklause for dinner and drinks and a laugh. as usual we all had the steak on a stone - we are so predictable - but it is a great way to eat a steak especially with a good glass of Multipulciano.
The next day was a full open day at the Ring but the weather was looking a bit dodgy. The rain
came and went and we managed to get lots of laps in - here is a typical picture as you can see this was a dry period. there were a few stoppages but nothing major.Spotted Sabine in a Maclaren Mercedes SLR 722 queing to get onto the Ring for some practice, but did not have my camera so could not get a picture. Here is one of her - one of the 
photographers took of her on the Ring in the SLR 722 - this is the number Stirling Moss had when he won the Mille Milgia in the original SLR in '56 I believe.
Aparently on the Monday morning she was going to race a plane along the Dotting Hohe straight. I had to pack and get on the road to the ferry at this time so I was going to miss this event
Steve from Scotland had come along on his newly repaired and repainted M3 CSL - in White - in
paint unlike another Northerner who had his wrapped in vynal.He had some problems with the car on the way over and not far from the Ring - Alternater, battery and water pump. The car had to be recovered to BMW "Dawn" a very good BMW garage and dealership that has helped me out in the past. It was warranty work and they said they would do their best to get it back to Steve for midday the next day.....
However, true to their word the car was ready and Steve went and picked it up.
There were quite a few exotica there and one of them was a Lamborghini Murcielago
and it was been driven by a guy who knew the Ring and could drive. Perfect positioning in the Karrousel :-)I met up with Thor an Icelandic chap who has a white M3 with a supercharged six cylinder BMW engine putting out 470bhp - that's correct 470bhp! He has traction control fitted.
I went
out with Thor in the car and I think it is too much power and there were a couple of instances where I thought we were not going to make it round some of the corners! Thor really tortured those R888's.You can see he has a very appropriate number plate
Since then Thor has discovered his rear subframe was broken in two! :-( no wonder it felt loose at the rear.
I spotted this E36 M3 in the car park with a very interesting paint job of the Ring with a lot of the corners named. 
It was a very well executed paint job - I was impresssed
Another interesting car brought along by "big Dave" was an Audi RS6 with Nos injection - over 700bhp, Movit big brakes and I think 20" wheels.........
The next day was gorgeous dry and sunny with high temperatures - excellent for lapping the Ring. Unfortunately this meant lots of incidents and stoppages - more than in the wet/dry changeable conditions of the previous day :-(
People obviously pushing themselves in the dry conditions beyond thier (and thier machines) capabilities.
It was Kevin's special birthday and wife Gill had got some special stickers for his car for the day
- LOL. This meant we would all gather at the Pistenklause again that evening to celebrate the special occassion.
At one point myself, Kevin and Uwe were in convoy in our Black E30 M3's doing a lap of the 
Ring - all with Carbon fibre airboxes and engines at full chat - it must have been quite a sight and noise from outside.... Here is myself and Kevin and another with Uwe catching up behind.
At one point all three of us blasted by James in his 968CS like an express train (his words).
Some more exotic cars on the day - I must admit the Ferrari 308GT4 is one of my all time favourites - this one has been fully rebuilt by a 
Scot and good play to him he takes it round the Ring and he does not hang about.
The Ultima driver knew what was what as well and the 
car went beautifully.
My power steering belt came off when I was parking so a trip down to Ring Racing to have it sorted was neccessary - but it happened the next day as well. Kevin had a new one which he lent me and Olli who has set up premises opposite the Zur Burg fitted it for me. He spotted what the problem was the Alternator bracket was chaffing the belt on full load - something to get sorted when I get home.
It was time to pack up and head for Dunkirk and catch the ferry home - time was a bit tight what with Olli having to fit the new belt. I set off and made the ferry with 15 mins to spare having had no hold ups on the road.
Next trip is 3rd August but prior to that there are a few mods to do and a trip to North Yorkshire to Croft to fit in .................................
