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Nurburgring track

sierraman

By sierraman
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sierraman Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

sierraman

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Specifically says in your Insurance, not to be used there. From reading up on it, any errors are incredibly costly. If the track gets closed then you'd better get your chequebook out.

 

I've not known anyone who has gone but what's the score with it, is it unpredictable, bad surface or whatever causes it to have a bad rep?

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Junkman Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

Junkman

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It throws everything at you that's known to man and then some.

Surface, adverse camber, crests, dips, you name it, it's there.

The track is unusually narrow in many places, due to having been constructed in the 1920s.

It's one of the longest tracks in the world, almost 23km, which means it's a loooong way back to the pits wherever you are.

Being located in a mountain range, sudden weather changes are normal, with the weather potentially being different from section to section.

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flat4alfa Rank: Matra Rancho towing a Tagora

flat4alfa

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  • Base fee for attendance of armco truck: €150

Removing damaged armco: €10/metre (x2 or x3 or x4 for multiple-height sections)

Replacement armco: €31/metre (x2 or x3 for double/triple height)

Removing damaged armco posts: €5.10 each

Replacing armco post: €39 each

Safety car attendance: €82 per 30 mins (car + 2 people)

Circuit closure: €1,350 per hour

Recovery truck: €500 (inc tax)

 

Everything except the recovery truck is then subject to 19% TAX

 

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BavarianRetro Rank: Citroen Ami

BavarianRetro

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I was there in '86.

 

Astonishing place.

 

I did two laps on a Thursday afternoon in a well prepared road/track MGBGT. I was young and enthusiastic obviously, loved driving and thoroughly enjoyed it, but didn't fancy a third lap.

 

Almost surreal, having Porsches horse past you as if you're going backwards one minute and turning into Karussel a few minutes later (bottled the bank........ twice) to find a 50 seater coach full of pensioners ambling around.

 

But an amazing experience. Much less restrictive then too, I believe.

 

On the Friday we did a couple of laps of the GP circuit. On the Saturday and Sunday was a Ferrari Owners Club meeting with 250GTOs, P4s, Breadvans, the lot.

 

The Monday was a Bank Holiday and the locals were quite positive about the fact that only three motorcyclists were killed - apparently 5 or 6 was the norm for Bank Holidays then.

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Tadhg Tiogar Rank: Talbot Tagora

Tadhg Tiogar

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Daily fatalities... Sounds a laugh a minute. I bet they're on overtime at the local crem.....

I'd imagine a high proportion of the fatalities are foreign visitors rather than German citizens, so not so much the local crem making money, but the local undertakers embalming stiffs and sealing zinc-lined coffins for shipping overseas.

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scdan4 Rank: Citroen Ami

scdan4

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It throws everything at you that's known to man and then some.

Surface, adverse camber, crests, dips, you name it, it's there.

The track is unusually narrow in many places, due to having been constructed in the 1920s.

It's one of the longest tracks in the world, almost 23km, which means it's a loooong way back to the pits wherever you are.

Being located in a mountain range, sudden weather changes are normal, with the weather potentially being different from section to section.

Another part of what makes it so dangerous is the lack of run-off.

 

If you mess up, you're going into a barrier. There are very few places with nice soft bits to coast into.

There is absolutely no fucking run off anywhere. Most of it has a meter of grass then concrete wall/Armco. Only 2 gravel traps in about 14 miles.

 

You’re mixing it with anything (tour busses go round it), driven by anyone. And no one (apart from the ring taxi) has a clue where the track is going.

 

It’s seriously fast, and hilly. There’s a dip about a mile before Adenauer that completely compresses all the suspension and violently pushes you onto the tank (bike). It’s hard to hold on, see where you are going etc, and you’re wide open in top gear.

 

And it gets more dangerous the more you do... you think you know where you are and what happens next... but actually, you don’t. So gotcha. Remember there’s no run off and you’re wriggling on on a racetrack with a Porsche up your ass. Who’s following you,cos you looked like you knew where you going.

 

If busy, Every lap you’d see a crash. If it was a bikey weekend then every lap you’d see a bike down. If it rained it really got interesting.

 

Spent some serious time and money there about 15 (Christ!) years ago. Too old for it now. (And it’s got very expensive now compared to then I believe)

 

It is an amazing thing though. Crack on lad, pass on the left and keep it pinned.

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Eddie Honda Rank: Lancia Gamma

Eddie Honda

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  • Base fee for attendance of armco truck: €150
  • Removing damaged armco: €10/metre (x2 or x3 or x4 for multiple-height sections)
  • Replacement armco: €31/metre (x2 or x3 for double/triple height)
  • Removing damaged armco posts: €5.10 each
  • Replacing armco post: €39 each
  • Safety car attendance: €82 per 30 mins (car + 2 people)
  • Circuit closure: €1,350 per hour
  • Recovery truck: €500 (inc tax)

Everything except the recovery truck is then subject to 19% TAX

</p>

Megabarg compared to what Carillion used to charge the government for lightbulbs. :)

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Zelandeth Rank: Isuzu Florian

Zelandeth

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I think more than anything it's the fact that it's so narrow and so bumpy as much as anything.  A lot of the videos you see seem to involve a car hitting a bump milliseconds before all hell breaking loose.  That combined with the lack of run off space and you've got a recipe for disaster.

 

Never been there in person, but it seems from videos that due to the elevation changes there are a lot of areas where you simply can't see where you're going so you have to trust your memory of what's beyond that next crest...ballsing that up at 100+mph is never going to end well.

 

The sheer number of broken cars stranded in awkward locations on busy days probably doesn't help either.  Nor the number of owners you see standing next to their wrecked car in the track, trying to figure out what to do rather than getting the heck out of the way...

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Tadhg Tiogar Rank: Talbot Tagora

Tadhg Tiogar

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Theoretically I'd *love* to take the Activa...as I reckon it could set a time that would embarrass quite a few far more exotic cars.

 

Do I have the guts to actually do it? Not a chance in Hell!

I think there's a YouTube video of a DS21 and a BX going round it, but I haven't yet seen CXs, XMs, GS/GSAs or C6s having a go...

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Youngteam Rank: Austin Maxi

Youngteam

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I've been round it in a converted VW T4 Transporter with a roof box. Dirty washing up thrown everywhere as we weren't hanging about, at least for a slow van.

 

I didn't realise the costs involved before I went round or I probably wouldn't have done it.

 

No real preamble, just queue, barrier opens and you're on a race track with properly fast cars, race teams, motorbikes, etc. Lots of fun but a bit scary when you think about t.

 

Glad I did it though and would recommend it to anyone.

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