Nuerburgring

Template:F1 circuit

The Nürburgring (alternative spelling: Nuerburgring; known as simply "the Ring" by enthusiasts) is the name of a famous road circuit for autos or motorcycles in Germany, of which there are several configurations.

Only the shorter, modern 1980s version called GP-Strecke is nowadays used by major and international racing events. Yet, the the older, much longer version of the Ring called Nordschleife, built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains, is widely considered the toughest and most demanding purposed-built race track in the world, nicknamed The Green Hell by Jackie Stewart.

In the early 1920s, races called Eifelrennen were held on public roads in the Eifel mountains. This soon was considered unpractical and dangerous. In order to provide work and lure tourists into the area, the construction of a dedicated race track was proposed, following the examples of Italy's Monza and Berlin's AVUS, yet with a completely different character. The original Nürburgring was meant to be a showcase for German automotive engineering and racing talent, and was built with both purposes in mind. Construction of the track, designed by the Eichler Engineering Firm from Ravensburg (led by Gustav Eichler), began in September 1925.

There was then a single 28.265 km (17.5 mile) circuit of, on avarage, 8 to 9 metres in width and a total of 174 bends (but note that there is much disagreement on the total number of bends), which could be split into two sections: the Südschleife (Southern loop) of 7.747 km (4.8 miles) and the Nordschleife (Northern loop) of 22.810 km (14 miles), with both sections sharing two straights (one of which was the start-finish straight). Also, a short 2.292 km (1.4 miles) track around the pits could be used in practice and for minor events.

The track was completed in spring of 1927, and the Eifelrennen races were continued there. The first World Cycling Championship race took place on June 19, 1927, and the first German Grand Prix a month later. In addition, the track was opened to the public in the evenings and on weekends, as a one-way toll road.

In 1929 the full Ring was used for the last time in major racing events, as future Grands Prix would be held only on the Nordschleife. Motorcycles and minor races mainly used the shorter and safer Südschleife. Many memorable pre-war races took place at the circuit, featuring the talents of early Ringmeister (Ringmasters) such as Rudolf Caracciola, Tazio Nuvolari and Bernd Rosemeyer.

After World War II, racing recommenced in the 1950s and the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring again became the popular venue for the German Grand Prix as part of the Formula One World Championship (with the exception of 1959 when it was held on the AVUS in Berlin). It featured a new generation of F1 Ringmeister, with racers like Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx.

By the late 1960s it was apparent that the track was becoming increasingly dangerous for the latest generation of F1 cars. In 1970, under the impression of a fatal crash at Zandvoort, the F1-drivers boycotted the Ring, and the German GP was moved on short notice to Hockenheim. According to the demands of the F1, the Nordschleife was reconstructed by taking out some bumps and installing safety barriers (armco) in order to host the German GP again for another 3 years from 1971 to 1973. Safety was improved again later on, eg. by removing the jumps on the long main straight and widening it, too. A second series of 3 more F1 races were held until 1976, but even higher demands by the F1 drivers and the FIA's CSI commission were to expensive or impossible to meet, so the 1976 race was deemed the last ever, even before it was held.

Primarily due to its extraordinary length of over 20 kilometres, and the lack of space due to its situation on the sides of the mountains, the Ring was unable to meet the ever-increasing safety requirements, and was also deemed unsuitable for the burgeoning television market. Niki Lauda, the reigning world champion and only person ever to lap the full Nordschleife in under 7 minutes, proposed to the other drivers that the circuit should be boycotted in 1976 because of the safety arrangements. The other drivers voted against the idea and the race went ahead. Ironically, it was Lauda who crashed his Ferrari, probably due to failure of the rear suspension. As his car was still loaded with fuel in lap 2, he was badly burned, being saved by the combined actions of fellow drivers Arturo Merzario, Guy Edwards, Brett Lunger and Harald Ertl rather than by the ill-equipped fire marshals. For Formula One, that sealed the end of the old Nürburgring. It was never used for a F1 Grand Prix again, while the motorcycles held their last GP there in 1980.

In 1981, work began on a 4.5 km (2.8 miles) replacement circuit which was built on and around the old pits area. At the same time, a bypass shortened the Nordschleife to 20.8km. With an additional small pitlane, this version could be used for races in 1983, eg. the 1000km endurance race, while construction was going on nearby. The new Nürburgring was completed in 1984 and called GP-Strecke. It was built to meet the highest safety standards, but is considered in character a mere shadow of its older sibling. Besides other major international events, it has seen the return of Formula One to the Ring, briefly in 1984 and 1985, but more permanently since the 1995, following the success of Michael Schumacher. It has, however, kept its association with the tragic. One of the highlights of the 2005 season was Kimi Raikkonen's spectacular exit, while in the last lap of the race, when his suspension gave way after being rattled lap after lap by a flat-spotted tyre.

The former Südschleife was not modified in 1970/71 and abandoned a few years later in favour of the improved Nordschleife. It is now mostly gone or converted to a normal public road.

The Nordschleife remains a one-way public toll-road for over 70 years. At a slightly reduced length of 20.8 km (13 miles), bypassing the modern GP-Strecke, the Nordschleife is frequently closed off for testing purposes, training lessons and touring car endurance racing, but at other times it is open to anyone with a road legal car or motorcycle. This Nürburgring is a popular attraction for many driving and riding enthusiasts from all over the world, because of its history and the considerable challenge it still provides. Accidents are common, and everyone considering driving round the Nordschleife should familiarize themselves with rules that apply, as well as the "do's" and "don'ts".

Several touring car series are still competing on the Nordschleife, using either only the simple 20.8 km version with its separate small pit lane, or a combined 24.4km long track that uses a part of the modern F1 track plus its huge pit facilities. Entry level of competition is a regularity test (GLP) for road legal cars. Two racing series (CHC and VLN) compete on 15 Saturdays each year, for several hours.

The annual highlight is the 24 hour race weekend, held usually in mid-June, featuring 220 cars (from small 100hp cars to 700hp Turbo Porsche or 500hp factory race cars of BMW, Opel, Audi), over 700 drivers (amateurs and professionals) and up to 220 000 spectators.

Because of its demanding layout, the Nordschleife is used by many auto manufacturers as a proving ground for car prototypes. Some of the most notable corporate "Ring Rats" are BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Nissan, and starting in 2002, General Motors. GM's first wave of Nürburgring-honed vehicles includes the Cadillac CTS-V and the sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette. Nissan's Japanese domestic market supercar, the Skyline GT-R, was tuned at Nurburgring and held the unofficial lap record for several years.

In recent years, the Nürburgring's allure has spread through its appearance in video games. Titles featuring the Green Hell include Sierra's Grand Prix Legends and two games for the Xbox: Project Gotham Racing 2 and Forza Motorsport. It is also featured in the PlayStation 2 games Gran Turismo 4 and Enthusia: Professional Racing.

The current 20.8 km long Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, with 173 corners
The current 20.8 km long Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, with 173 corners

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