LORDS OF THE RING
There are few places to rival it for thrills and sometimes spills: the race track in Germany also known as The Green Hell – the Nuerburgring
RACE drivers call it “The Green Hell” and it has taken dozens of drivers’ lives but Germany’s Nurburgring track offers unparalleled excitement for car racing fans.
Engines roar, car tyres squeal, crowds cheer or hold their breath for the champions, all in the middle of dense woods in western Germany, amid the singing of unfazed birds.
Throngs fill the stands or crowd along the fenced track, beer in hand, their tents and mobile homes a few steps away, in the woods. The races become fiestas for German and foreign fans alike.
Nurburgring, in the Eifel Mountains, opened in 1927. Although it has been adjusted and reshaped, it remains one of the most demanding and hazardous race tracks in the world, with its many chicanes, curves and traps.
Britain’s three-time Formula One world champion, Sir Jackie Stewart, called it “The Green Hell” for the unrelenting concentration and effort that it requires of the racers. The name stuck.
From March to October each year it hosts car, truck, cycling and motorbike events, including 24-hour and 1000km races. It frequently opens to ordinary drivers eager to test – or discover – their racing skills. It is also a venue for rock concerts.
In 1975, F1 driver Niki Lauda set the circuit’s record, covering the 22.8km distance in under seven minutes. His amazing average speed was 196km/h.
The following year, in the midst of the season’s pitched duel against Britain’s James Hunt, he crashed and was almost killed. His Ferrari burst into flames and Lauda was left with burn scars on his face.
Deemed too fast and dangerous, the track was shortened in the early 1980s to just under 21km, called the Nordschleife, or the northern loop, and had the grand prix loop, a new track of about 5km added.
Shortening the distance allows fans to see the racing cars more often than on the long track.
It also helps cut fuel and maintenance costs.
In 1983, German driver Stefan Beloff driving a Porsche 956 set the
IN 1975 ... NIKI LAUDA SET THE CIRCUIT’S RECORD, COVERING THE 22.8KM DISTANCE IN UNDER SEVEN MINUTES
short loop’s average speed record at 201.7km/h.
More than 500 drivers in about 160 cars entered a recent spectacular 24-hour race on the long loop that winds around the foot of the ruins of a medieval castle but only half of them crossed the finish line, in a show of endurance and determination.
The track and the adjacent tiny town of Nurburg offer many other attractions, dedicated to entire families: a museum of the circuit’s history, with some celebrated cars and trucks, a carting track, race simulators and exhibitions and shops related to motor sports. Sitting atop a hill, a stone tower of a medieval castle reveals a breathtaking panorama of the wooded mountains, the track centre and the town. GO CHECK calendar on website for events. You can book tickets online or buy onsite. Nearby villages and the town of Adenau have accommodation.
STAY THERE are camp sites nearby. Food can be bought at track eateries, restaurants in Nuerburg, or trackside kiosks.