![\"automotive,](\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Green_Hell-800x534.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe N\u00fcrburgring is arguably one of the most famous (some might say infamous) race tracks on the planet. It’s almost as if it’s a living, breathing entity, evolving over time from its modest origins as a Deutsche Targa Floria facsimile to becoming the one-stop proving ground for automobile manufacturers testing their best and brightest. A gruelling 13 mile course consisting of off camber bends, blistering straightaways and even a jump if you’re brave enough, where lap records are the holy grail.<\/p>\n
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But it’s not just the Porsches and Ferraris of the world that utilise the N\u00fcrburgring as a benchmark. Floods of ordinary motoring fans (can we really be deemed \u201cordinary?\u201d) regularly make the pilgrimage to this most sacred of motoring Meccas to test themselves, as well as whatever steed they happen to bring with them – from stock daily drivers to souped-up race cars and everything in between – on the unforgiving tarmac of the ‘Ring during the Touristenfahrten, or public driving days. You see that’s the beauty of this place \u2013 technically it’s a public road, providing an opportunity for everyday people like you and I to get a little taste of what it’s like to be a racing driver without the need for any official licenses. A sweet, sweet tincture indeed and one that leaves you craving for more. It’s the most addictive drug and why so many visitors flood to this most hallowed of grounds every year.<\/p>\n
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The N\u00fcrburgring, nestled in the beautiful Eiffel mountains of Germany in the shadow of the eight-centuries-old N\u00fcrburg castle actually comprises two different circuits. There’s the shorter Grand Prix track and then there’s the Nordschleife<\/em> or “North loop”, the latter of which came way before the GP circuit, but the N\u00fcrburgring is the collective name by which most people refer to the place nowadays. The longest and perhaps most notorious race track in the world the N\u00fcrburgring is made up of a total of 73 corners (including the famous “Karussell”) spanning 20.8 kilometres with a 300 metre difference in elevation.<\/p>\n Historically home to numerous, high profile racing events such as the German Grand Prix and Superbike World Championships the track still hosts various competitions, from the 24 Hours N\u00fcrburgring endurance race to the European GT World Challenge and even truck racing. On top of that there’s the countless manufacturers using the circuit as a test bed whereby lap times are seen as the benchmark for excellence and no newly developed performance car can be unveiled without a few laps of the ‘Ring under its belt. BMW even has its own M Test Center next to the circuit in N\u00fcrburg which it has operated since 1991. Oh, and of course there’s the aforementioned legendary Touristenfahrten<\/em> which we’ll get to later.<\/p>\n Conceived in 1925 as a dedicated motorsport circuit after years of the annual Eifelrennen race having been conducted on public roads in the area, the race track held its inaugural competitive event \u2013 a motorcycle race – two years later in 1927, followed that same year by the very first car race with German driver Rudolf Caracciola finishing in the top spot. From there the furore around the famous track grew and grew.<\/p>\n The N\u00fcrburgring cemented its reputation as a world class circuit in 1951 when it played host to its first Formula 1 race \u2013 the German Grand Prix \u2013 a tradition that would continue on and off until 2013. Italian racing driver Alberto Ascari would take the chequered flag in that premier GP but it was the flying Scotsman Jackie Stewart who would indelibly label the circuit in 1968, nicknaming it the Green Hell with respect to the inherent dangers involved in competing there, before going on to subsequently dominate the race that year, taking first place honours.<\/p>\n As was previously the case with the Belgian circuit at Spa-Francorchamps, Stewart, along with his fellow F1 drivers, advocated for increased safety measures at the N\u00fcrburgring, forcing the powers that be to revise the track and introduce fences, emergency lanes and crash barriers in a bid to reduce the amount of accidents, injuries and fatalities. Despite these modifications, however, the Grand Prix would no longer be raced on the Nordschleife after 1976, due in part to Niki Lauder’s tragic accident that same year, with subsequent races taking place on the newly designed, dedicated GP track from ’84 onwards. With its popularity rising year after year the N\u00fcrburgring would further evolve over the coming decades with improved grandstands, VIP lounges and a medical centre being added, as well as a new start\/finish house and media centre. No longer just a mere race track, the modern N\u00fcrburgring has transcended its humble beginnings to become a thriving motorsport and holiday destination, supported by a booming tourist infrastructure.<\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, lap times and the N\u00fcrburgring have always been inexorably linked and father time has perpetually played his part at the Ring. The first 24 hour endurance race was run in 1970, a competition that is still held to this day and record breaking laps have been the stuff of headlines for decades. From Phil Hill’s sub-nine minute circumnavigation in ’61 behind the wheel of a Ferrari 156 F1 car, to Stefan Bellof’s incredible six minute, 11 second effort in ’83 driving a Porsche 956 and Timo Bernhard’s current lap record of a mind blowing 5 minutes and 19 seconds in a Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, there will always be motivation to shave off those milliseconds.<\/p>\n Whether it be Joe Bloggs trying to beat his PB at a Touristenfahrten day, one of the big manufacturers attempting to make a point to try and increase interest and therefore sales, or the late, great Sabine Shmitz in a Transit van just for the craic, that \u201cbridge to gantry\u201d time will forever be a dragon worth chasing for the kudos points alone. Officially, racing and\/or recording speeds and lap times is forbidden, but anyone who visits the Ring will no doubt bend these rules at the very least and at the most, downright ignore them.<\/p>\n We hear you young’uns giggling at the back at the rather comical name but then the N\u00fcrburgring’s Touristenfahrten has caused its fair share of squeaky bum moments over the years, luring inexperienced drivers with promises of glory only to unceremoniously chew them up and spit them out due to its very nature and things can go from petrolhead heaven to Green Hell in a heartbeat. A quick search online will yield many a crash compilation video like the one below but be warned, you will waste many an hour watching these, ask us how we know.<\/p>\n![\"automotive,](\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2023\/01\/144366_10_5-800x534.jpg\")
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<\/p>\nBirth of a Legend – The Green Hell and Formula 1<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nBridge to Gantry – Racing against the Clock<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nModern N\u00fcrburgring and the Touristenfahrten<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n