Germany is home to the Autobahn which is probably the best-known driving road in the whole world. For car racing enthusiasts, Germany is also the site for one of the most popular tracks on the planet. The Nurburgring or “The Ring” as it has been called is one of the most known tracks for its length as well as the skill involved in driving through it. But one thing people do not know about “the Ring”, you can drive through it even if you aren’t a race car driver.
The Ring
The Nurburgring as a whole is 17.5 miles long and is divided into four sections: Nordschleife (North Loop), Sudsschleife (South Loop), Zielschleife (Finish Loop) and Betonschleife (Concrete Loop). The Nordschleife, which is 14.1mi long, was built in the 1920s around the Nurburg Castle in the Eifel Mountains.
The shorter Grand Prix track was added in 1984 as the official competition track. Since it was built in the vicinity of a mountain, the elevation varies from the track with a difference of 300meters from the highest and lowest points. Some parts of the track are public access roads when there are no races.
The Green Hell
It was called “the Green Hell” by famous racing driver Jackie Stewart after winning the 1970 German Grand Prix in wet and foggy conditions. The North Loop where the old Grand Prix were held had some 154 turns, many of them were very tricky to navigate or with uneven roads. As the Formula One cars gained more speed over the years, the Green Hell became increasingly more dangerous. There were a series of high-profile race crashes, some of them were fatal. Changes were made to the track to make it safer for racing. Eventually, the new Grand Prix track was made for Formula One races.
Some of the crashes on the Nordschleife.
The Touristenfahrten
The general public can also feel the excitement of driving around the Nordschleife. The North Loop is open for the public when there are no racing events and when the road conditions are favourable. A driver with a valid license and a road legal car can run around the track for a fee. It costs €29 for a single lap around the 14.1mi track while 25 laps will set you back €550.
If you live near the Nurburgring and have a real need for speed, you can purchase the Jahreskarte which costs €1900 but will allow you to drive around the track as much as you want for a whole year. There are certain identification and insurance requirements to purchase the Jahreskarte.
While it would be exciting to drive around the famous North Loop, there are a few restrictions that you need to be aware of. Passing or overtaking on the right is strictly illegal and racing of any sort is also forbidden. Any illegal racing activity will void insurance claims and can be costly. Crashing, which can be a real possibility, will be very expensive as the driver would shoulder the repairs not only for the car but to the track and the barriers. Most car insurance in Europe has a clause about racing around the Nurburgring. The most costly crash had a bill of €15,000 but that was only for track repairs and not for the car.
There are itineraries for a weekend of driving around the Nurburgring. If you have a real need for speed and feel like the Autobahn does not provide you with the thrill then the North Loop will be one of the rare places in the world where you can just show up with a car and go driving around. Remember to check your car beforehand and be extra careful when driving. We hope that you have a fun and safe run at the Ring.
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