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The Nordschleife (North Loop) is part of the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany. The full circuit was abandoned for Grand Prix in the early 70's, after Niki Lauda's near fatal, fiery crash there. Sports car races continued until the early 80's until the current grand prix circuit was constructed. Fortunately, the full circuit is still used for Saloon Car races and private test sessions, and not least, it is open to the public whenever not in other use. A 20 DM ticket buys you a lap around this 14 mile track, still one of the most challanging courses in the world. The track is classified as a Public, One way toll road, and virtually anything goes. On both my trips (May and August 99) I passed tour coaches, camper vans and the like, and was passed by massively fast local porsches, bmws etc, not to mention countless sports bikes, all flat out!
I was managing to lap the track in my Impreza in about 10 minutes or so, which doesn't compare to a fast road Porsche's time of less than 9 minutes, or the outright lap record, set by a Porsche 956 Group C racer, of just over 6 minutes, an average speed of over 120mph.
Below are a few photos taken around the circuit, or you can click on the map above to jump to each location.
Schwedenkreuz, coming up to the fastest part of the circuit for me,
where I was hitting 135mph just after the brow.
Adenauer Forst, a twisty set of corners
taken in 2nd gear,
here I'm trying to keep up with an M3
Coming into Werseifen, a really tight downhill hairpin
The Karussal, the famous banked hairpin.
Here I'm following
my mate's Nissan 300zx, whose engine unfortunately blew on
the drive home!
This is me coming into Brunnchen in 3rd,
having let a 911 and Ferrari
308 through, and with an impatient bike right on my bootlid
Back at our Hotel, Berghotel Hohe Acht,
Adenau, (fax: 00 49 2691 2459)
which did excellant Bed and Breakfast for 50 DM per person.
We've stayed here on both trips.
This trip was my second visit to the Nordschleife, following a weekend trip in May 99. For anyone who really enjoys quick driving, its a must. Whilst the 'Ring has a reputation for being unforgiving, its a lot safer than trying to go quick on a public road, as long as you remember to use a bit of common sense and to stay aware of what's going on around you. This trip, at the end of August 99, was over Sunday and Monday, and the traffic was pretty thick on the Sunday, with lots of very fast bikes. It's easy to suddenly have 4 or 5 bikes all over you, but being sensible and moving over makes it easier for everyone. The Monday was much quieter and easier going, which makes it even more of a hame that the front brake discs, which had been going for much of the weekend, finally warped to the point where I decided that enough was enough, and we set off back to St Malo. Even so, before we left, my laps were definitely improving and getting smoother and quicker, although I know I've got a long way to go yet!
These pages have been put together to try and show a little of how much fun this place is, anyone who enjoys driving quickly should give it a go, and its probably better value and a more involving experience than a track day at a UK circuit. The atmosphere is informal in extreme, with little scrutineering or marshalling, which means that you have to have your wits about you all the time, but it also means that you can take the whole trip at your own pace. I got into a rythym of doing a lap, then going to Brunnchen to watch the action (as good as a "proper" race) for a while and to let the car cool down, then returning for another go.
The Eifel region is beautiful, with wooded valleys and hills stretching for miles. The scale of the circuit isn't really apparent on the track, but from the surrounding roads (and those withing the circuit itself) you suddenly become aware of a strip of tarmac snaking around and over the hills in the distance, and the sheer size then hits you.
Below are links to some excellent Nordschleife resources, which are of great use if you are planning a trip.
Adam’s Nurburgring PageBen Lovejoy's Nurburgring Section
Official Nurburgring Website (opening times etc)
This BMW site has great maps of most of the track
divided into natural sections. I used them as "Pace Notes".
The weather for Aachen will tell you if you need wets or slicks!*
(* Although as the track is officially a public road, I wouldn't like to try actually using them, vehicle have to be road legal, as far as I know)