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MISC: Nuerburgring (fwd)

The following article was forwarded to me which I thought some of the
folks here might find interesting and reaffirms what a digest member
recently posted about his first experience/encounter.

SUBJECT: Germans seek thrill on Nuerburgring
  	  				 
	 NUERBURGRING, Germany (Reuter) - Driving big, fast cars flat out
on their beloved autobahns should be enough for most speed-hungry Germans.
	 But it's not. 
	 Each day hundreds of motorists line up patiently to test their
skills on the world-famous old Nuerburgring racetrack, which twists and
turns for 13 miles through the picturesque wooded Eifel hills west of
Bonn. 
	 They come from far and wide, and not just Germans: ``I come here
every holiday,'' said a Finn wearing racing gear.
	 Many take it extremely seriously. Couples can be seen in the
``paddock'' near the entrance to the circuit dressed in matching racing
overalls coordinated with an Opel Manta car sporting lowered suspension,
racing seats and go-faster stripes.
	 But, more amazingly, owners of estate cars, minivans and buses
brave the track too. Sometimes whole families go for a leisurely spin.
Motorcyclists turn up in droves.
	 The catch is that, if you crash your car, your insurance company
will definitely not pay out. And no supplementary cover is available at
the track.
	 In a country famous for its rules and regulations, the
Nuerburgring is a strange anomaly.
	 ``Rules? No, no rules! Oh yes, wear a seatbelt,'' guffawed a track
marshall when asked by a nervous reporter about to try his luck on the
track.
	 Last year 300,000 people came to the ``Nordschleife'' (North
Loop), as the old Nuerburgring is known.
	 Judged too dangerous for modern Grand Prix racing, a new, much
shorter circuit was built next to the old one in 1984. This hosted the
European Grand Prix of the Formula One competition this year and last.
	 The old circuit opened in 1927 and witnessed some of the great
races in history, including many won by the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio
of Argentina in the 1950s.
	 It will be forever tainted, however, by the appalling accident
that Austrian racing driver Nikki Lauda suffered in 1976 in which he
nearly burned to death and was disfigured for life. It was closed
immediately afterwards to Grand Prix racing.
	 But it is still judged to be safe enough for ordinary people in
ordinary cars with no race training.
	 A lap costs $10 and takes about 15 minutes depending on how hard
you are prepared to drive. Once out on the track, it becomes clear why it
is now deemed too dangerous for Formula One racing.
	 The long circuit has uphill after downhill, turn after turn and
almost no safety run-off areas -- just unforgiving metal barriers and
plenty of that age-old enemy of the car, the tree.  The drive is immense
fun, but at the same time it's terrifying.
	 Circuit spokesman Hans-Joerg Fischer defends the course, saying
the number of deaths has fallen sharply in recent years.
	 ``Many people think it's very dangerous and that we have lots of
deaths. But last year we only had three deaths out of 300,000 people
driving the circuit. That's very low,'' he said.
	 ``It's actually no more dangerous than ordinary roads.''
	 The track is open to the public most days between March and
November but is also used for many types of races such as touring cars and
classic car grand prix.
	 Defending Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher of Germany
put the new 485-horsepower Ferrari 550 Maranello road car through its
paces at the Nuerburgring in July. 
	 ``The Nordschleife is very dangerous. You have to be really
careful,'' he said.
	 ``When you look at the surrounding landscape, it is very difficult
to believe that one is actually driving on a race track. It was a very
touching experience,'' Schumacher added.
	 Born in 1969, he has never raced on the Nordschleife. 
	 Dangerous though the old circuit is, accidents are relatively few,
said Fischer.
	 ``We only witnessed 40 crashes last year and only a handful
involved a broken bone or something like that,'' he said.
	 The three who died were motorcyclists. Not surprising considering
the velocity the machines can achieve and the fact that groups of bikers
race at top speed round the circuit dodging the jeeps and estate cars as
they go.
	 Crowds of people also turn up just to watch and decaying old
concrete grandstands on some of the corners are often filled.
	 Despite the obvious folly, a lap of the Nuerburgring is a thrill
one does not easily forget.
	 Marshalls release cars onto the circuit every 15 seconds.  Once
out there, you are on your own.
	 Powering through the first few corners down a long incline into a
forested valley, all is going well until a few specks appear in the rear
view mirror. Then...snarl, roar, screech... the specks briefly turn into
motorcycles on either side of the car and then are specks again through
the front windshield. 
	 Then a blur in the mirror. Wrooom, roar! -- a Porsche screams past
at more than 125 mph, pushing you out of the way. Then another...and
another.
	 Round a fast, dropping, left-hand bend. It's banked the wrong way
so there is virtually no grip. Tyres screech.
	 Another corner, this time with a cutaway on the inside for safer
negotiation -- provided a Porsche doesn't run you out of it first.
	 And so it goes. The end of the lap 15 minutes later brings an
enormous rush of relief and a high from the exhilaration. But, personally,
never again!