95jersey

http://www.thelocal.de/sport/20120718-43811.html

Cobra4B

I remember seeing an article awhile back that this could happen. They went in there and tried to make it an amusement park of sorts by building all kinds of stuff.

Painrace

Bad news. One of my favorite tracks. It has changed a lot since the 70's.

Jim

clubracer6

ok, so who's starting the save the ring fund raiser? 330M Euro's! We'd better start now!

Cobra4B

Just wait until the Euro collapses an you can buy it with $5

bags142

I have heard about this on different forums for some time... BUT, I think the track willl be fine.

And I was thinking about a trip over there in a few years to rent a car and do some laps. I am pulling for it.

parkerracing

Paid Bernie too much.

69427

Is this amusement park very recent? I was there two years ago and all I saw was a sleepy little town surrounded by several race and technology shops.

Zoxxo

The current F1 track sits to the southwest of the old Nordschleife and the two are not connected (via asphalt, anyway.)

In this pic, the green is the old track and the blue is the new one used by F1 today:
http://20832.com/images/site/Nordsch...ogle_Earth.jpg

The orange loop is the old Sudschleife which was pretty much destroyed when the new track was built. Some still exists as parking access roads for the new track.

Both current tracks are popular, profitable, and big tourist draws so it's quite unlikely that they will be shut down - too many tourist bucks for the local economy.

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...-governor.html

As for Bernie, his fee doesn't even come close to the debt. And he's the reason that the Nurburgring and Hockenheim (this weekend) are alternating years - to save them money.

Z//

HeavyRightFooT

The Nordschleife is still connected to the grand prix circuit and form the VLN track used for the nurburgring 24h "VLN" races. Just some removable armco barrier.

I drove the nordschleife 6 years ago when I was living in Italy, (unfortunately didnt had a vette at the time but a s2000) and fell in love with the place...

There is such a pure and enormous car culture emanating from the place ! and the track is such a daunting, scary, humbling, huge and legendary piece of asphalt that it leaves you with a feeling that you really had a very particular experience. I went back every single time I saw the opportunity and higly recomend it. well worth the trip.
The pistenklause restaurant I ate in once, was filled with pics and signatures on every wall and ceilings of all the greatest drivers of all time...
Crazy !

Experiencing this place is something, and seeing it bankrupt because of some overgreedy megalomaniacs is making me very sad.

It will live though, its too much of a legendary piece of history to be discarded.

Long live the Green hell, ill donate if I have to !

cheers

O

Zoxxo

I figured they were "connectable" given their proximity (be kind of crazy not to) but I didn't know they actually did that for the 24 hour race. Cool.



Here's an interesting old F1 pic from the original track. I still say that if the FIA really wants to slow today's cars down then they should reintroduce leaps like this. With real suspension required and all that underbody aero stuff effectively eliminated...

Note the strange auto carcass on the right. Wth? I think F1 racing was a wee bit more informal in those days. And the right front wheel & tire on the F1 car has clearly been seeing some "use"

Z//

dvandentop

will be a damn shame if it closes, there was reports of the financials gone bad already last year.

Zoxxo

Bernie Ecclestone has vowed to do what he can to keep the Nurburgring on the F1 calendar.

The famous circuit has commenced an insolvency process, raising the danger that from now on the German Grand Prix will be held only once every two years at Hockenheim.

But German reports on Wednesday said F1's chief executive has offered to waive his usual race sanctioning fee for the Nurburgring in 2013, and in return "bear all costs but also claim all revenues."

A spokesman for the Nurburgring confirmed the accuracy of those reports.

And the Rhein Zeitung newspaper quoted a circuit official as warning that there is only "a small time window" for authorities to approve the deal.

German reports said circuit officials Kai Richter and Jorg Lindner negotiated the deal with Ecclestone in London last Thursday.

"We will do everything that is commercially feasible to keep it (the German Grand Prix on the calendar) — hopefully in Hockenheim and the Nurburgring," 81-year-old Ecclestone is quoted by Auto Bild.

But the Briton also acknowledged the risk that the Nurburgring will drop off the calendar.

"If it's not possible, we will talk to Hockenheim to see if they can do it," said Ecclestone.

Z//

AU N EGL

Painrace

I will put in $2.50 if you will, Tom?

Jim

road pilot

Well they just better get this whole thing straightened out NOW!!
I will be in Europe in June of 2013 and I have big plans to use
the ol track. Hey that little resturant you mentioned--good food???
I was planning to throw a wad of money into the the local
economy anyway. Maybe the dollar will pick up value by the time
I get there.

LTC Z06

http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-new...ure466068.html

Timz06

Yes they are connected. I was there before the 24 hour race and was able to drive both of them. At the end of the straight you are routed on to the grand prix course and then back out to the ring. Tim

Zoxxo

The latest (Aug 2):

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...r-nurburgring/

and

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/artic...ter-this-week/

Z//