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The answer to the question I asked myself a couple time in the race: "Why am I doing this?"
My friend, did you find an answer ? I'm still searching !
The Trophy, the Trophy is the answer! (Nah, not really)
On a more serious note: When doing over 230kph going around a corner contemplating if it will be wet or not behind the corner triggered the question a couple of times.
I guess the answer is that we are addicts: We constantly look for that rush...
Since Monday the Nordschleife is under construction.
More than two kilometers of the track will be renovated by February 2019.
The following sections will be renewed:
Sorry for not being updated reg Nur management/ownership - I only remember the track was for sale some years ago and it wasn't an easy sell. It's good to see the owners are investing in this fantastic track.
This is my guess why they resurface the selected sections/corners.
Flugplatz / Schwedenkreuz
Most of the 2km resurface will probably be in this rather long section, it is about 1km.
I have no clue why they do this... To me this is a no problem section where the tarmac is good and you don't need much grip level.
I really hope that they don't change the profile of the Schwedenkreuz crest. The track needs to have it problematic areas to be interesting.
Kallenhard
Kallenhard is a steep almost 180° downhill corner where the braking is really difficult in the wet and the exit super slippery in the wet.
In the dry it is a nice corner.
My guess is that they resurface because of low grip levels in the wet.
Wehrseifen
Wehrseifen has been resurfaced in bits before so now it is a mix of older and newer tarmacs and this can be problematic in the wet.
My guess is that they resurface because of low grip levels in the wet.
Ex-Mühle
Ex-Mühle is a very, very steep uphill corner with a couple of small bumps. Get on gass to early in the wet and you hit the Armco on the right hand side.
The tarmac is very old in Ex-Mühle (my guess) and is full of cracks.
It is logical that hey resurface there because of the cracks. I hope though that they leave the bumps alone.
If the bumps goes away higher speed will be possible and we will see more serious accidents there.
Hohe Acht
Hohe Acht is like Wehrseifen, it has been resurfaced in bits and the grip level when going from old tarmac to new and back to old is a challenge (in the wet).
My guess is that they resurface because of low grip levels in the wet.
It might seem a bit cynical that I don't want them to make the track too ease to drive.
One could even say that I promote accidents. I don't.
But the reason for the existence of the Nordschleife is how challenging and demanding it is.
If the track is too easy to drive then there is no longer no need for the Industrial pool to use it in their daily job.
Changing part of the track to being safer can also ricochet:
They made Flügplatz safer by removing two jumps: One before the corner and one just after the first apex. They basically levelled out Flügplatz.
This was done after a horrible accident when a not so experienced racing driver made a mistake and the car got airborne and ended up outside of the fence.
Besides this accident there where rarely accidents in Flügplats. Everybody knew that Flügplats was not a walk in the park.
So what is the result of the new Flügplatz?
The exit speed leaving the section is now much higher and people are now getting into trouble in Schwedenkreuz instead.
The number of accidents in Schwedenkreuz has increased since they fixed Flügplatz.
So basically they have increased the number of accidents by fixing a problem that really was no problem.
(I have no statics to prove my my point. The info is from talking to locals in Nürburg.)
It might seem a bit cynical that I don't want them to make the track too ease to drive.
One could even say that I promote accidents. I don't.
But the reason for the existence of the Nordschleife is how challenging and demanding it is.
If the track is too easy to drive then there is no longer no need for the Industrial pool to use it in their daily job.
Changing part of the track to being safer can also ricochet:
They made Flügplatz safer by removing two jumps: One before the corner and one just after the first apex. They basically levelled out Flügplatz.
This was done after a horrible accident when a not so experienced racing driver made a mistake and the car got airborne and ended up outside of the fence.
Besides this accident there where rarely accidents in Flügplats. Everybody knew that Flügplats was not a walk in the park.
So what is the result of the new Flügplatz?
The exit speed leaving the section is now much higher and people are now getting into trouble in Schwedenkreuz instead.
The number of accidents in Schwedenkreuz has increased since they fixed Flügplatz.
So basically they have increased the number of accidents by fixing a problem that really was no problem.
(I have no statics to prove my my point. The info is from talking to locals in Nürburg.)
Although I am not a good driver at NOS, I agree with your assessment.
It should not be easy to drive.
Although I am not a good driver at NOS, I agree with your assessment.
It should not be easy to drive.
After the video above it is clear that they want to improve the track in Schwedenkreutz - not just resurface it.
I wonder if it is business that drives this: I've heard that the Nordschleife has got really good economy while the GP track not so much.
Maybe it is good economy to make sure that the Nordschleife not is closed as much as it is... Lets hope I'm wrong.
11-06-2018, 04:55 PM
