12 Nurburgring speed limits - silly and outrageous

Cover for Nurburgring speed limits - silly and outrageous

Since the deadly accident at Nurburgring VLN race back in March, German motor sport association has introduced speed limits throughout the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

No one should be upset about motor-sports sanctioning body caring or pretending to care about spectator safety, especially if this is considered to be only temporary measure.

What did cause outrage was owners deciding to apply same limits to all track activity, outside racing events and jurisdiction of any racing sanctioning body.

This decision has prevented manufacturers and independent media from performing any meaningful tests at the Nurburgring, effectively freezing the Nurburgring Nordschleife rankings and any attempts at beating Porsche 918 record, including an alleged attempt by Koenigsegg, just days after the limits were imposed.

It is important to note that there are crucial differences between race events and private tests or track days, and it is unclear why these speed limits should apply to both.

Street cars do not have the same aerodynamic properties of GT racecars. Most street cars do not have flat underside, and are not nearly as likely to "take off" like Jann Mardenborough's GT-R or Mark Webber's Mercedes CLK-GTR back in LeMans 1999.

Unlike race events, track days and private test sessions do not draw big crowds, and the likelihood of spectator being in wrong place at the wrong time is much smaller.

Some proposed "solutions" like slowing down GT racecars or modifying track layout seem even more outrageous than the speed limits.

Last thing any racecar needs is even more restrictions, and the speed differential between GTE and LMP1 cars is already dangerous enough as it is.

Track modification is just blasphemy and not even worth discussing.

If there was anything positive to take away from the tragic accident of March 28, it must be the proof of modern racecar safety. Jann Mardenborough walked away from the accident unharmed. All that was needed to prevent tragedy was more care for safety from the organisers.

All that is needed is to restrict specators from entering potentially dangerous areas, such as in front of braking zones or sharp, high-speed corners.

If track owners and event organisers could get their act together and keep spectators in check during both race events and track days, FIA could also step up and issue new regulations in aerodynamics that should limit the danger of cars flying over the barriers.

We have not recently seen any LMP1 cars "switching into airplane mode", yet they are getting faster every year.

10y ago by FastestLaps
User avatar
User avatar

2Fast  9y ago

Can't Wait for them to finally allow GM to release the Z06 nurburgring time and video!

YOU WILL BE SHOCKED!! :)


User avatar

Shaggy  9y ago

I'm glad the speed limits are only temporary.


User avatar

abcdeghi  9y ago

if speed limits are going to be removed,then all others and i can request autocar , evo , to test mclaren f1 xp5 there to the limits andsettle the nurburgring lap times once and for all.with a lap time released unlike circuit breaker article WHERE NO LAPTIME WAS RELEASED.


User avatar

abcdeghi  9y ago

it was not clk gtr which flew from the track, it was clr


User avatar

NIN  9y ago

Motor Trend is reporting that things may soon get back to normal...maybe better if some of the track's bumps are smoothed over.

http://wot.motortrend.com/1508_speed_limits_on_nurburgring_to_end_next_year.html


User avatar

BR2+  10y ago

speed-limit-mother****er-do-you-drive-it


User avatar

Shaggy  10y ago

I understand that, but still, speed limits on a race track are silly and pointless. It's a race track you're not there for a leisurely Sunday drive. Any fatal car accident is tragic, but I think speed limits are an inappropriate measure.


User avatar

FastestLaps  10y ago

Well... exactly. They are trying to make the impression that they are doing something in response of the fatal accident.

But Nordschlsiefe has actually been surprisingly safe, considering how dangerous a track it is and how little (mostly none) run-off area it has.


User avatar

Piorun  10y ago

Ofcourse the new limitiations are idiocy. Its like very late aprils fool joke. All we need more is speed bumps and police patrols on NR.

Its clear that mistakes was 2
1-Areo of that Nissan, it could work fine on tests but that hills could lift the car up
2-Track safety systems.

Nobody want to take any responsibility for a death of innocent spectators. So to clar themself off owners did what is the simplest - speed limits.

Also German motor sport association propably want to mean something and reguating as much as possible as it is with almost all sports commisions in the world, so it happend.

As the the records, and Porsche record. Its obivious, that there would have to be new NR recrd table. The old one with no limitations and new one with speeds limit so it gives Porsche no benefits at all.

The idiocy is that it benefit nobody except few persons related to NR seciurity systems, or some restriction commisions guys related to FIA or GMSA.


User avatar

jackson  10y ago

'private tests or track days, and it is unclear why these speed limits should apply to both'
For both? Although, it is easy to close dangerous areas at industry testing?


User avatar

FastestLaps  10y ago

It's a CONSPARACEEE!!!

Porsche paid $1.2 million to the new owners of Nurburgring to prevent Koenigsegg and others from beating their record.

Alex Jones told me that.


User avatar

andrewEVO  10y ago

**** the word ! speed limits in a race-track ?
it´s stupid ! ...Nurburgring or any
race-track don´t need any speed limit , just put better walls for protection or anything... DON´T PUT LIMITS IN A PLACE BUILD TO PUSH THE LIMITS !