Take a lap of the ‘Ring in 1955, then think about the future…

This is only going to be a quick post, but I think it’s an important one. While irrelevant yet irritating speedlimits are damaging the well-deserved reputation of our beloved ‘northloop’, there are a whole bunch of people deciding the fate of our track. And, therefore, the fate of the thousands of people directly (and indirectly) employed by it.

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One thing that’s surprised me most is the venom reserved for the idea of changing of the track.

Now before I write anything else, watch the video below. It’s a lap with Motorcycle World Champion (and later VHS/DVD mogul) Geoff Duke. And it’s superb.

So now, can you see why change isn’t always a bad thing? How ‘original’ do you think the 2015 Nordschleife really is? Exactly 60 years later, it’s a whole different game.

We don’t jump inbetween Brunnchenn 1 and 2. Dottinger Hohe straight is about a million times safer.

Would you prefer to lap your modern 200-500hp car on the old circuit, or the new? And what about racing it?

Fast forward a little to 1967 and you can see some more changes:

Now I’m not going to go full crazy here, and suggest that the idea of a chicane before Quiddelbacher Hohe is good, but I do want to say that change isn’t automatically bad.

And even though the speedlimits barely affect any traffic whatsover on a tourist session, they’re far more damaging to the ‘Ring and its ‘mythos’ than any flattened jump or speed-lowering chicane.

Enjoy your friday night, and see you on the ‘Ring!

P.S. That moment in the 1955 movie, where the motorbike blasts past on the right-hand-side? Epic. It made my evening!

galgenkopf_1955

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