| NurburgRing - A LAP WITH THE GODS! < Back See also: The BMW International Driving Course NurburgRing - A LAP WITH THE GODS! By Neil Leigh 
If you not only love riding race tracks but are also a scholar of the history of Motorsport the Nurburgring Nordschleife combines these two loves in a way no other circuit can, within its 20.8km (neccasarily shorter than in its competitive heyday) tales of heroic deeds and the ghosts of the good and the truly great seep from the surface and stare down from the trees, hills and mountains which surround you. I have been riding the Ring on motorcycles for the past 13 years as a true Nordschleife enthusiast, taking part in numerous training courses and for the past 5 years passing on my love and knowledge of the place to other devotees through working as an instructor for training groups and at present I train English speaking groups on Motorrad courses as well as escorting Guests in public traffic from my Motorsport lodgings base near to Spa Francorchamps, yep I know, I have too much of a good thing going! To describe a lap is a very personnel journey, we all see things differently and will be elated or concerned by different parts of the circuit, some are daunted by open high speed sections, others are more comfortable confined within the armco and trees which give this place its most infamous name ‘The Green Hell’. What is not in dispute is that everyone will have an opinion after each lap, no two are ever exactly the same, the light moves around while the wind blows first one way then the other, the track is always alive, teasing you, Let me explain. You set off with all the glamour of a modern car park. In goes the ticket and up goes the barrier, wiggle through the cones ejecting you onto the track and high speed acceleration towards Antoniusbuche bridge making sure to work some heat into cold tyres as you roll over the top of a flat left rollercoaster. Then feel a hard compression in towards Tiergarten a series of rights and lefts, each tighter than the last requiring accurate braking while still being careful on cool rubber. You catch a glimpse of the GP track to your left as you narrowly miss the armco on the final right, let the bike drift left and bring it hard to the right hand side of the track for the very tricky downhilll left known as T13. The end of a line of cones to your lefthand side is a good turn in indicator but the best advice is to get your braking done in a straight line before the bend as the off camber dip in the middle of the bend can easily cause a front wheel to fold underneath you. Look through the bend and drive hard downhilll letting the bike drift out towards the lefthand side as you sweep right to set you up for the next unnamed right, perhaps just rolling the throttle (160km/h) before turning in at the number board aiming for the obvious apex then letting the bike run to the leftside, through a left kink then back to the righthand side to prepare for the Hatzenbach. A mistake at one bend is often paid for two bends later’ this could have been written just to describe Hatzenbach, starting this Left,R&R,L,R,Left section with a touch less pace than possible and then driving through it on a gently rising throttle is the correct style, jumping on and off the brakes and gas unsettling the suspension just pushes you further and further off the correct line. Entering the Hatzenbach the surface changes as you go left to right, start your right turn at this surface change and the next piece is a double apex right, go left at the service road to you right and then use the end of Kerb for turn in for the following right and left, leaving the final left bring the bike over the left handside of the track always keeping your eyes trained on the next bend not on the scenery to your right, many people look at it then ride out to meet it, not smart. Hocheichen is next, it used to be a dreadfully slippery corner but a new surface some years ago has made it much safer. Approaching on the left side of the track watch for the start of the kerbing on the inside of the track and use this as your peel in point, as you apex the bend you cannot see which way the track goes as it drops steeply through a left hander but by using a natural right then left motion you will naturally drop through the left on line and on the way out drive as hard as you dare towards the sweeping right of Quidelbache Hohe, a quick as you can sweep right, over a bridge, again this has been resurfaced this winter making it much less hazardous when wet. Bring the bike over to the left hand side and climb up the near vertical hill into Flugplatz (all those great jump shots At the Ring, yep its Flugplatz!  As you crest the rise at probably 190km/h you turn in to the first right apex using another access road to your left as the marker, sweep through the first apex 1 meter from the kerb and let the bike drift towards the middle of the road then drive it back for the second apex and then back on to full acceleration through three blind but flat lefts, down a very fast compression (possibly the very quickest spot on a bike at the ring(250+km/h) moving to the righthand side over another blind crest. If you are fully exploiting the performance of your bike it will go light and unsettle as you aim towards Schewdenkreuz, one hell of a quick bend, it goes left over a crest and being followed quickly by a tight Right, Aremburg, means you have to keep the bike under control to the left of the track and get some serious braking done. You use the Schwedenkreuz sign board as the turn in marker having rolled the throttle (190km/h) and settled the bike, look through the bend and don’t let the bike drift to far to the right of the track, back to the left kerb and hard on the brakes turning into the right of Aremburg where the inside kerb starts, making a late apex and then driving out using all the track to the edge and whooshing past the bridge parrapet as you light the blue touch paper and fire down Fuchsrôhre. The first direction is towards the Left and as you drive into it the following right left become obvious and you keep it pinned while tucking in to maximise acceleration helped by the steep descent, the high compression at the bottom is further complicated by a left sweep, it require concentration and full commitment as you charge steeply up the other side you can feel the blood rushing one way then the other but you have no time to experience this rush, you must be over to the righthand side and at the end of the kerbing turn left over the blind crest and once more begin to shed serious speed for the entrance to Adenauer Forest. Adenauer Forest is a right, L, right, with the first right being a late apex, the middle left feels impossibly late, you are almost hanging around and waiting to turn but done correctly the final right is spot on as you drive towards the kerb on the exit. There used to be some painted graffiti around which was a good reference, now you just have to practise it and feel the force! For all the non Jedi knights out there concrete paving has now been installed to make the straight on experience in the middle of Hatzenbach a little less rude but I think they are making it all a little too easy! A good crowd always gather here at weekends to watch the antics, a rule of thumb is if you see plenty of spectators take care, they aren’t there for the peace and quiet! Away and sweeping into the first of two lefts at Metzgesfeld you use the board marker as your turn in point with plenty of pace and then hold to the right hand side and slow for the much tighter second, a change of surface is a good turn in reference you click the apex and then run towards the blind right hand apex which follows over the top, across to the left hand side and hard on the brakes downhill into Kallenhard, Its tight, its almost adverse and if there has been rain it often takes an age to dry being under trees, all the afore mentioned mean you treat it with care, steady in and drive out being the mantra, use the inside Kerb to indicate the turn in point and let the bike run across the face of the bend rather like a skier would traverse a slope and on the way out short shift to give progressive drive towards a quick but dangerous left right which again takes forever to dry after rain and strangely the surface always seems to look wet there just for good measure! As you exit this L&R place the bike on the leftside of the track and loose a little speed (you are travelling steeply downhill) at the end of the concrete kerbing to your left again roll in ignoring the whole of the first kerb which you see to your right, apex in the middle of the second and progressively drive back out to the left hand side(it has no proper name but we call it miss, hit, miss which is obvious once you see it). Still plunging downhill you are entering Wehrseifen which is perversely the slowest bend sequence on the track. Positioned to the left side loose lots of speed probably down to 60km and steer into the right keeping to the right, once more hard on the brakes and at the end of the right kerb turn into the left, the apex is then obvious. I always enter this sequence one gear higher then required, this then gives a nice progressive torque for the following righthander meaning I do not have to change up a gear mid bend upsetting the overall balance which is cushty. Down through a right sweep and staying on the right you set up for Briedschied bridge which passes over the main road into Adenau, still travelling downhill meams you need to shed some more serious speed before the turn, as there is no run off and a bloody great concrete wall to prevent you raining down onto the passing traffic caution is the best advice through Briedschied, no showboating please! Considering GP bikes raced here till 1983, some of today’s riders would have a coronary seeing the lack of any run off unlike the football fields which now separate the rider from disaster. Entering Briedschied there is a metal grate to you right, around 1 meter before the end start your turn, miss the apex by 1 meter and let the bike cross the middle of the road before bringing it back for a second left apex running parralel with the left side at the end of the kerb chuck it into the following right as hard as you dare and wind on the throttle, its called Ex-Muhle and is so steep that it really knocks the wind out of any pace you carry in. I always advise riders that if they begin a lap and find them selves travelling with a similar speed car through the first part of the lap (it s lot of downhill and the braking and extra adhesion gives cars a good advantage), show due courtesy and let them lead to Briedschied as after Ex -Muhle a good sports bike can always then make a lot of ground and seperate you safely for the remainder of the lap.  We are now heading towards Bergwerk but first we have a to negotiate a flat left kink, this is the bend which Nicki Lauda did not negotiate with horrifying results. Exiting this you bring the bike over to the left side for the right hand Brunchen bend, the trick here is a late apex requiring you to wait till the kerbing on you left is level with you, then start your turn gracefully aiming for a big white spot on the inside kerb, it feels late and looks far too late but this bend viewed from above goes along way around and being followed by a very fast section exit is critical to get good drive. Brunchen is another area which is very slow drying due to trees, even the entry can be dry but half way round it will end in tears if you do not check it first! Now we are running up Kesselchen, I say ‘up’ as its a climb all the way but riders are amazed when its pointed out to them, it begins with 3 flat lefts taking care to not stray beyond the middle of the road, over a blind crest move over to the right, the front will go light here if you are carrying sufficient speed and then through another flat left, this one looks tight but as you enter opens out, the next section is still flat sweeping right and then preparing the bike to the left side for the very quick right left flick before Angst curve a fast tricky left corner which you always feel could have been taken quicker. For the entry to Angst you need to be on the Right side turning in at the end of the kerb aim for the obvious apex, keep looking through the bend to avoid running too wide and then drive hard again coming back to the left for the blind crest and immediate turn to the right, done right this unnamed bend feels right, its very quick and you need to make sure you have weight over the front to avoid a wheelie, its critical that you still have steering here! Sweep through the next left staying on the left and then kill the speed, Turning in at the end of the kerb for the right of Klostertal, the apex is the 147 board which is also exactly where they made a tarmac joint so easy with the gas as highsides are not uncommon on this spot, drive hard out to the kerb and we are approaching the Carraciola Karusel, to give it its full and proper name! Everbody is freaked by this the first few times but in fact it pretty damn simple, up the hill to the right of centre, select the highest tree in front of you, aim towards it and you will drop into the Karusel at the exact point required, head looking to the left on a nice steady driving throttle and exit at the top end joint, Volia! that wasn’t so bad was it? Practise makes perfect, its quicker than you think but not as quick as you want, everytime. I always say this is a track of two halves, the exit of the Karusel is the finish of one, the beginning of the other, its tree lined, darker, more confined and there are dragons up there somewhere! Welcome to ‘The Green Hell’ The next defined section is Hohe Acht (Highest point) the run from Karussel is a series of very quick bends, Two lefts and a left right kink, the gradient pinching speed the minute you lift meaning that its a no braker but you have to keep it tight and correct as the run off is minimal and your angle of attack to the barriers is acute. Exiting the left right kink you stay to the left at Hohe Acht and make the next Right turning in at the road sign and yet again looking for a very late apex, you know it is correct when you can see the exit at the apex point drive towards the kerb on the left stay left and run down the left watching in the track for a painted Zebra crossing, when you see the final portion of it appear turn to the right and welcome to Wipperman. The Centre of Wipperman is a left right tight S and having made your right turn entry to this section stay right for a second longer than appears prudent then start to the left of the S clip the apex and roll straight into the right apex, youll know if it was right as you will catapult out to the left kerbing and run parallel with it, end of kerb turn to the right over the next blind crest and stay to the right for Eschbach (read this all as quick as you can, thats how it feels when you ride it, non stop action!) Again the Turn in for Eschbach is the name board and you have the choice of making one long wide bend or two apexs to the left, I actually fall somewhere between the two, for safety’s sake probably missing the first apex by 2m letting it run out and then bring it back to run along the kerbing to the left on the way into Brunchen. Let me give you a clue, there are probably 1000 people at Brunchen on a sunny Sunday, guess why? haven’t got it? stroll the grass verges and they are covered in bits of plastic bodywork and mirrors and I swear its not that difficult but people see all the spectators and decide they had better demonstrate there mastery of the place with the attendant comedy results. The first Right of Brunchen kind of tightens and its important not to take many liberties with the outer concrete rumble strip, you turn in at the end of the kerbing to your left and on the exit run parallel with the track edge again using the end of kerbing for the second right exiting this once again staying off the outer rumble strip back over to the right and look for a small patch of Dark Tarmac in front of you this indicates the late turn in to the left of Eiscurve, pull the bike in tight to the high inner curve as you apex then straighten up and aim toward the right curve over the crest, as you rise over the top the following left becomes apparent and you realise you need to be over to the right, once done the section presents itself and you can see your way to Pflanzgarten. More Spectators, Ooh er! make sure to do your braking before you drop into the first right hander turning around 1m before the end of the left kerb, missing the first apex by 1m and then letting the bike run to the middle of the road then back for the second apex stay right, in your mind chant “hold,hold,fold” go left and this little delay will drop you right onto the next blind left curve, gas it out to the right end of curve aim left and over the top of the end of the world, otherwise known as Pflanzgarten2, lovely spot, done right, pure top gun! Staying to the left side at the end of the curb turn to your right aim for the piece of kerb you can see and as you get to it straighten up pull a nice little wheelie and bang, bang straight through the next two apexes, plenty more top gun!! By now it should all be going along nice and quickly you are on the left and you need to nip it back and turn in for the next right, the entry to the Schwalbenschwanz at the surface change, apex and hold it to the right, end of Curb hard to the left hold that in staring at the 181 sign to keep your mind otherwise occupied and then let it out to the right down you go, end of kerb turn left again into the mini Karussel, dropping in at the top of the first slab, zip around and exit tight corner of the first and second slabs, you really need to see it slowly to sort it, mucho gas and head for Galgenkopf (its something to do with gallows, oh lordy) Reign back on the speed again over to the left and 1m before the end of the kerb turn to the right, just miss the little patching drive it to the left side and again go right at the 187 sign, get inside the rippled tarmac and go like the devils on your tail as all the tricky stuff is now dealt with and only the long straight run in to the end awaits, mind you saying that I have seen a bike endo on the brakes when he realised that the track had cones across it to stop you riding straight one, honest, what a plonker, he’d put the difficult bits behind him! Welcome back to the Cafe, the Time? it does not matter, did it feel good to you? great!  Fancy a go? See www.aeaventures.com Sporting regards, Neil Leigh < Back
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