The Nürburgring (alternative spelling: Nuerburgring; known as simply "the Ring" by enthusiasts) is the name of a famous road circuit for autos or motorcycles in Germany, of which there are several configurations. Built around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains, the older version of the Ring is widely considered the toughest and most demanding race track in the world, nicknamed The Green Hell by Jackie Stewart. European Grand Prix course at Nürburgring. ... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel formula auto racing. ... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer, symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... A mile is any of several units of distance, or, in physics terminology, of length. ... Michael Schumacher (born January 3, 1969) is a German Formula One (F1) driver. ... Scuderia Ferrari is the common name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... A motorcycle (or motorbike) is a two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. ... The Eifel is a hilly region in Germany. ... A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or things real name (for example, Nick is short for Nicholas). ... Sir John Young Stewart OBE (born June 11, 1939 in Dumbartonshire, Scotland), better known as Jackie Stewart, is a three-time Formula One racing champion representing Great Britain. ...

The original Nürburgring was meant to be a showcase for German automotive engineering and racing talent, and was built with both purposes in mind. Construction of the track, designed by the Eichler Engineering Firm from Ravensburg (led by Gustav Eichler), began in September 1925. There was then a single 28.265 km (17.5 mile) circuit of, on avarage, 8 to 9 metres in width and a total of 174 bends (but note that there is much disagreement on the total number of bends), which could be split into two sections: the Südschleife (Southern loop) of 7.747 km (4.8 miles) and the Nordschleife (Northern loop) of 22.810 km (14 miles), with both sections sharing two straights (one of which was the start-finish straight) of 2.292 km (1.4 miles) in length. The first World Cycling Championship race took place on June 19, 1927, and the first German Grand Prix a month later. September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The first professional World Cycling Championship took place in 1927 at the Nürburgring in Germany and was won by Alfredo Binda, of Italy. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1927 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Georges Boillot winning the 1912 French Grand Prix in Dieppe, France Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organized automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. ...

In 1929 the full Ring was used for the last time in major racing events, as future Grands Prix would be held only on the Nordschleife (though minor races used just the Südschleife). Many memorable pre-war races took place at the circuit, featuring the talents of early Ringmeister (Ringmasters) such as Rudolf Caracciola, Tazio Nuvolari and Bernd Rosemeyer. 1929 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Rudolf Caracciola Rudolf Caracciola (b. ... Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari (November 16, 1892 - August 11, 1953) was an Italian racing motorcycle and car driver. ... Bernd Rosemeyer born October 14, 1909 in Lingen, Lower Saxony, Germany – died January 27, 1938 on the Frankfurt/Darmstadt Autobahn. ...

After World War II, racing recommenced in the 1950s and the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring again became the popular venue for the German Grand Prix as part of the Formula One World Championship (with the exception of 1959 when it was held on the AVUS in Berlin). It featured a new generation of F1 Ringmeister, with racers like Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Jackie Stewart and Jacky Ickx. By the late 1960s it was apparent that the track was becoming increasingly dangerous for the latest generation of F1 cars, and in 1970 the German GP was temporarily moved to Hockenheim while the Nordschleife was under reconstruction. Taking out some bumps and installing safety barriers (armco) did much to improve safety, but it was not enough in the long run. By 1976 the track, primarily due to its extraordinary length of over 20 kilometres, was unable to meet the ever-increasing safety requirements, and was also deemed unsuitable for the burgeoning television market. Niki Lauda proposed to the other drivers that year, that the circuit should be boycotted because of the saftey arrangements. The other drivers voted against the idea and the race went ahead. Lauda crashed his Ferrari and was badly burned, being saved by the combined actions of fellow drivers Arturo Merzario, Guy Edwards, Brett Lunger and Harald Ertl rather than by the ill-equipped fire marshals. For Formula One, that was the end of the old Nurburgring. It was never used for a Grand Prix again. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel formula auto racing. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Automobil Verkehrs und Uebungs-Straße, better known as AVUS, was a motor racing circuit on the south-western outskirts of Berlin, Germany, between Charlottenburg and Nikolassee. ... Berlin (pronounced: , German ) is the capital of Germany and its largest city, with 3,426,000 inhabitants (as of January 2005); down from 4. ... Alberto Ascari (July 13, 1918 – May 26, 1955) was one of Formula Ones first stars and the first great Ferrari driver. ... Juan Manuel Fangio (June 24, 1911 - July 17, 1995) was a noted Argentinian racing car driver and winner of the Formula One championship five times, including four in a row from 1954-57. ... Sir Stirling Moss OBE (born September 17, 1929 in London) is a former auto racing driver. ... John Surtees (born February 11, 1934) is a British racing driver, and the only one to have become World Champion on both two and four wheels. ... Sir John Young Stewart OBE (born June 11, 1939 in Dumbartonshire, Scotland), better known as Jackie Stewart, is a three-time Formula One racing champion representing Great Britain. ... Jacky Ickx, (born January 1, 1945 in Brussels) is a Belgian racing driver known for his success in Formula One and the 24 hours of Le Mans. ... Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Hockenheimring is a motor racing circuit situated near the town of Hockenheim in Germany. ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Andreas Nikolaus Niki Lauda (born February 22, 1949) is an Austrian racing driver. ...

In 1981, work began on a 4.5 km (2.8 miles) replacement circuit built next to and partly over the old one, and it was completed in 1984. This new Nürburgring, called GP-Strecke, though in character a mere shadow of its older sibling, has seen the return of Formula One to the Ring, briefly in 1984 and 1985, but more permanently since the 1995, following the success of Michael Schumacher. 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel formula auto racing. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michael Schumacher (born January 3, 1969) is a German Formula One (F1) driver. ...

The former Südschleife is now mostly gone or converted to a normal public road, but the Nordschleife is currently a one-way public toll-road with no speed limit. At a slightly reduced length of 20.8 km (13 miles), bypassing the modern GP-Strecke, the Nordschleife is frequently closed off for testing purposes and touring car endurance racing, but at other times it is open to anyone with a road legal car or motorcycle. This Nürburgring is a popular attraction for many driving and riding enthusiasts in Europe and beyond, because of its history and the considerable challenge it still provides. Accidents are common, and everyone considering driving round the Nordschleife should familiarize themselves with rules that apply, as well as the "do's" and "don'ts". World map showing location of Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ...

Several touring car series are still competing on the Nordschleife, using either only the simple 20.8 km version with a separate small pit lane, or a combined 24.4km long track that uses a part of the modern F1 track plus its huge pit facilities. Entry level of competition is a regularity test for road legal cars. Two racing series (CHC and VLN) compete on 15 Saturdays each year, for several hours.

The annual highlight is the 24 hour race weekend in mid-June, featuring 220 cars (from small 100hp cars to 700hp Turbo Porsche or 500hp factory race cars of BMW, Opel, Audi), over 700 drivers (amateurs and professionals) and up to 220 000 spectators. The Porsche 912, a Porsche of the 1960s Porsche (), is a German manufacturer of sports cars, founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche, the engineer who created the first Volkswagen. ... The BMW logo is a circle (known as a roundel) divided into quadrants of alternating white and light blue color. ... Opel, originally and more correctly known as Adam Opel AG is an automobile maker in Germany. ... Press photograph of the newly merged Audi NSU range, 1969. ...

Because of its demanding layout, the Nordschleife is used by many auto manufacturers as a proving ground for car prototypes. Some of the most notable corporate "Ring Rats" are BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Nissan, and starting in 2002, General Motors. GM's first wave of Nürburgring-honed vehicles includes the Cadillac CTS-V and the sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette. Nissan's Japanese domestic market supercar, the Skyline GT-R, was tuned at Nurburgring and held the unofficial lap record for several years. General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is a United States-based automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Daewoo, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab, and Vauxhall. ... C5 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 at the Memphis Motor Speedway, 2004 The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car first manufactured by Chevrolet in 1953 and is built today exclusively at a General Motors assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. ... Nismo (Nissan) Skyline GT-R 400R The Nissan Skyline GT-R is an iconic Japanese sports coupe in the Nissan Skyline range. ...

In recent years, the Nürburgring's allure has spread through its appearance in video games. Titles featuring the Green Hell include Sierra's Grand Prix Legends and two games for the Xbox: Project Gotham Racing 2 and Forza Motorsport. It also featured in the PlayStation 2 game Gran Turismo 4. Grand Prix Legends (GPL) is a simulation of the 1967 Formula One season. ... The Xbox is Microsofts game console, released on November 15, 2001. ... Project Gotham Racing 2 (PGR2 for short) is a video game and the 2003 sequel to Project Gotham Racing. ... Forza Motorsport is a racing video game developed by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox gaming system. ... The PlayStation 2 (PS2) (Japanese: プレイステーション2) is Sonys second video game console, after the PlayStation. ... Gran Turismo 4 (also known as GT4) was released on December 28, 2004 in Japan (NTSC J), February 22, 2005 in the United States (NTSC U), and March 9, 2005 in Europe (PAL). ...

The current 20.8 km long Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, with 173 corners

See also: List of Formula One circuits Nürburgring Nordschleife - PNG created by myself File links The following pages link to this file: Nürburgring Categories: GFDL images ... The following circuits have been used for Formula One Grands Prix since 1950: See also: List of Formula One Championship events; Category:Formula One circuits A1-Ring, Knittelfeld, Austria Adelaide street circuit, Adelaide, Australia Ain-Diab, Casablanca, Morocco Aintree race course, Liverpool, United Kingdom AVUS, Berlin, Germany Bahrain International Circuit...

External links

• Official website (English version)  (http://213.239.207.198/nuerburgring.de/index.php?id=186&L=1)
• Ben Lovejoy's Ringers Site (www.nurburgring.co.uk) (http://www.nurburgring.org.uk)
• Site dedicated to the forgotten Südschleife (http://sudschleife.8200rpm.com)
• 24hour Race (http://adac.24h-rennen.de)
• Nürburgring Fan Project (www.nurburgring.de) (http://www.nurburgring.de)
• A description of the racing line (http://www.team-tschauder.de/nring/n-ring1.htm)
• Regularity test for road cars (GLP) (http://www.glp1.de)
• Rallye-like racing (CHC) (http://www.castrol-haugg-cup.com)
• Endurance Racing (VLN) (http://www.langstreckenpokal.de/index.htm)
• Report from 24 Hour Race (http://members.ozemail.com.au/%7Emotorweb/nurburgring/)