In the February 2008 issue of eurotuner we ran a story to help people who wished to visit the Nordschleife at the Nürburgring (you can find this story on the Articles page of www.eurotuner.com, entitled “Germany's Nurburgring Nordeschleife Vacation Guide - Lord Of The Ring”).

As most of you will know, the Nordschleife, known as “The Green Hell”, is a mecca for performance and motor racing enthusiasts. For the price of 21 Euros, you can take a road car onto the track and experience it for yourself.  
The 14.2 mile circuit is steeped in history and remains one of the last great untamed adventures for drivers – although its inclusion in video games has perhaps removed some of its mystique…
In response to our story, reader Keith Gibson took at trip to Nürburgring and relayed this story to us about the realities of driving on the Nordschleife.

“I arrived in Germany on 5 May, 2004. I immediately bought a 1985 Mercedes 190E with a Brabus package and couldn’t have been happier. Two years later, I was itching for more power and saved up for a 2004 VW Golf GTI 1.8T. I spent hours working on it and thousands in performance parts, all with one goal in mind: driving the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Last week, two of my buddies and I took the two-hour trip to the “Ring” and paid for a ride in the BMW M5 “Ring Taxi”. I had read in the eurotuner article about the taxi and couldn’t allow the opportunity pass by.
Having experienced it, I cannot articulate the intensity of the Ring Taxi, but I can say it gave me an entirely new perspective on the Nordschleife and how cars can be pushed to the limit on this amazing course.  
As we exited the Karussell (a steeply banked, sharp left-hand corner), I spotted a Lotus Exige ahead of us. As we gained on it, I noticed this portion of the track was wet but was surprised because I’d not seen any rain (typical German weather). Then it happened.
The Lotus entered a hard right-hand turn too quickly and lost traction. The driver over-corrected to the left, but on “The Green Hell” there’s simply no room for error. The Lotus hit the high metal guardrail. In an instant it was upside down and slid to a halt.
The windshield wipers were still going as a bewildered driver and passenger were helped from their totaled ride. The track was closed for about an hour while a tow-truck removed the once beautiful sportscar and the clean-up crew collected the pieces.  
We finished our ride in the Ring Taxi, but the driver was noticeably more cautious. None of us minded. In fact, I think we preferred it!  
As we waited for the track to re-open, I had plenty of time to weigh the pros and cons of driving this course: My insurance won’t cover any damage on the course, and I’m 300km from home. I’m not familiar with the 70+ corners on the Nordschleife and will be sharing it with Porsches, BMWs and other ridiculously fast cars.  
All the reasons not to venture onto the track were trumped by the knowledge that I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t drive this awesome track. So I bought my ticket (21 Euro) and headed for the gate to enter the Nordschleife. Ahead of me was a Porsche GT3 and BMW M3.
The next 13 miles (of wet track) were both the most amazing and frightening I’ve ever encountered. I tried to take it easy on the course, but every time my tires broke traction, my friends would scream, “get it, man!”  The energy was infectious and the lap was unreal.   
I’d heard many stories about professional drivers on the Nordschleife, but none from average people taking their daily drivers to the Ring. It’s a different story when you’re not a pro and the car is yours!”

Keith Gibson
Ramstein AB, Germany

We’d like to thank Keith for his cautionary tale. And while we were happy to recommend people experience the Nürburgring, please remember, “motorsport is dangerous.” We suggest visitors exercise restraint and good judgment when on the track. It’s not called The Green Hell for nothing!