I have always loved watching videos of cars racing on the Nurburgring at full tilt. And I've always wondered what it would be like to grow up in an area close enough to the track where I could take regular laps around it.

I would absolutely love it if there were a place near my house where I could go and pay a fee for a lap or two at any time of the day.

I participate in as many auto cross events as I can (will start HPDE next season), but still, it just doesn't seem like I ever can get as much seat time as I would like (or have money for). It would be so awesome if there were a place like the Nurburgring around here.

So does it exist in the US? If not, why? I assume tracks like the Nurburgring don't exist here because of safety concerns and general sue happiness that seems to plague our country. Is that the reason?

Anyways, I was just watching some Nurburgring videos and thinking about how jealous I am that those people can go take laps any time they want.

 

The liability and insurance issues are probably what keep a place like that from opening. Some parts of the ring are public, meaning you can go around a turn and see a flatbed carrying a bail of hay for his farm. Or granny smith in her punto traveling at a considerably lower speed. Americans could never have something like that, the majority of americans cant even drive safely under the speed limit, let alone at high speeds and turns. And our laws would never aloow it!

 

You can find track days at any of americas road courses, In addition I am converting my car to a silver states challenge/hill climb... both take place on public roads

 

Probably due to the amount of space it would require, and it not having much of a purpose (eg. ways to generate revenue) other than waiting for people to pay for laps. The Nurburgring was originally created for the specific purpose of automotive research I think. We don't need that here and we have plenty of road courses.

 

Lawyers would kill it the day it opened.

 

Liability, land, demand.

Don't know about other places, but here in Northeast Tennessee where the land would well suit it, 200 acres (the few that are for sale) goes for $2,300,000. Now how many acres would you need for a 13 mile track that is spread out?

 

It's sad that we can't have a complex like this because of litigious people.

It would be nice if existing road courses had hot laps or something where you could pay for a lap or two without having to do a full-on track day.

Oh well, I guess we can't have everything.

 

Something like Nurburgrings Nordschleife will never happen again anywhere. It's still there because of its historic significance. If it was in the US it would be a mall and housing tracks by now.

As to why there aren't tracks that offer a "per lap" ticket. Mainly safety and liability.

The cost for one lap at Nordschleife is 16 euros. You can buy multi lap tickets for less per lap. Here's more info about it http://www.nuerburgring.de/1_n...l?L=1

That's about $20 for a lap (albeit a long lap). Lets say thats $20 for 10 minutes of driving. That is $2 for ever minute of driving. NASA HPDE will cost you ~$150 and will get you at least 80 minutes of driving. $1.88 per minute of drving and you don't have to worry about passing motorcycles and tour buses.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
That's about $20 for a lap (albeit a long lap). Lets say thats $20 for 10 minutes of driving. That is $2 for ever minute of driving. NASA HPDE will cost you ~$150 and will get you at least 80 minutes of driving. $1.88 per minute of drving and you don't have to worry about passing motorcycles and tour buses. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Never thought about it that way before

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Aquafina &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Liability, land, demand.

... the land would well suit it, 200 acres (the few that are for sale) goes for $2,300,000. Now how many acres would you need for a 13 mile track that is spread out?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, A sqaure mile is 650 acres...give or take a few.

 

There are crashes on the Nurburgring all the time.

Even if the liability/litigation issue weren't a serious issue - which it is - the safety issue would shut it down just as quickly.

Anyone who has been to an "open track day" at a racetrack - some tracks allow them, with total beginners out on a track with absolutely no instruction - has probably seen how easy it is for beginners to crash their cars. Most of us know that lots of people come to a track for the first time thinking, "I've driven my car 100 miles an hour on the highway! I already know how to drive fast! I'm going to be the fastest car out there!" If they are smart, they take it easy at first, and figure things out themselves. If they aren't, they try to set the track record in their first session, and often crash. Just the way Charles Darwin would have wanted it.

 

you mean racing on the hwy is different than at a track

if anything hwy racing is harder, you gotta swere around all the slow moving vehicle in your way while blowing down the road at double the limit

 

 

Congratulations
Goes to Eddiebx for
Worst person on Earth

Please keep in your mind
That sarcasm is never
Seen in a haiku

 

 

I took my RX8 to Nurburgring 3 weeks ago and ran the track in 10 minutes and 22 seconds. I didn't think I did to bad for my first time running a track.

I wish there was track in the U.S. like this one.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GSpeedR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Congratulations
Goes to Eddiebx for
Worst person on Earth

Please keep in your mind
That sarcasm is never
Seen in a haiku </TD></TR></TABLE>

wow..you are good, i sucked at haikus when they useto make us do that **** back in elementary and middle school.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There are crashes on the Nurburgring all the time.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yup, my buddy visited there a couple weeks ago, all set, for the first time in his life, to drive that awesome track. Shows up and...

It's shut down. Not one but two sportbike riders had killed themselves at the same time at the same corner.

 

I hear Road America doesn't make that much money. They should open it up for lapping days (unless they already do).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Outrun &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I hear Road America doesn't make that much money.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I seriously doubt that.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Outrun &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">They should open it up for lapping days (unless they already do).</TD></TR></TABLE>

There is already enough carnage up there as it is.

 

whats road america?

 

local track here, gingerman raceway, is probably the closest thing to that...5pm till sundown on tuesday - thursday it's a open test and tune for $60...just gotta call and make an appointment

it's a small track so i'm sure the big boys are already booked and can't do this kinda stuff.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I seriously doubt that.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Maybe it's all the doom and gloom concerning Champ Car and how RA no longer has the draw it used to back in CART's prime (based on the articles I've read).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by turboteener &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Lawyers would kill it the day it opened.</TD></TR></TABLE>

we have tracks pretty similar to nurburgring, meaning, a plethora of turns.

the ring is a tough track though. A LOT of blind corners, dips/drops/bumps. I had a blast driving it, but... i had more fun at CalSpeedway.

 

In the Montreal area, we have a lapping club called TLC where you can get 20 minutes on the road course at St-Eustache for 20$ on Monday evenings. Groups are split up by skill/experience level and passing rules vary depending on the group. I am an instructor there and I think it's a great format. You can also buy an unlimited season pass. It's an affordable way to go out and do a few laps after work without having to commit a full day (they do offer full days as well).