Nurburgring - Hit By Car At 105mph, Went Dirtbiking And Barrier Riding!

In my years as a track instructor on the Nurburgring and the near 20 years experiance of TF, many changes have come to be over the years. 20 years ago bikes were king during TF, on a normal weekend a handfull of Porsches would be present in a very quiet TF carpark. Nowadays bijes are the lesser of tge quick vehicles out there, the risks of hitting fluid spills has seen to that. Brit bikerseem the nationality that have the most anxiety about sharing the track with cars. Probably because they do a lot of trackdays at hone so the concept of sharing with cars is very alien.
As for Porsche drivers and indeed driving porsches in TF. They are indeed very easy cars to get an experianced or novice driver to attain a good safe pace on track. The problem with bikers of any nationality is that in the real world they are the quick guys because at home on their own turf they rarely get to pit there power to weight advantage against a car that can match and indeed exceed the limits of the bike/ biker combo. Modern supercars have immense levels if grip in braking and cornering. Even modern 2 litre hatchbacks are putting out figures about the 300 bhp mark. Allied to fat grippy tyres with 4 time the contact patch of a bike tyre on each corner grip is king. Plus modern Tracction control and fancy differential technology.guys who are quick on bines in TF are a rare breed nowadays, yes cars can spill fluids but often the case is that them cars are normally well looked after. Sadly it happens and often cars crash on the spill more regularilly than bikes. Bikers can be their own worst enemy out in TF because observation skills are lacking. When people get spooked by a car or even a bike suddenly filling their mirrors, it's because they are. COncentrating too much brainpower on where they are going and not giving their selves enough time to calculate what is going on behind! Same also goes for cars as for bikes.
Traffic management is the key to circulating safely, being predictable to the guy closing quick behind.
Passing slower traffic while hiding in the shadow of a larger vehivle has it's own risks! Rarely would someone deliberately intend to side swipe another vehicle.
Yes sadly contact and freak accidents do happen but no one wants to crash there.
Cause of most accidents is inexperiance, allied to all the above and a sniff of redmist the inevitable happens.
End if the day, it is not a game! People get their wallets raped, smashed pride and joys litter the local breakers yards. But most important is the flesh and bone that gets hurt, peoples lives change because of this ribbon of tarmac. People witness sights that they never get out of their head, families lives are destroyed in an instant as we are experiancing here at the moment. Going to work yesterday and seeing the aftermath of police markings and tyre tracks where your best mate got hit by a car at full chat while trying to warn others of the danger is very sobering and not something I'd wish on anyone.
Please please everyone contemplating coming here car or bike. By all means do TF but stay safe and stay in your comfort zone and always expect the unexpected.
Love to all, respect to all, stay safe.
Doogz

 

Shit a brick!!! Good work staying on!

 

Remain calm, that's the ticket. Fantastic recovery fella.

 

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There speaks the voice or both reason and experience, must have been tremendously emotional.

 

Drinky, you get very blazay about everyday happening there but then you get a kick in the guts and it plays over and over. for a long time. But work it is again tonight and if I/we instructors can help educate the hot head in the clients and everyone goes home safe and happy, mission accomplished.

 

I'm planning on visiting the ring and would very much like to buy you a drink mate and pick your brains

 

Got two nice guest room if interested for a minimal fee. Think about it! A drinks always welcome.

 

I'm planning on visiting the ring and would very much like to buy you a drink mate and pick your brains

Thank you mate

I will probably take you up on that offer once I've got the wedding out of the way

Cheers,

 

If your able to put up normal reprobates then I was thinking of popping down during the summer
I'm just up the road in NRW Bielefeld

 

You planning on any other trips later in the year mate? I would almost definitely be in if so...

 

Were doing a trip there mid week from the 29th Aug to the 1st Sep as weekends are just to busy. Have had two offs there one due to it starting to rain and it becoming an ice rink and the other 110 into the armco due to spilt oil from a car. Love the place with the best bit being going around with the cars but now wish they would have bike only slots.

 

Thats a weekend...just for weekend or longer?

 

I would have loved to but I've literally just accepted an invitation from a supplier to go visit them in France on the 12th.

I reckon sometime in July is more likely for me now

 

Not a problem, we are in the uk 16-30 july but anyother time pm me

 

Believe me, some week nights mid summer can be an absolute nightmare for lapping. As the place reaches chaos point at weekends so many more people plan trips for the week, allied to industry pool buying time out ofthe tf slot. Best thing is to try and plan week slots adacent to weekends when it is shut.
Bike only slots. Sadly can't see it happening again. But you never know. Or book yourself on a Doc Scholl training day. Pretty much lapping all day no cars, it is training so you are in groups based on speed ability. Andy Carlile (7'10 R1) instructs on it. Many friends have done it, well worth looking into. Next best thing to a bike trackday. Sadly due to no company being able to attain liability insurance that is why there are no bije trackdays. Bike only evening were good but sadly all but 1 was wet (very wet. So takeup was not good :-( Also all the car rental companies kicked up a stink at cars being banned from tf.

 

Mate was booked in but the cost was 1200 euros plus accommodation so maybe next year if funds allow. Think my first visit was in 94 where you started just before T13 from memory. As I said I used to love it going around with the cars and actually seeing what a good driver in a car is capable of. Unfortunately we were there when Clarkson did the Jag piece, it was one my mates 996 on the back of the recovery truck, since then bikes seem to be getting pushed out. Tried it a couple of times in a car and for me its not he same. Nowadays a couple of hours per evening is enough as during the day happy enough with the surrounding roads.