Ringside Seat: race cars vs road cars
The dangers of race-prepped cars sharing the same tarmac as road cars...

So what's the story? Earlier this week the Nurburgring was closed after one such nomex'd numpty got a bit carried away during a public session on the Nordschleife. Not only were there several reports of him driving like a tit through the tourist traffic, but when the inevitable crash happened he ruined things for everybody by driving back onto the track and 'limping' the car home and over the line. Rather than stopping and warning others, this racing driver chose to drive the above-pictured wreck over 6km to the end of the lap whilst leaving a variety of both fluids and solid debris all over the line behind him.
Ridiculously over-zealous behaviour in a race, but absolutely deadly during the Nurburgring's public hour. With no flag marshals to warn the other drivers of the idiot ahead, the first warnings came as the front tyres hit coolant and washed-out toward the steel barriers.
Behind this guy there were two serious crashes, one involving a British biker (who's a friend of mine), before the volunteer marshals could respond and control the incident. Needless to say, the track was closed for the rest of the night and the German police were on the scene within minutes.
So what's the solution? Ban race cars? The Nurburgring staff already do their best, but this particular guy had done enough work for his BMW 325i car to pass as road-legal and carry numberplates. Indeed he was actually turned-around once by the yellow-vests, but had his day ban repealed by a higher authority. Somebody's regretting that decision, no doubt.
It's no use banning so-called race cars. Plenty of us build our track-going sport scars into machines that could easily go racing. And wherever there is 'cheap' track time both teams and racing drivers will find a way to get on to the track for a few laps of extra training, and who can blame them? Some race drivers just love to take their real racing car out and scalp some normal street cars. Trying to be the big fish in a small pond, it's an attitude thing.
The problem, as ever, is the driver and not the car. It's the racing driver who thinks that overtaking on any corner, any braking zone or any side is acceptable behaviour. It's the racing driver who presumes that if anybody hits their crash debris it will be "their problem and not mine".
An easy enough problem to solve on a trackday where there is a mandatory briefing before anybody takes to the track. But for public driving on the Nurburgring, with no briefings at all, it's just another risk you have to take.
So here's a hypothetical question for you PHers... If we take it that public driving on the 'ring is for street cars and not race cars, would the banning of rollcages, HANS devices and crash helmets during these hours make things better or worse?
Pics: www.ring-bilder.de
The article just sounds bitter because your friend was involved. Had said car been a showroom-fresh Golf GTi, would you be moaning about racing drivers? Thought not.
as he is german though I am sure it will be ok!
Imagine a brit doing it!
I would imagine we would need the SAS to break him out of a high security prison!
I've shared many a track day with racers. I don't see them as "nomex clad numpties", and they more often than not drive to a far better standard than "track day hero man". Sure, you ge the odd one and the liveried cars stick in memory, but sice I track a Caterham, I'm far, far more weary of Scooby / Evo running on the TC system than I would be of someone with a fully prepped M3.
Should race cars be banned? Course not. Should muppets stop being dicks? Yes.
PS - that was a road car with some stickers, not a race car.
As said above, being a race car shouldnt have anything to do with it. Yes they can probably go faster than others but some road cars can top over 200mph on the main straight no problem....
If they hit someone doing 200mph would it be a call to ban faster cars?
Think its basically impossible to ban anything due to idiot driving standards. The guy driving after the accident was the cause of all problems, not the car he was driving.

It reads like the driver was consistently behaving like a bit of a plonker so perhaps the ring governors should look at a three strikes and you're banned rule? 1. Driving like a prat. 2. Having an accident. 3. Driving the car back leaving debris that endangers others. Three strikes.
I am sure many of us look at ill advised driving at think those doing it should take their machines to the track if they want to treat public roads like their own private playgrounds. This is what happens when people do?
After Riggers' bit on the Autobahns I am wondering how this reflects on 'professional drivers', BMWs or Germans, but perhaps that's straying into sweeping generalisation territory.
Is he a Thompson Twins fan?
Perhaps their bedside manner is better than their trackside one?
Also in before "blah blah too popular, hurr durr it's all Top Gear's fault"
I've shared many a track day with racers. I don't see them as "nomex clad numpties", and they more often than not drive to a far better standard than "track day hero man". Sure, you ge the odd one and the liveried cars stick in memory, but sice I track a Caterham, I'm far, far more weary of Scooby / Evo running on the TC system than I would be of someone with a fully prepped M3.
Should race cars be banned? Course not. Should muppets stop being dicks? Yes.
PS - that was a road car with some stickers, not a race car.
This is just some bell end in car. Although It does have a full roll cage in it, so it's a little more than stickers. Obviously no idea on any other modifications, apart from the recent front end modification.
A guy went to the ring drove like a t

Why is it that when someone does something stupid your apparent reaction is to try and find something to ban rather than apportioning the blame squarely on the shoulders of the arse whose fault it was.
I wouldnt wanna see race drivers get banned from tracks at all. Just treat them the same as anyone else, people that intimidate other drivers or drive dangerously should have that pointed out. Warned to calm down and then kicked off if reoffend.
I LOVE seeing proper racecars at tracks. MUCH more interesting to go around with. Had AWESOME fun with a Funcup beetle thing at Bedford once, Really evenly matched with my Exige. We had epic play! I was gutted to find it was diesel powered and on rubbish tyres as he was just as quick as me if not quicker! driver was lots of fun and totally gentlemanly and I learnt from following him around
A guy went to the ring drove like a t

Why is it that when someone does something stupid your apparent reaction is to try and find something to ban rather than apportioning the blame squarely on the shoulders of the arse whose fault it was.
calm down!
its a point for discussion thats all!
At the Ring, briefings would not be feasable on TF days.... but with the small amount of people that turn up in a racecar with nomex and HANS on surely the yellow vests could have 30 second word in his ear 'we are watching you closely, this is NOT a race, overtake when safe, there are novices out there, NOT other racing drivers blah blah blah' or am I being silly?
A guy went to the ring drove like a t

Why is it that when someone does something stupid your apparent reaction is to try and find something to ban rather than apportioning the blame squarely on the shoulders of the arse whose fault it was.
calm down!
its a point for discussion thats all!
This incident was simply down to a selfish sausage munching chaffinch trying to prove his teutonic nads were bigger than everyone elses. The car he was driving makes no difference whatsoever.
That said, i hope you mate on the bike is ok
Jimbo
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