WTCC at the Nordschleife

[FourWheelDrift]

They are checking it out, first time a big tin top series will have raced there since the 1990s DTM. Other than the races held specifically on the circuit such as the VLN and 24hrs races.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90143

Ominous words "The series organiser also went on to say that the track would need to meet the safety requirements of the FIA."

[n3il123]

Never happen, too hard to televise, spectators aren't going to pay to see 2 x 2 lap races, circuit safety could never be brought up to standard etc etc

[FourWheelDrift]

They will televise it the same way they did at the 1970s GPs, the ETC in the 1980s or in the 1990s when the DTM raced there fixed cameras and helicopter.

Like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_AEZuImMx4

Only issue is safety and run off, but considering they let the WTCC race around concrete canyons like Marrakech and on breaking up surfaces like Curatiba there's probably better safety at the Ring. And they won't be the quickest cars ti currently race there either.

[rallycross]

They should make it an invite event - a mini touring car endurance race - 10 laps with one driver change - invite teams from wtcc, btcc, Swedish touring cars etc (all similar spec). All have to run on the same tyres.

And to make it interesting to get teams to turn up any points scored count DOUBLE towards each drivers home championship.

[SimplySutil]

I'm sorry I cant see there would be that much of a safety issue... I know a few wkers with a clip board will probably find a few but the cars and the speeds they'll be doing, I can't see there's much danager at all!

Put it this way if someone offered me a drive in it I wouldn't even think twice...

[mrmr96]

SimplySutil said:

I'm sorry I cant see there would be that much of a safety issue... I know a few wkers with a clip board will probably find a few but the cars and the speeds they'll be doing, I can't see there's much danager at all!

Put it this way if someone offered me a drive in it I wouldn't even think twice...

I think the issue is the distance between the marshall points, rather than what you might hit if you came off.

[SimplySutil]

Ooo ok... That's fair enough then!

How many marshalls would you need for the entire circuit???

[Life Saab Itch]

Surely they'd just tie it in with a VLN weekend.

Would the full WTCC support package race there too?

[DiscoColin]

I simply cannot see that happening. It would need huge investment at a time when the 'ring has cash issues and for races lasting only 2 laps...

[Allyc85]

It would be amazing, but I too cant see it happening.

Still its good to see that the organisers are looking to spice up what is usually a pretty boring championship!

[flemke]

FourWheelDrift said:

They are checking it out, first time a big tin top series will have raced there since the 1990s DTM. Other than the races held specifically on the circuit such as the VLN and 24hrs races.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90143

Ominous words "The series organiser also went on to say that the track would need to meet the safety requirements of the FIA."

I don't know what a "grade four" licence from the FIA would be.
The FIA already sanction the 'Ring 24 Hours, which has 210 cars on the circuit instead of 2 dozen, very big speed differentials instead of tiny ones, and quite a few cars that are faster than anything in WTCC. As for marshaling, the marshals' posts are roughly 150 m apart: that is, very similar to those on any other approved circuit. There have been fairly recent changes (for the worse) to the track that were apparently dictated by the FIA. It would therefore be surprising if they were to have serious objections to a WTCC race there on safety grounds.

[cpufreak]

Two of the classes in the VLN/N24 are for FIA spec cars.

SP9-GT3
SP10-GT4

In 2007 they went through a process of putting up extra fences etc on the Nordschliefe to enable this - at FIA's bequest.

Some of the rounds of the VLN count toward the Deutsche GT-Meisterschaft ( http://www.dmsb.de/news_574.html) - which is a compound championship made up from 7 rounds of the ADAC GT Masters (National GT3 championship, which is FIA sanctioned), the N24, and a VLN race.

so it would seem it is homologated/approved at some level by the FIA.


but as flemke says without knowing exactly what a "grade four" licence is it is difficult to say more than that.

[SimplySutil]

If there only doing 2 lap races, one issue would be if there was an incident half way round the first lap and the race had to red flag, they will have covered 1/4 of the race distance.... Or could they just restart the race at the most appropriate place nearest the incident?

I think if there going to do it they should do a 2 hour race and offer double or triple points...

[Life Saab Itch]

I think that 2 laps is a bit daft, even if it does make it a normal race distance. 4 lap races might just about be value for money for the spectators.

Mind you, it'd be good on TV.