A Different Approach
I would like to start off this blog post in a bit of a different way than usual. Let’s start it off by saying I do not want this article to be any finger pointing or speaking ill of any bad situation.
With that being said, probably everyone has seen the recent accident on the Nurburgring where a new Porsche GT3 RS and BMW came together, creating an accident that looked like it came out of a movie as the Porsche’s fuel tank set alight and the nose was ripped off completely. Thankfully, both drivers got out of the accident with minor injuries, which is great to hear.
The Reality Behind the Headlines
After seeing this video, I myself fell into the trap of thinking, “Oeff, that looks bad for the Ring.” But as we were discussing this in our Induction Noise group between the four of us, Niel pointed out he thinks this happens more often than the media sets out to show us. It got me going down the whole rabbit hole of what the media want you to see and what not.
About 2 weeks ago, a young 24-year-old lost his life on the Ring. It was similar conditions at the Ring, a public day where he lost control during what was supposed to be a fun, alcohol-free bachelor’s party with himself and two of his mates. This seemingly flew by under the radar. Question is, what determines social media to blow something out of proportion or to go viral? Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that, but what I do know is: have a look at someone like Misha’s videos. You will see in 99.9% of the laps he does there is always a yellow flag, and this is always involving an incident. As he also pointed out when discussing this topic, you should think of it like this: This is a public road where capacity on a Sunday, for example, is probably around 400 plus vehicles on track. So now take that number and let’s say it is 10 minutes per lap average, so in an hour about 2,400 vehicles are lapping the track. I believe the track is open for 6 hours, so let’s call it a total of 14,400 vehicles a day.
The Green Hell Reality Check
The reality of a place like the Green Hell is to remember that this is not a track day. It is a public road, and there are actual motorway rules to follow when driving there. For example, keep right, pass left. Simple, and could have helped avoid the recent incident if it had been applied. But once again, I don’t want to get into pointing fingers. My point in saying this is, I feel like quite a few people, as my father says; “they forget themselves”, especially when getting on a track regardless if it is on the Ring or if it is your local raceway. There’s always that one guy or a few guys that forget we are not all Ayrton Senna, and more importantly, there is no “Back to pits” reset button in real life.
Track Day Wisdom
I was giving someone advice the other day on how to approach a track day, and my best advice was: have fun and remember this is not a race. It is a fun track day. So drive within your limits. There will be plenty more opportunities, and just because you took this corner on a simulator flat taps does not mean your vehicle with 5-year-old tyres and changing track conditions will do the same.
The Bigger Picture
Now, I don’t really know which direction I’m going with this article, but I guess the point I want to bring through is: Accidents happen, and we can’t let that weigh down this sport we absolutely love. Humans instinctively were not made for driving fast. It is something we developed, and we are still trying to perfect it. It doesn’t matter if you are an expert, or novice driver. In each circumstance, there are always crashes, and you see it everywhere. Some incidents are truly unavoidable, and you are a passenger, but others are ones that you need to learn from. Keep your head high and try it again.
Remember Why We’re Here
What is important is always remember we are here to have fun and give yourself time to learn the ropes. The right opportunities will come where you can push yourself to the limits, but when you are at a track day, please keep in mind that there are others just like you or that just began their wonderful addiction of track driving around you. Ensure to keep that in mind when overtaking, when being overtaken, or on your own and pushing too hard to the point where the session gets flagged resulting in reduced track time for everyone. We are all there to learn and enjoy the track day.
The Future of the Ring
As for the Nurburgring, everyone is saying, “How will we make it safer? How will we do this or that?” And the fact is, it is a public road at the end of the day, and we can’t change that. But we can change the way we approach it when driving on the Ring, because I would assume if incidents like these continue going viral, well, who knows? Maybe the Ring will get closed, and we won’t have this wonderful opportunity to be able to drive a place well-named as the Green Hell that is such a bucket list for most motoring enthusiasts. And if you don’t feel comfortable driving yourself, there are plenty of Ring taxis willing to take you around and give you that awesome experience, and who knows, maybe next time you drive!
Final Thoughts
Tracks and roads are there to enjoy, but please remember: don’t lose yourself and end up changing your or someone else’s life forever.
Enjoy this Onboard footage shared by Niel for those that wonder what it is like in a ring taxi.