Although it’s a racetrack, the Nurburgring is arguably the most famous course on earth, which means that a lot of drivers go there, leading to traffic. To help give drivers back the freedom they expect on a track day, its owners will trial a new splash-and-dash pit stop area in August.
As it stands, there is only one location for drivers to get on and off the Nurburgring on public track days. On a normal track, that wouldn’t be an issue, but with tourists making pilgrimages to the legendary track from around the world, things can get busy.
Traffic jams of up to half a mile that span four to five lanes are known to form at the current track exit, which is a confusing nuisance for enthusiasts, reports Bridge to Gantry. Meanwhile, for the Nurburgring, it is a natural limit on how many cars can get onto and off of the track, which is a limit on how much money it can generate.
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To combat that, the Nurburgring will be trialing a new system that sees the addition of another off-track area for drivers who just need a short break. The new pit stop area will be located at turn 13, which was formerly the main entrance to the track.
That means that much of the infrastructure is already there, and it shouldn’t be too hard to install whatever else is needed for the people inside those cars. That includes bathrooms and two fuel pumps for drivers who are running on empty.
The area will be “much more attractive for a short rest and also relieves the traffic at the access road” the Nurburgring says. Some have posited that it may also slow down drivers at the section around the new pit stop, as a speed limit (which technically already exists but isn’t really enforced) becomes an important factor in track day safety.
The new pit stop’s entrance will be located after the Hohenrain chicane, and re-entry will occur just before the Sabine Schmitz Kurve. Following a test run in August, the Nurburgring will determine whether or not to make the new area permanent.
