Nürburgring open season starts with 45K riders
Here in the Philippines, when motorcycle Track Days open at Clark International Speedway (CIS) or Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC), it is usually attended by a few dozen riders who want to hone their skills on a racetrack or just want to have a good time onboard their fast machines.
It’s a bit different in Nürburgring.
Just recently, a whopping 45,000 motorcycle riders and enthusiasts gathered at the famous Nürburgring in Germany for the annual Anlassen, which is basically the beginning of the track’s open season of track days.
The program started with a church service and blessing, then riders entered the 21-kilometer track in tandem to allow for all skills and ages to enjoy its curves. Safety demos and presentations were also offered by ADAC Driving Safety Center, Rhineland-Palatinate State Police and the German Red Cross.
It’s also worth noting that this year coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Anlassen, which was reported to have the biggest riding turnout in its history.
The Nürburgring is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long Nordschleife “North loop” track, built in the 1920s, around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. The north loop is about 21 km long and contains more than 300 meters of elevation change from its lowest to highest points.
Originally, the track featured four configurations: the 28.265 km-long Gesamtstrecke (Whole Course), which is consisted of the 22.835 km Nordschleife and the 7.747 km Südschleife (South Loop). There was also a 2.281 km warm-up loop called Zielschleife (Finish Loop) or Betonschleife (Concrete Loop), around the pit area.
Between 1982 and 1983, the start/finish area was demolished to create a new GP-Strecke, which is now used for all major and international racing events. However, the shortened Nordschleife is still in use for racing, testing and public access, like the Anlassen.
