Discuss.
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/nurburgring-racetrack-sold-for-90-million-2014-3#heres-a-view-of-the-complex-from-the-air-1
Discuss.
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/nurburgring-racetrack-sold-for-90-million-2014-3#heres-a-view-of-the-complex-from-the-air-1
Worrisome.
Anybody got a link to a succinct refresher on what the original, longstanding arrangement was and what problems, if any, that posed?
I have it in my head that it was state property, managed as a toll road with some specific needs. I also had the impression that that worked pretty well until the folks who first took it private-ish and tried for a theme park talked the regional (or was it national?) government into the idea that it could be much more lucrative. This in turn makes me just want to say "put it back", but I'm pretty sure I'm not fully realizing what it was, and what differentiates the current situation from how things were before the upheaval.
The problem is that "the upheaval" left a lot of bills.
I don't know for sure but I seem to remember the government was going to close it. A group of investors approached the government about keeping it open and making it pay for itself. They sunk a pile of money into it and went bankrupt. It's been in free fall ever since.
I know a lot of the Europeans are PISSED that a group of Americans bought it.
http://savethering.org/
From 2007 - 2009 the German government built a huge Leisure Park at the Nürburgring. It is based on fake visitor numbers, oversized and badly executed. Most of the time it is an empty ghost town. Once promised as private investment, it is now based on a debt of 350+ million EUR public money.
Instead of pulling the plug they rented the park - including both race tracks - to exactly the same privateers (Kai Richter, Jörg Lindner), who were driving forces behind the Leisure Park's initial private setup.
Without Racing experience they are since experimenting with events completely unrelated to Motorsport (German Volksmusik for example, another one here) - all under the iconic "Nürburgring" brand name.
They now want Nordschleife to pay for the huge losses of "NüroDisney": record prices and bundled packages for tourist drives plus a 5 times increase for the automotive industry in rent for their prototype testing sessions.
Current Status:
The state owned Nürburgring has filed for bankruptcy with around 400 Mio. Euro of debts vs estimated 100 Mio. Euro of assets, it is now looked after by a liquidator. The theme park (est. 330 Mio. Euro) is only 3 years old (opening July 2009), but apparently worth only a fraction of the investment. The NAG - Jörg Lindner's and Kai Richter's "Nürburgring Automotive GmbH" - has finally left, after tense blame and negotiations. They still keep running the "Eifeldorf" gastronomy and the two "Lindner" hotels. The Ring's homepage and Facebook site is now run by insolvency administration.
The are pushing hard to sell the Nürburgring, not only the new facilities, but the two race tracks (Nordschleife, GP Circuit) as well. Otto Flimm - supported by many motorsport organisations - insists, the racetracks need to stay in public ownership and protests heavily against the over-hasty sale.
Well, it sold. Apparently, lock, stock and barrel.
It will be interesting to see where this leads.
Toyman01 wrote: Well, it sold. Apparently, lock, stock and barrel. It will be interesting to see where this leads.
cut out that part of germany and airlift it to somewhere in ohio so i can drive on it.
These clowns will wind up turning it into subdivisions with streets named after the turns. 
Curmudgeon wrote: These clowns will wind up turning it into subdivisions with streets named after the turns.
That's what I am afraid of. Around here when some group of "investors" buys a property that is what happens. I will never even get to visit there but I don't want to see the tradition ruined. Especially if it gets blamed on a group of greedy Americans.
Might want to take a closer look at what's already been attempted. I'm not sure ugly americans could do much worse. Shopping mall, amusement park, entertainment center...
If you're worried about the track being destroyed for housing, don't be. It's not exactly a highly populated area IIRC.
Seems to me US investors are doing okay for tracks overall.
I hope this doesn't affect my trip to it! I've got a car reserved for the 16thm(the first open track day)!
Sell it to the US Embassy, and it can technically be ours, right?
should build a ring in nevada instead with that money
WonkoTheSane wrote: I hope this doesn't affect my trip to it! I've got a car reserved for the 16thm(the first open track day)!
Do you have a backup day and or lots of time? I nearly missed my chance to drive the ring due to numpties throwing themselves at the scenery on a public weekend day. Luckily the rest of the family agreed to cancel the next day of vacation plans so we could stay an extra day which was then a less crowded Monday, but we had to wait until after 4:00 or 5:00 pm for it to be open to the public again. Weekends see a lot of people and a lot of accidents.
I don't understand why the owners don't trademark and license more ring related items to cover debts, ala Harley Davidson and Playboy. Make and sell ringgear to ringworms and ring wannabe's just like everyone who isn't associated with the actual track in any way shape or form already does, and shut them out of the dollars that they've creatively, but not nessecarily rightfully earned.
A firend of mine is doing an actual track day on the Nordschleife during his homeymoon. The road is closed to the public and there are only a couple of hundred spots available. He's rented a track prepped BRZ (cage, harness, etc) and instructors are avialable by the lap or the hour. He said the rules are similar to TrackDaze with limited passing, point bys, and the like. He purposly researched when the public days were and stayed away from them. Its stupid expensive but something to check off of the bucket list.
chrispy wrote: A firend of mine is doing an actual track day on the Nordschleife during his homeymoon. The road is closed to the public and there are only a couple of hundred spots available. He's rented a track prepped BRZ (cage, harness, etc) and instructors are avialable by the lap or the hour. He said the rules are similar to TrackDaze with limited passing, point bys, and the like. He purposly researched when the public days were and stayed away from them. Its stupid expensive but something to check off of the bucket list.
Any details on the web regarding this option? I would love to drive the 'ring but would be more comfortable doing it in a properly outfitted car and with instruction.
I just read the article. Pretty funny that they used screen shots from a video game as part of the photo gallery! 
The second shot below had a caption along the lines of "Sometimes amateurs end up in trouble".
the graphics are good, must not be Gran Turismo. lol
kanaric wrote: should build a ring in nevada instead with that money
They couldn't build 1/8th of a 'ring with that money, this way they get the whole track for pennies on the dollar.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:WonkoTheSane wrote: I hope this doesn't affect my trip to it! I've got a car reserved for the 16thm(the first open track day)!Do you have a backup day and or lots of time? I nearly missed my chance to drive the ring due to numpties throwing themselves at the scenery on a public weekend day. Luckily the rest of the family agreed to cancel the next day of vacation plans so we could stay an extra day which was then a less crowded Monday, but we had to wait until after 4:00 or 5:00 pm for it to be open to the public again. Weekends see a lot of people and a lot of accidents.
I don't have a backup day, I'm heading over there next week to do a machining show, and the day after the show is the first day it's open.. I fly home the next day. I don't have anything else to do that Sunday, though, so we'll see what happens.
This can only go one of two ways
Nothing really changes.
(way more likely) They realize the massive liability of having one of the most dangerous and technical racetracks out there open to the public and the days of Touristenfahrten will end(or be priced out of existence).
In reply to Kenny_McCormic:
The only saving grace is, I don't think the German people or government is as litigious as the the US is.
I started following this when the "Save the 'ring" thing started. I'm glad that it was...well...saved.
Personally, I thought that it would've gone to a Russian or Middle Eastern company. Chalk one up for the Yanks.
Good price too...all things considered.
Toyman01 wrote: In reply to Kenny_McCormic: The only saving grace is, I don't think the German people or government is as litigious as the the US is.
That's just because no one has yet told them that whenever something bad happens to them, it was obviously someone else's fault.
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