Norisring
LocationNuremberg, Germany
Coordinates49°25′53″N 11°07′30″E / 49.43139°N 11.12500°E / 49.43139; 11.12500
FIA Grade2
Opened18 May 1948 (1948-05-18)
Major eventsCurrent:
DTM
Norisring Nürnberg 200 Speedweekend (1984, 1987–1996, 2000–2019, 2021–present)
ADAC GT4 Germany (2024)
Former:
ADAC GT Masters (2023)
Prototype Cup Germany (2023)
TCR Europe (2022)
W Series (2019)
F3 European Championship (2012–2018)
F3 Euro Series (2003–2012)
Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe (2009)
Super Tourenwagen Cup (1997–1999)
Porsche Supercup (1993)
World Sportscar Championship (1986–1987)
BMW M1 Procar Championship (1980)
Formula Two (1973)
Websitehttp://www.norisring.de
Street Circuit (1972–present)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.300 km (1.429 miles)
Turns8
Race lap record0:46.618 (Switzerland Nico Müller, Audi RS5 Turbo DTM 2019, 2019, Class 1 Touring Cars)
Street Circuit (1948, 1952–1957, 1961–1971)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length3.940 km (2.448 miles)
Turns8
Race lap record1.13.800 (United Kingdom Peter Gethin, McLaren M8E, 1971, Group 7)
Short Street Circuit (1960–1968)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length1.620 km (1.007 miles)
Turns6
Street Circuit (1949–1951)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length4.000 km (2.485 miles)
Turns10
Street Circuit (1947)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.000 km (1.243 miles)
Turns7

The Norisring is a street circuit in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as a motorcycle racing venue in 1947 and named in a 1950 competition to win a light motorcycle, the track became known as a sports car racing venue in the 1970s.[1][2] Since 2000, it has been annually used by the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, the premier Germany-based touring car racing series. The length of the simple track with two hairpin turns and a chicane has been set to 2.300 km (1.429 mi) since 1972, after various lengths were used in its early years.

History

On 18 May 1947, the first motorcycle racing event took place at the Nuremberg street circuit that ran around a 360 m (390 yd) long grandstand, called the Zeppelinhaupttribüne or simply the Steintribüne. In 1950, the name Norisring was chosen for the venue in a competition to win a light motorcycle.[1] Motorcycle racing events remained central to the circuit until 1957, as six motorcycle manufacturers were based in Nuremberg at the time, but a crisis in the industry led to no racing events taking place in 1958 and 1959.[1][2]

Although automobile racing events were held at the circuit as early as 1948 and on its revival in 1960, they would only become the venue's primary focus after the Norisring Trophy was introduced in 1967. During the 1970s and 1980s, sports prototype racing was popular at the Norisring and motorcycle racing events were abandoned after 1976.[1][2] The World Sportscar Championship events that took place in 1986 and 1987 each attracted more than 100,000 spectators to the circuit.[2] After the 1980s, the venue switched its primary focus to touring car racing. In 2000, the premier Germany-based touring car series was revived under the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters moniker and the annual Norisringrennen became the circuit's most important event.

The Norisringrennen traditionally takes place halfway through the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season in late June or early July. The race, which regularly attracts between 100,000 and 140,000 spectators to the circuit, is considered a highlight of the touring car series, as fans get closer to the action and the drivers than on modern venues.[3] Since 2015, there has been one race on Saturday and one race on Sunday.[3]

After the beginning of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Norisringrennen was planned to take place in mid-July as the season opener, but it was eventually cancelled in accordance with the restrictions on public events in Nuremberg.[4] As the 2021 season began in late June, it was known that the Norisringrennen would not take place during the summer, but by the end of July the circuit was confirmed as the venue for the season finale in October for the first time in its history.[5] In 2022, the Norisringrennen returned to its traditional spot in the race calendar, and a round of the TCR Europe Touring Car Series was run in support of the main event for the first time.[6][7]

Due to its proximity to the Dutzendteich lake and its location inside a large city, the Norisring has been compared to the Circuit de Monaco.[8]

Layout

Different configurations were used in the early years of the circuit, including figure-8 layouts. Until 1972, the track length varied between 2 km (1.2 mi) and 4 km (2.5 mi), before being permanently set to 2.300 km (1.429 mi). The start-finish straight in front of the central grandstand, the Steintribüne, leads to a right-hand sweeper, followed by a left-hand U-turn that is located near the Grundig tower and called the Grundigkehre. After the U-turn, the track heads back to the Steintribüne via a left-hand sweeper, with the Schöller-S right-left chicane placed between the sweeper and the back straight. This is the place where cars often touch the outside wall. After a right-hand kink, a left-hand U-turn called the Dutzendteichkehre leads back to the main straight via a flat-out left-hand kink.

The Norisring is laid out on streets that are otherwise used for public traffic. The construction of the circuit begins two weeks before the race weekend. It includes installing 7 km (4.3 mi) of crash barriers, 6 km (3.7 mi) of catch fencing and several temporary stands. After the race weekend, the equipment is removed from the area within a week.[8]

Fatalities

Mexican racing driver Pedro Rodríguez died at the Norisring in 1971 when the Ferrari 512 he was hired to drive (in championship events, he used to race a Gulf Racing-Porsche 917) hit the bridge wall before the Schöller-S and burst into flames. Afterwards, the track was shortened by moving the Grundigkehre U-turn closer in order to reduce corner speeds. In 2006, a memorial plaque was inaugurated at the site of the crash.

In 1988, Hungarian racing driver Csaba Kesjár died after crashing into the barriers at the Dutzendteichkehre during a practice session in the German Formula Three Championship.

Lap records

As of July 2023, the fastest official race lap records at the Norisring are listed as:

CategoryTimeDriverVehicleEvent
Street Circuit: 2.300 km (1972–present)
Class 1 Touring Cars0:46.618[9]Nico MüllerAudi RS5 Turbo DTM 20192019 Norisring DTM round
Group C0:47.070[10]Hans-Joachim StuckPorsche 962C1987 200 Miles of Norisring
DTM0.47.846[11]Bruno SpenglerBMW M4 DTM2017 Norisring DTM round
Formula 30:47.949[12]Callum IlottDallara F3142017 Norisring F3 European Championship round
GT30:49.048[13]Nick CassidyFerrari 488 GT3 Evo 20202021 Norisring DTM round
LMP30:49.097[14]Laurents HörrDuqueine D-082023 Norisring Prototype Cup Germany round
ITC0.49.686[15]Uwe AlzenOpel Calibra V6 4x41996 Norisring ITC round
Group 50:49.820[16]Rolf StommelenPorsche 935J1979 Norisring DRM round
Formula Regional0:50.975Emma KimiläinenTatuus F.3 T-3182019 Norisring W Series round
Porsche Carrera Cup0:51.123[17]Dennis OlsenPorsche 911 (991 II) GT3 Cup2017 Norisring Porsche Carrera Cup Germany round
Formula Two0.51.900[18]Jean-Pierre JarierMarch 7321973 Norisring F2 round
Group A0.53.650[19]Emanuele PirroBMW M3 Sport Evolution1992 Norisring DTM round
GT40:53.988[20]Reinhard KoflerKTM X-Bow GT42021 Norisring DTM Trophy round
BMW M1 Procar0.54.080[21]Marc SurerBMW M1 Procar1980 Norisring BMW M1 Procar round
Super Touring0.54.351[22]Laurent AïelloPeugeot 4061997 Norisring STW Cup round
Formula BMW0:54.698[23]Átila AbreuMygale FB022004 Norisring Formula BMW ADAC round
TCR Touring Car0.54.819[24]Marco ButtiAudi RS 3 LMS TCR (2021)2022 Norisring TCR Europe round
Group 40.56.400[25]Toine HezemansPorsche 9341976 Norisring European GT round
Street Circuit: 3.940 km (1948, 1952–1957, 1961–1971)
Group 7 (Can-Am)1.13.800[26]Peter GethinMcLaren M8E1971 Norisring Interserie round
Group 51.17.300[27]Brian RedmanLola T70 Mk III1969 Norisringrennen
Formula Junior1.37.900[28]Kurt Ahrens Jr.Cooper T671963 Norisringrennen

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Eine Strecke mit Tradition und Zukunft". Norisring.de (in German). MCN GmbH / e.V. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Voigt, Alexandra. "Ein Neustart auf vier Rädern". Norisring.de (in German). MCN GmbH / e.V. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 "2000 – 2019". Norisring.de (in German). MCN GmbH / e.V. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  4. ↑ Haidinger, Sven (4 June 2020). "Nach neuem DTM-Kalender: Norisring-Auftakt abgesagt!". Motorsport.com (in German). Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Offiziell bestätigt: Norisring trägt DTM-Saisonfinale 2021 aus". Motorsport.com (in German). 28 July 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  6. ↑ "Six countries, nine events, 18 races: DTM announces 2022 race calendar". DTM.com. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "TCR Europe to join DTM platform for three events in 2022". TCR Europe. 1 February 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  8. 1 2 Friese, Rebecca (16 February 2019). "10.000 Arbeitsstunden pro Saison: So entsteht der Kultkurs Norisring". Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "DTM 2019 » Norisring Round 8 Results". Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Norisring 200 Miles 1987". Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "DTM 2017 » Norisring Round 8 Results". Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "2017 FIA Formula 3 European Championship Norisring Race 3 Statistics". Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "2021 DTM Norisring Race 2 Statistics". Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  14. ↑ "2023 DTM Norisring Prototype Cup Germany Race 2" (PDF). 9 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  15. ↑ "ITC 1996 » Norisring Round 10 Results". Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "DRM Norisring 1979". Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  17. ↑ "2017 Porsche Cup Deutschland Norisring (Race 1)". Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "1973 Norisring F2". Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  19. ↑ "Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft 1992 » Norisring Round 13 Results". Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  20. ↑ "DTM Trophy Norisring 2021". Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  21. ↑ "1980 Norisring BMW Procar". Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  22. ↑ "STW Cup 1997 » Norisring Round 9 Results". Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  23. ↑ "2004 Formula BMW ADAC Norisring (Race 2)". Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "TCR EU 2022 » Norisring Round 8 Results". Retrieved 2 July 2022.
  25. ↑ "1976 European GT Norisring". Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  26. ↑ "II 200 Meilen von Nürnberg". Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  27. ↑ "1969 200 Meilen von Norisring". Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  28. ↑ "XVII ADAC Norisringrennen". Retrieved 16 July 2022.
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