Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/08/30/stuff-you-dont-expect-to-see.html
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An unofficial beer league using your company’s fleet cars (DHL, the two cars at 1:43) sounds like a great idea.
Until you crash and/or management installs gps tracking.
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The Venetian blinds in the back of the Bug? Beautiful. Plus that horn!
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That klaxon sounded more like a Ford Model A than period-correct for the Beetle, but it made me smile too.
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I wonder what the two bus drivers with buses full of people were thinking … I wonder how this is even legal or that the staff at the gate let them in. 
And the two morons riding on the open tail gate of that truck, that was just … 
Two Darwin award candidates - if they don’t take out someone else in the process too!
Anybody can sign up to use the track.
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That caught my eye, too. At first I thought it might be driver training, but there were passengers. I think it might be a tourist experience…
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It is a public road when not in use as a track
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A few weeks ago I was watching this F1 documentary from 1974 on Amazon Prime:
One of the coolest scenes was a 10 or so minute long section of Jackie Stewart leisurely driving the Nürburgring in a Rolls Royce casually talking to the camera and breaking down all the parts of the track and the hidden dangers behind them. It was almost sublime.
(That whole film is pretty fascinating but it’s definitely not an easy watch - there’s several deaths shown (including one in the first 30 seconds), and the films composition is rather…esoteric to say the least.)
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Not exactly correct. It’s private, but bookable. Also, there is a special event each year when the track is open to the public.
I’m not quite sure, but I may have spotted my former neighbor in that video. He went there every year for the occasion.
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Touristenfahrten, or “Public driving”, at the Nürburgring is a tradition that dates back to the very birth of the circuit in 1927. It’s arguably the single most amazing thing about the 'ring and a major reason for it’s global popularity. Most people who drive the Nurburgring do so in a Touristenfahrten (Public Driving) session. These sessions are available on both the Nurburgring Nordschleife and Nurburgring GP Track. Anybody and everybody can be seen lapping the circuit on a Sunday, from motorcycles to camper vans. It’s easy to become addicted to the thrill of the ‘Green Hell’!
These Touristenfahten Public Driving Sessions are available on both the Nürburgring Nordschleife and the Grand Prix (F1) Circuit.
The Nürburgring Nordschleife
- This is the track that most people think of when they talk about the Nürburgring
- 21km long (13 miles)
- Normally open from 5pm - 7pm on weekdays, and 8am - 7pm on weekends (See opening times below)
- This is the track people know frome the games (Gran Turismo, Forza, Asseto Corsa)
The Nürburgring Grand Prix Track
- This is the shorter, modern Formula One Circuit
- 5km long (3 miles), depending on the configuration used.
- Open less frequently - normally between 6pm and 8pm on weekdays. (See opening times below)
https://www.rsrnurburg.com/product/public-driving-sessions
Cool!
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But that doesn’t mean you can take 30 something people on a race track in a bus and potentially endanger their lives should a crash happen (and they do happen a lot there!). You, as the driver would be responsible, possibly even criminally for it.
I wonder what would the driver’s (and bus company’s) insurance have to say about something like this.
Yeah but not something organized by the track owners, those were buses of two different companies.
Insane risk to take, IMO - had anything happened (and crashes on that track are very frequent!), the company/driver would have been legally responsible. And I doubt their insurance would have covered something like that - a transport driver/company insurance policy most likely doesn’t cover race track accidents.
is there a self-driving car record for that yet? would be interesting
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I don’t begrudge most vehicles out there, except for the freakin’ vans and buses. They just ruin the experience of everyone else around them.
Don’t laugh at the Beetle. In college, one of my dorm-mates belonged to SCCA.(Sports car club of America) His local chapter once organized an auto-cross time trial race in the college parking lot. All his buds showed up with their exotic cars with R-compound tires and all. The over all winner over all classes turned out to be a novice woman driving a bone stock Beetle. Partly because all the macho guys over-drove the very tight course, but still… respect the Beetle!
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I’ll love to take my scooter on that track. I’ve had it up to 125 km/h without straining, but that’s into stunt driving ticket range on most (apparently) empty country roads.
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Guy Martin in his beloved Transit.
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Pretty sure I know the guy on the scooter (0:25) by sight.
