Seventy-Eight years of the ring

Work started on the Nurburgring in 1925 and was finished in 1927. The idea was to construct Germany’s first purpose-built race track to showcase German engineering and driving prowess and also bring investment and almost 3000 constructors’ jobs to the financially-depressed Eifel region of western Germany. There were originally two sections, the Sudschleife and the Nordschleife (south and north loops) making a total track length of 17.6 miles. Now only the Nordschleife, shortened to just less than 13 miles, remains.

German drivers and manufacturers dominated the years before World War Two. Legends like Nuvolari, Von Trips and Rosemeyer all made headlines here. The first Briton to win at the Ring was Richard Seaman in 1938.

Bikes have raced at the Nordschleife since 1927. Graham Walker (Murray’s dad) won the first 500GP to be held there. The race lasted over five-and-a-half hours. All the greats like Hailwood and Agostini have also won at ‘the green hell’.

By the 1970s riders and drivers were finally voicing opinions about the safety of the circuit. Up until 1970 barriers were just hedges. When Armco was erected in 1971 it became marginally less dangerous for the car drivers, but not bikes. In 1974 the GP bike racers boycotted the Nordschleife.

In 1980 Kenny Roberts let the world know his thoughts prior to the race. He said: ” I consider the Nurburgring to be without doubt the most dangerous track I have ever raced at and I would not be here if it were not for the vital World Championship. ”

Marco Lucchinelli won the race, but Roberts’ fourth place was enough to help him clinch the Championship in the last ever bike GP at the Nordschleife.

Previously, Niki Lauda’s crash in August 1976 spelled the end for the Ring as a Formula One circuit. In 1977 the decision was made to build the new short circuit, which hosts car and bike GPs