Notburgring

The **Notburgring** is a motorsports complex located near the village of Notburg, Birgia, Floviania. It features a GP Strecke (Grand Prix race track) / Südschleife (South Loop) and a much longer Nordschleif*e* (North loop). The circuit was built between 1922 and 1925 in a piece of forest next to the village in the foothills of the Flovian Alps. It is famous for its challenging Nordschleife that is 21.305 km long and has more than 300 metres of elevation change from its lowest to highest points. The South loop on the other hand, has just 25 metres of elevation change from its lowest to highest points.

It is considered by many as one of the spiritual homes of motorsport in Floviania and by some even as the best racing facility in the world.

## History

In 1918 a road race was organised in the area around the village of Notburg. The race turned out to be very popular, since it incorporated some dirt paths/road through the forest nearby. The first race was won by [name}, driving an car made by BMB. The race was again organised around the same track in 1919, 1920 and 1921. After a few fatal accidents occurred within the village of Notburg and people street racing on the public roads, the major of Notburg decided a permanent racing facility was necessary. With help from some aristocratic investors as well as the BMB factory, who wanted a testing location for their cars and engines, a plan was made to create a permanent racing track, using the majority of the forest trails that had been used in earlier races.

The work began in 1922 and was finally finished in 1925. A majestic 25.7 km loop was created, completely paved with asphalt. In 1926 the race was organised again, but this time as the Grosser Preis von Notburg (Grand Prix of Notburg). The Grand Prix of Notburg was run again in 1927, 1928 and 1929. Between 1929 and 1933 there was no racing on the Notburgring because of the [War name]. The first race was ran again in 1935, because in 1934 two bypasses were created that split the course in two parts and created the big Nordschleife (North Loop) and the smaller Sudschleife (South Loop). A pit building consisting of 20 garages was also built in 1934. This meant that it was now theoretically possible to run two races simultaneously: one on the Nordschleife and one on the Südschleife. This never happened because the pit lane of the Nordschleife only consisted of three garages, which meant it was only usable for testing purposes.

In 1935 a new race was organised, next to the Grand Prix of Notburg there was now a 24 hour race event: the 24 Hours of the Notburgring. This became a yearly recurring event and soon attracted a lot of participating manufacturers, as well as enthusiastic privateers trying to complete the challenging race.

From 1940 onwards motorcycle races were ran around the smaller Südschleife, which turned into a yearly event. Also around this time some car races were ran around the Südschleife, since it was considered to be better suited to lower racing classes. The major racing classes as well as the 24 hour race still took place on the combined track (Gesamtstrecke). Also in that year the Grand Prix of Notburg became a World Championship round.

From 1950 onwards the track usage became busier and many smaller sports car series started to race around the safer Südschleife, since the Nordschleife, which had no barriers at the time, was a very deadly place with around 10-20 deaths a year. In 1951 the Grand Prix of Notburg was no more, it now became the Grand Prix of Floviania since it was deemed that the Notburgring was the most challenging track in Floviania and only the biggest challenge deserved of the Grand Prix of Floviania. In 1953 the circuit was closed due to resurfacing works, also a new pit building was built. The track re-opened again in 1954.

In 1965 a pit wall was installed after an accident in the 1964 edition of the 24 Hours of Notburgring, where three cars battling closely on the start-finish straight collided with a car exiting the pits and then bouncing into the final 3 pit garages, severely wounding several pit crew members and killing 25 people in one go. The race was stopped immediately after only 8 hours of running and remains the shortest 24 Hour race until this day. The Südschleife got barriers along the track in 1965, at the same time as the installation of a pit wall and widening the start-finish straight up to 15 metres wide. Since the accident had partially burned the pit building from 1934, it was decided to replace the cramped facility with a new one that now had 28 garages in it. The following 5 years the Nordschleife got barriers along either sides of the track to prevent drivers from crashing into the trees or dropping of hills or cliffs and sometimes even causing small forest fires. Fatalities became less frequent in the following years, but were still quite high (around 10 a year).

In 1970 the car speeds had dramatically increased and caused the need of a chicane for the corner behind the paddock, so the chicane was installed. Also the pit entry when only using the Südschleife was the same as the Gesamtstrecke and was very dangerous due to cars having to slow down on the racing line to make the pit entry. So in 1971 the pit entry from the Südschleife was modified, now extended along the inside of the final corner and joining the track before the final corner. In the same year the Medical Center was built behind the paddock to be able treat injured drivers immediately.

The Nordschleife layout, which still was mainly used for testing, gained a separate pit lane in 1975 with a whopping 8 garages. Also the final corner, which used to be a high speed right hander, got a chicane installed right before the pitlane for safety reasons, since the runoff at the next corner was too small. 1976 saw the addition off gravel runoff areas around the Südschleife, making it one of the safest circuits in Floviania.

In 1980 the final Grand Prix race on the Gesamtstrecke took place, since the Nordschleife was deemed unsafe for a Grand Prix racing and had to close the coming 5 years anyway due to resurfacing, widening of the track and addition of gravel runoff. From 1980 to 1985 all races took place on the Südschleife and the Notburgring would not host the Grand Prix of Floviania again until 1987. In the meantime all Flovianian Grands Prix were hosted by Circuit Wijkervoort and [other].

In 1985 an area in the infield was used to expand the Südschleife and to create a new and more challenging GP Strecke, by turning turn 1 into a tight hairpin and then by following two left handers return to the old exit of turn 2, instead of the high speed left-right flick turn 1 and turn 2, that dropped 10m in the process, used to be. The more gradual decline was deemed safer and also caused a new heavy braking zone at turn 1. At the same time the entire Südschleife got resurfaced.

The 1986 24 Hours of the Notburgring was the first race to run around the new Totalstrecke that combined the Nordschleife with the new GP Strecke. This new configuration was so challenging that for the first time the maximum of 62 teams was surpassed, meaning a qualifying session around the GP Strecke was necessary to determine which 62 teams were allowed to enter. This new format would be used in all coming editions of the 24 Hour race.

The GP Strecke welcomed the return of the Grand Prix of Floviania in 1987 and this would now be a biennial event. Therefore a new race was introduced in 1988: the Historic Grand Prix of Floviania, which also was a biennial event.

In 2000 the new pit garages (designed by MOA) were completed as well, since the 24h race always has a high amount of participants. Now it is possible to give all 62 participants their own garage in the pitlane and this means that sharing a pit box with one or two other participants and their teams is now a thing of the past.

## Configurations

The tracks features nine different configurations, all running in clockwise direction. This high number of configurations is mainly due to the use (or disuse) of the chicane on the back straight. The main groups of configurations are: Südschleife (South Loop), GP Strecke (GP Track), Nordschleife (North Loop), Gesamtstrecke (North Loop & South Loop) and the Totalstrecke (North Loop & GP Track).

1. Südschleife: 4.806 km
2. Südschleife with chicane: 4.830 km
3. GP Strecke: 5.125 km
4. GP Strecke with chicane: 5.149 km
5. Nordschleife: 21.305 km
6. Gesamtstrecke: 25.447 km
7. Gesamtstrecke with chicane: 25.447 km
8. Totalstrecke: 25.766 km
9. Totalstrecke with chicane: 25.790 km

## Major racing events

Here is a list of the major racing events at the Notburgring, between brackets is mentioned which layout the event uses.

* Grand Prix of Floviania (GP Strecke with chicane)
* 24h of the Notburgring (Totalstrecke with chicane)
* 1000 km of the Notburgring (Gesamtstrecke)
* FTM (Südschleife with chicane)
* 6h of the Notburgring (GP Strecke)
* 8h of the Notburgring (GP Strecke with chicane)
* Iapetan Sprint GT Championship (GP Strecke)
* [World GT Championship] (Totalstrecke)
* [World Touring Car Championship] (GP Strecke)
* Historic Grand Prix of Floviania (Gesamtstrecke with chicane)
* Flovianian Motorcycle Grand Prix (Südschleife with chicane)

## A lap around the Notburgring (Totalstrecke with chicane)

Starting at the Start line, one goes straight ahead and slighty downhill towards turn 1. Then turn 1 appears, a very tight downhill hairpin. After turn 1, one continues to descend through the left handers of turns 2 and 3.