The Nürburgring celebrated its 90th anniversary with an atmospheric birthday party. Sir Jackie Stewart, three-time Formula 1 World Champion and namesake of the "Green Hell", was invited as a special guest of honor and opened a new historical exhibition area in the ring°werk together with Mirco Markfort, Managing Director of capricorn Nürburgring GmbH. Entitled "ring°marks - On the trail of legends", it is now open to the public and guides visitors through the exciting history of the Nürburgring.
The ceremony with numerous other companions of the Eifel racetrack kicked off the Nürburging Classics in mid-June 2017
Guest of honor Jackie Stewart
The celebrated guest of honor at the anniversary celebrations at the Nürburgring was Sir Jackie Stewart. The 78-year-old Briton's career is closely linked to the Nürburgring. The three-time Formula 1 world champion was the creator of the name "Green Hell", which is still in use today, for the winding race track on which he achieved some of his greatest successes.
"It's nice to be back," he said happily. "I called the track Green Hell back then because of the trees, the length and the speed. At that time, the risk was high. Anyone who wasn't impressed by the Nürburgring simply wasn't going fast enough. It was practically impossible to really drive at the limit here. Eventually I became one of the "Ring champions" - that's still a big story in the Stewart family. For me, the Nürburgring is the greatest race track in the world. If you hadn't won, you weren't a good driver. But the greatest victory for me was coming home safely from here. Today, the Nürburgring is as big a brand as it ever was."
Atmospheric anniversary celebration
In addition to Sir Jackie Stewart, numerous other companions of the Nürburgring also attended the anniversary celebration and enriched the evening with their memories. For example, journalist and presenter Rainer Braun, who sat at the microphone at the "Ring" during numerous races, particularly in the DTM, and was therefore able to share many anecdotes. Also present was Gisela Herbstrith, the daughter of Dr. Ludwig Joseph Otto Creutz, who was District Administrator of the former district of Adenau from 1924 to 1932. He is regarded as the "father of the Nürburgring" and was the driving force behind the conception and construction of the circuit.
Opening of the new exhibition area in the ring°werk
Due to his special connection with the Nürburgring, Sir Jackie was also the ideal guest of honor to open the new exhibition area in the ring°werk. Together with Managing Director Mirco Markfort, he cut the symbolic ribbon in the ring°werk and handed over the new themed area entitled "ring°marks - On the trail of legends". Numerous visitors to the Nürburgring Classic took the opportunity to visit the area at a reduced anniversary price at the weekend.
In the ring°werk motorsport experience museum, the area will be part of the permanent exhibition in future. Here, the 90-year history of the Nürburgring is brought to life with information boards and multimedia elements. Of course, there are also numerous racing cars on display - such as the Benetton-Renault B195 (built in 1995), in which Michael Schumacher became Formula 1 World Champion and won his home race at the Nürburgring. Also on display: one of the rare Eifelland Formula 1 cars (1972) and the supercharged Mercedes-Benz Type S in which Rudolf Caracciola won the Eifel race at the Nürburgring opening in 1927. They all provide fascinating insights into the evolution of racing car technology and are closely linked to the history of the circuit.
Admission for adults is 9.90 euros. Children up to the age of five are admitted free of charge, and those aged six and over are charged 7.90 euros. Family tickets are available for 32.00 euros.
Further information and opening times can be found on the Nürburgring website.
