GT3 Cars Banned at Nurburgring (until further notice).

speedrcr · Mar 30, 2015

Until further notice the DMSB has banned all cars that participate in car classes SP7, SP8, SP9, SP10 and SP-X (GT3 & GT4) from running on the Nordschleife till an investigation has been completed in lieu of the fatal crash yesterday involving the Nissan Motorsports #23. The wreck in case you haven't been aware killed 1 fan and injured 2 more after launching at the Flugplatz section and flipping over the barriers.

Article and small bit of details released here:

http://www.motorsport.com/vln/news/gt3-cars-banned-from-nordschleife-after-fatal-accident/?v=11&s=1

Sad to hear that a fan had lost their life due to the accident and it's understandable that they are taking precautions to avoid this from happening again.

If you are unaware of what happened there's another article on it at motorsports.com here:

http://www.motorsport.com/vln/video...orough-at-round-1-of-the-2015-vln-season/?s=2

Video of the occurance:
(Warning may be semi-graphic to some, if you are annoyed or find no comfort in violent crashes do not watch. No blood or gore, safe in those terms)

Mancsfinest · Mar 30, 2015

terrible news ,good that they are very concerned about the fans tho,which is the only reason they stopped it as the driver whilst shaken looked pretty unscathed,my condolences to those involved

R.I.P

speedrcr · Mar 30, 2015

Found more detailed info here as well (same info just a bit more in depth and rounded)
http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/gt3-cars-temporarily-banned-from-nurburgring-following-1694369593

Dennis · Mar 30, 2015

Seems like a knee-jerk action to ban SP10 (GT4), but still allow Cup 2 (Porsche Carrera Cup).

But I think there is a high chance that this will not be a permanent ban from the way they worded their statement. Maybe just some changes to the safety barriers in that corner etc.

Jimlaad43 · Mar 31, 2015

How many people have driven that corner on a game and thought the runoff was safe at all. I know the Nordschleife is old school, but that is one of those corners that does need some attention. It's got a crazy bump before it (which lets be honest, we've all made a car jump on at some point), and it's a tricky double-apex corner with no curb or tarmac on the outside, meaning the slightest mistake when pushing to the limit is a one-way ticket to disaster. It just needs more runoff - simple. Move the wall back, and maybe put a thin strip of tarmac/curb on the outside between the apexes, and job's a goodun.

Having driven the Nordschleife many times on GT6, it has always seemed to me to be the most dangerous corner, and does need changing, especially after this event. The Norschleife does not need a complete redesign and reprofiling of every runoff area, it just needs a major one there.

Derpy · Mar 31, 2015

The biggest knee jerk here is that it's the first calendar race of the season and there has been a fatality. Now here is where i begin to divide the masses. I personally would have things continue and here is my justification.
For Years now Drivers and Spectators have been aware that this is one of the more "accident prone" corners on the circuit, If a spectator wishes to stand in a said "Hot Spot" then they take that risk... every track i visit has big "Motorsport is Dangerous" signs greeting me and upon arrival and i know standing behind a certainly barrier on a certain corner may spell not so nice consequences, other times things just go on without a problem.
Now i can see why the GT cars have been banned, this is not a track day, this is a fully marshalled FIA event that was on TV (or highlights/recordings) and events like this are just pure and utter tragedy but im sorry to say it's part of Motorsport. If everytime a Driver/Marshall or spectator was killed and people cried out "Change the track, change the rules, ban the cars" then within no time at all we simply would have no motor racing.
But now what i don't get is that un-marshalled track days can go ahead (or more low number marshalled) yet these fully FIA approved events can't get on because "their car as of the time is deemed Dangerous for the circuit until Investigations are complete".
Leave the track as it is... let the drivers back on and EDUCATE the spectators about the dangers of standing on corners like that.

Jimlaad43 · Mar 31, 2015

Derpy said:
Leave the track as it is... let the drivers back on and EDUCATE the spectators about the dangers of standing on corners like that.

That is something that doesn't work. No matter how many signs and marshals there are telling spectators to get back, they still stand in the wrong places. I have experience trying to move them, and people just don't move, and trying to sit down and educate people isn't going to help, as those who want to stand in the wrong places are the ones who wouldn't bother listening to that stuff.

Derpy · Mar 31, 2015

Jimlaad43 said:
That is something that doesn't work. No matter how many signs and marshals there are telling spectators to get back, they still stand in the wrong places. I have experience trying to move them, and people just don't move, and trying to sit down and educate people isn't going to help, as those who want to stand in the wrong places are the ones who wouldn't bother listening to that stuff.

Well then aslong as people like that exist there WILL be fatalities at tracks, but why should everyone else suffer because of those who are just too stubborn to listen? That's my point really then.

EDIT: also it would put so many tracks out of business simply because doing any work to change the track is just far too expensive. If that was to happen to Knockhill here in Scotland then the course would simply shut.. there just isn't the money and we don't host any major events, just the BTCC and BSB

Jimlaad43 · Mar 31, 2015

Derpy said:
Well then aslong as people like that exist there WILL be fatalities at tracks, but why should everyone else suffer because of those who are just too stubborn to listen? That's my point really then.

EDIT: also it would put so many tracks out of business simply because doing any work to change the track is just far too expensive. If that was to happen to Knockhill here in Scotland then the course would simply shut.. there just isn't the money and we don't host any major events, just the BTCC and BSB

But Knockhill doesn't have a corner as dangerous as Flugplatz. The cars that race there aren't fast enough on the short straights to have much of a chance to get close to the spectators. I've seen a Mini have brake failure at turn 3, and it was completely safe for all concerned. As I said in my earlier post, I have always thought Flugplatz is about the only corner on the circuit I have major concerns with, and it does need some proper runoff. This is 2015, not 1970. I appreciate that we don't want the whole circuit neutralised, and that the circuit doesn't have the money, but it is such a fast corner after a long straight, and something does need to happen there in terms of moving the wall back.

Derpy · Mar 31, 2015

Oh yes Knockhill does, 1998 if it wasn't for the large 8ft safety fence i would have been embedded in the front of David Leslie's Primera on turn one and the last hairpin i've seen a Formula Ford up on the small barriers after coming off in a collision.
Thing is every track has dangerous corners and yes Flugplatz is notorious for being bumpy, on a crest and being a pretty fast corner anyway but it's Iconic to the track. Everyone knows that corner for it's high speed and drama but that is what makes it legendary, and yes it's 2015 not 1970 but why change what has worked so well for so many years because of a "freak" accident.
Boiling it all down i still don't see why banning just one class of cars would make any difference at all, rightfully if one can't race until investigations are concluded then none should race including track days. Don't get me wrong i am not being cold hearted, my total and utter condolences and sympathies go out to the victim, their family and all involved in the accident but i cannot see banning events or changing parts of tracks will make it any safer or better in the long term, you said it yourself @Jimlaad43 some people cannot be educated or told but all of us fans and drivers alike know that Motorsports is dangerous and this is just one of the risks involved with the sport.

Jimlaad43 · Mar 31, 2015

It's a temporary ban, that will hopefully lead to changes to that corner.

Derpy · Mar 31, 2015

Jimlaad43 said:
It's a temporary ban, that will hopefully lead to changes to that corner.

I'm going to sit on the other side of the fence and say "Keep it the way it is".

Would be nice to get some input and thoughts from others on this.

Dennis · Mar 31, 2015

Imo the big problem in this accident was the tire stacks. When the car landed on it, the tires didn't absorb the energy and instead reflected the car back in the air.

Maybe we'll see some Tecpro barriers in that corner in the future. Or the area behind the fence will just be blocked for spectators which will of course be a lot cheaper.

Ralf Ääro · Apr 2, 2015

My thoughts are, that we have seen cars lifting in that area many times. It was just a matter of time until a car goes flying. What happens after that is just out of control. You can simulate that start of a crash a thousand times and it will always end differently. So changing the tire-barriers or whatever will (maybe) not help in that kind of accident!

So I think what the officials have to do is making the risk of a car flying at that area down to zero.
You can do that by limiting the engine power and upforce (?). Or maybe something else. I am not a car-mechanic

I know that even a not-that-fast-car could crash there, but it would be not THAT horrible.