Man Wants To Build Exact Copy Of Nürburgring In Nevada

[Bottoz]

... I have an idea for an American test track that incorporates the country's oval history with road racing. Something like the old Monza track that was part high banked oval but this track would have a more technical road course area

You mean like Texas World Speedway? Where the track goes outside the oval?

It has multiple configs... LINK.

Many other ovals have an infield that makes up a road course.

 

[Earth]

Like that, but far grander. It would be much more then a "roval".

It would have to top everything before it.

Banking steeper then Daytona or Talladega

Longer and faster and SAFER then the Nurburgring

Such a track would make people forget about a "copy"

 

[Wyvern_64]

That'd be about 40 minutes from where I live. I would be there all the time. 👍

 

[Bottoz]

Like that, but far grander. It would be much more then a "roval".

It would have to top everything before it.

Banking steeper then Daytona or Talladega

Longer and faster and SAFER then the Nurburgring

Such a track would make people forget about a "copy"

Not a huge fan of racing in rovals, but it's racing.
Tell ya what, if you build it I'll gladly race on it. 👍

 

[IceMan PJN]

Not a huge fan of racing in rovals, but it's racing.

I personally despise rovals. They feel so stale and generic, and like the road part was just an afterthought. It's like, "Well, we have that infield just sitting there, so let's just squiggle a bit of 'road' around in there." The Indy and Daytona rovals are some of the most boring road courses I've ever raced around, and the same goes for the fictional Sunset Peninsula roval in Forza. I might just as well race around in a Walmart parking lot.

Circuit of the Americas? Anything by Herman Tilke will not do.

I have an idea for an American test track that incorporates the country's oval history with road racing.

I'd take a Tilke track over a roval any day of the week. As a generalization I'm not a big fan of his work, but he has at least a few good ones and they're all better than any roval.

 

[cabezzz]

Why not just build a ridiculously long unique track?

x2

Copying the best track in the world is not the answer, just build something brand new, long and unique that give respect and admiration to the Nur.

The Green Hell should not be duplicated, it has earned that right.

 

[Schwartz]

Who designed the Nurburgring?

 

[McLaren]

Who designed the Nurburgring?

Construction of the track, designed by the Eichler Architekturbüro from Ravensburg (led by Architect Gustav Eichler), began in September 1925.

In this case, Wikipedia is your friend.

 

[Joey D]

While I think the Nurburgring is one of the worse thing to ever happen to automotive world, it still wouldn't stop me from driving to Vegas to take a run around the copy. I mean come on, you could come for the drive and stay for the cheap buffet, endless gambling and legal hookers! I honestly can't see how that would be bad .

I don't think it would be too hard to put the elevations in place either for the track, if there's one thing Nevada has it's an abundance of unused land. Getting the elevation changes would just take a bunch of guys with earth movers to get everything in place. We've done more complicated things with our everyday roads. The hardest part of this whole endeavor is being able to secure the abundant from whoever owns it, most likely the federal government. Also conducting the environmental impact study wouldn't be easy either since something that big is going to end causing issues for something.

They could easily turn the whole thing into a complex of sorts too inside the track area. Hotels, casinos, airport, man-made lakes, whatever you could think of, remember this is Vegas, anything is possible.

As for racing cars in the heat, doesn't Bahrain have a motorsports complex? Along with the Dubai? It's just as hot, if not hotter there and F1 cars seems to manage.

McLaren brings up a good point about the fatality and incident rate though, Americans have a different driving style and there would probably be more incidents than in Germany. But I guess it wouldn't be anymore dangerous than a standard track day somewhere.

 

[EDK]

As for racing cars in the heat, doesn't Bahrain have a motorsports complex? Along with the Dubai? It's just as hot, if not hotter there and F1 cars seems to manage.

If you're referencing my post from the first page, I was referring to road cars, which I have to assume would be the majority of the traffic here. They certainly could drive around it in any temperature, but during the peak of summer, with temperatures typically in excess of 110 degrees F, running at the limit (or near it) over the course of a lap may cause some issues.

Agree on your points of making it into a complex, I don't think Vegas would do it any other way.

Take a lap around the ring, then lose your ass at the tables.

 

[nitrorocks]

Build a track in the Arizona deserts please lol

 

[prisonermonkeys]

You mean like Texas World Speedway? Where the track goes outside the oval?

I don't think that's what he means. The difference between the Texas World Speedway and the old Monza was that at the old Monza, you could do a lap of the oval and then a lap of the road course; one lap used to involve doing both. At the Texas World Speedway, you can do a lap of the oval or the road course.

 

[nitrorocks]

I don't think that's what he means. The difference between the Texas World Speedway and the old Monza was that at the old Monza, you could do a lap of the oval and then a lap of the road course; one lap used to involve doing both. At the Texas World Speedway, you can do a lap of the oval or the road course.

I never knew you could do both on one lap. That would be interesting.

 

[F1 fan]

I never knew you could do both on one lap. That would be interesting.

You need to watch the film Grand Prix.

 

[ZEROX]

Interesting indeed.
All i know it won't be green for sure.

Thumbs up for this project though they certainly missed one absolute ingredient: History.

 

[Liquid]

I never knew you could do both on one lap. That would be interesting.

The original Monza.

 

[Schwartz]

 

[Jet Badger]

All the beauty of the 'Ring is it's history, when you drive on it you feel pleasure mostly by knowing that you are driving on an epic track that was built without any safety in mind, in the days when racing was done by men with steel balls and oily hands. It's the pedigree and the history of it that makes it special. Driving on a purpose-built copy of it in the middle of a sandpit just wouldn't cut it. They need to build something new. A new 20km track with some exciting turns would be way more interesting. Though they would have to put alot of effort to it as today they would have to use a dang lot of run-off areas.

 

[Liquid]

J.R. Ewing or whatever the name of the man who wants to do this is, should either build something original, or invest money to save/prolong the original.

I'd much rather it was the latter option. Think of the history. To drive on the same track as such epic races as the 1957 German Grand Prix is an utter privilage for anyone.

 

[Northstar]

Think of the history.

Sadly, you need more than history to stay in business, which is why I think this is a stupid idea. Really the main draw for the ring is it's legacy, you can replicate it down to the blades of grass and it still won't be the same.

 

[AMCNUT]

I think a replica would somehow cheapen the value of the original. I mean, just because the physical presence is there doesn't necessarily confer moral rightness on it. To me it somehow comes off as 'appropriating' the culture, magic, and spirit of the original somehow just to put it on show and make money. It's hard to explain, but it just wouldn't sit properly with me.

I can see the positive aspects of having one in N. America (for N. Americans, at least), but I think the cons outweigh the pros for me.

Racetracks =/= theme parks.

 

[Snaeper]

Lets look at this from a business standpoint, rather than an emotional one.

1. Building a replica reduces (if not eliminating completely) the risk of making a track that is unsuitable to manufacturers needs for their cars. The Nurb is a benchmark and an ideal test circuit for a number of reasons and the Nevada clone would look capitalize on those same reasons. No risk in making a track nobody wants to drive on.

2. Manufacturers have to test in hot weather conditions, since their cars run the risk of being exposed to them at some point if not spending their entire automotive lives in them. Couple hot weather testing with the world's most famous test track and you'll have automakers heading their in droves.

3. Nurburgring is frequently unsuitable for testing due to the rain seasons. A Nevada version would be open almost completely year-round.

 

[Liquid]

The Nurb is a benchmark and an ideal test circuit

The whole point of benchmarks is that they are a standard by which to measure competitors. They are also there to be broken. If you're going to build a 9 mile+ track, why not build something original, and create a new standard?

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

1. Building a replica reduces (if not eliminating completely) the risk of making a track that is unsuitable to manufacturers needs for their cars. The Nurb is a benchmark and an ideal test circuit for a number of reasons and the Nevada clone would look capitalize on those same reasons. No risk in making a track nobody wants to drive on.

There's plenty of risk. Will manufacturers want to use a clone? Will they use it for testing and set times at the real Nurburgring?

 

[Furinkazen]

Sadly, you need more than history to stay in business, which is why I think this is a stupid idea. Really the main draw for the ring is it's legacy, you can replicate it down to the blades of grass and it still won't be the same.

Err can you replicate the Eifel Mountains and their swoops and falls?

 

[Snaeper]

There's plenty of risk. Will manufacturers want to use a clone? Will they use it for testing and set times at the real Nurburgring?

Manufacturers: "You mean there's a track just 100 miles away from many of our proving grounds that does the same thing as the Nurburgring... but instead of flying/boating our cars out there, we can drive them straight from the proving facilities?"

I don't really think they'll care, too much. At least the bean counters wont. Oh and believe me when I say that while manufacturers may enjoy setting times, they do not cut a budget out of their car testing regime purely to go to the Nurb and break records/beat each other. They go there because the track puts cars through a number of different driving conditions and helps them dial the cars in, because it's proven that cars that are good at the Nurb are pretty damn good on the road performance-wise. That's why they go there.

The whole point of benchmarks is that they are a standard by which to measure competitors. They are also there to be broken. If you're going to build a 9 mile+ track, why not build something original, and create a new standard?

America is not about doing things originally. We have states called New York and New Hampshire as well as North and South versions of Dakota and Carolina plus West Virginia. Our movies recycle the same story ideas and plot elements over and over again. Our largest racing series is only just now getting fuel injection. We went to space because the Soviets went to space. Las Vegas makes a name for itself by making copies of things. You really think that we're going to make our own test track?

The question should be the other way around. Why make an original when you can make a copy of the Nurburgring? How hard was that and we did it.

 

[Liquid]

Just to point out, that only really applies to American manufacturers.

European manufacturers have the Nuerburgring and other places too.

 

[Snaeper]

Just to point out, that only really applies to American manufacturers.

European manufacturers have the Nuerburgring and other places too.

European manufacturers will be the only ones not coming, though. Hyundai/Kia as well as Nissan/Infiniti have proving grounds in Arizona and California. I'd be willing to wager that a number of European car manufacturers that test cars here in the Southwest wouldn't mind sending those same cars to the Desert Nurb for Desert Nurb testing. There are plenty of spyshots that prove that all kinds of manufacturers test cars here in the Southwest regions of the U.S., including European brands.

And let me be clear by saying that the Nevada version won't replace the German one. In fact, I see manufacturers going nuts at the possibility of testing suspension, gearing and powertrain dynamics in a controlled environment with the only variable being weather conditions. If the Nevada version is even 95% accurate, it could create a new and unique way for manufacturers to test their cars. Same facility, different climate.

 

[Kylehnat]

I think that accurately recreating a track of this size that has almost 1000 feet of elevation change due to the natural elevation changes of the land will be nigh on impossible.

^This.

Not this:

Getting the elevation changes would just take a bunch of guys with earth movers to get everything in place.

Of course we have the ability to replicate the Nurburgring's every dip, swoop, and bump. The question is: will we? The cost of mimicking 1000 feet elevation change over a 25-square-mile area will be astronomical. I don't think Mr. Moneybags will cough up the 11-figure price tag to faithfully reproduce the naturally-occuring German terrain. It's much more than just moving piles of dirt around.

 

[Slash]

Wow that's pretty cool.