This is a hot topic at the Nürburgring, and has been for decades already. But living as we do, in the Golden Age (or Wild West) of social media, I have a big question for you…
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Does filming/showing/publicising crash videos harm or help the Nürburgring? What do you think?
Obviously BridgeToGantry.com is a website that would be here with or without the tens of thousands of visitors who click on a ‘crash story’.
But did you know that fewer than 20 people per day (on average over 2014/2015) will view just one of the BTG guides? Pages like my latest Ring FAQ, Guide to Your First Lap, the Nürburgring Rental Guide, or How to drive the Nürburgring.
And my video guide to your first lap? Nearly FIVE years on youtube and 46k views. The Giulia chase vid I shot the other week is already nearly at a QUARTER OF A MILLION!
Nowadays you can’t even have a small skid on the Nordschleife without one of the dozens of part/full time videographers capturing it and uploading it to the very public internet at large.
Industrial-scale Schadenfreude
They make a few euros by filming it, I make a few by blogging about it, and the ‘BIG TWO’ (facebook and google) make even more. It’s without a doubt, industrial-scale schadenfreude.
BUT…
I would also argue that IF we covered-up the Nürburgring crashes, and portrayed the 20.8km circuit as a petrolhead nirvana with rainbows for catchfences and unicorns for flag marshalls, we’d see more crashes than ever.
So even though many would argue that I’m harming the reputation of the very place that provides me with a wonderful neighbourhood to call home and a thoroughly interesting living, I’m going to keep posting these videos.
Even this one. I invite your comments, good, bad or indifferent below!
