The current trend of video-recording every single minute of the Nürburgring’s operation is yielding some rather ‘interesting’ snippets. But where is it heading?
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There are now over half-a-dozen “regular” YouTubers who record the various races and public sessions.
- EMS Nordschleife TV
- Automobilchannel Nordschleife Videos in HD
- Eifeler888 – Nürburgring Nordschleife & Rallye Channel
- AA Nordschleife Media
- TOP Nürburgring Videos Youtubechannel
- rallyeoberehe The Nürburgring & Rallye Channel
- Green Hell Car Channel
- nordschleife96
- Ringpressionen
Each has their own habits, and favourite corners, but the most predictable has to be EMS. He’s out there at Adenauer Forst every single day, not just for the public sessions, but also for trackdays, training schools and races.
So what does this get us? Well basically, anybody who f**ks up at Adenauer Forst is going to be on YouTube. It’s really that simple! For example, this was only a few days ago:
Now there’s no point denying it, I get more clicks from people checking out crashes than for any other page here. First lap guides? Wet driving tips? Really important safety information? They get 25% of the traffic of a ‘big’ crash. Sad, but true.
There are still places on the track that you probably won’t be filmed at if you crash. But they’re getting fewer by the day. Kesselchen for example, is tougher to access than most locations thanks to its steep climb and restricted vehicle access.
But you still don’t know which nugget is going to be carrying a GoPro behind you… (6m00s below)
Thinking positively, there are some advantages: Surely with more people aware of the risks, the average guy will have more chance of arriving at the Nordschleife full of fear and respect instead of optimistic ignorance? So maybe we’ll see less family cars trying to attempt racecar speeds in dangerous corners?
The downside? It could be drastic. Horrendous, even. Nürburgring-closed-pending-further-investigation-dramatic.
In past years hushed rumours of multiple fatalities would circulate every couple of weeks. Now most of those were false, bar room boasting from people keen to exaggerate the lap they’d “survived”
But, on occasion, these did happen. Back then maybe one in every five cars had a camera, and the concept of being a professional ‘YouTuber’ was just a joke. The very idea of Facebook live, or periscope, was unthinkable.
But what if one of those ‘killer’ incidents occurs at the wrong place at the wrong time? Will the very videos that popularise the Nürburgring in the digital age be the thing to kill it?
I don’t know the answers, but it’s food for thought, surely?
(What do YOU think? Am I being too pessimistic? Comment below!)
