Thanks to a rare collaboration between a Nürburgring driver and a Nürburgring crash-YouTuber, I’m about to share two different views of a perennially common crash.
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Yep, the Schwedenkreuz spin, as demonstrated by a lovely BMW E30 only this Monday.
So let’s take a look at the videos:
That’s one of two, “typical” Schwedenkreuz (SX) moments, in my opinion. From the outside, all you see is the car spinning over the crest, and (thankfully) missing every single fence all the way to Aremberg. What a result!
And now let’s take a look inside:
The driver obviously knows what he’s doing, and he’s got good speed (and there may have been mechanical reasons the slide was so big), but here’s my analysis, with the emphasis on the first four letters of analysis:
- Could have been a little more left at the bottom of the dip
- This would have given him a straighter run up the jump
- That might have made him feel comfortable approaching Schwedenkreuz
- He braked enough, but turned in too early. Good news was a slight amount of gas pedal, but the early turn-in creates a ‘long’ radius, the car is turning a shallow angle for longer, which means the car will still be turning a fair amount when…
- …at 21seconds he hits the peak in the middle of SX, with steering still applied at the same force, and the car begins to slide.
- Too late, at 22seconds, he begins to countersteer
- Great reactions to the slide though, both feet in, lock the wheels and let the momentum take you down the middle of the track without interference. Only possible on a none-ABS car, of course!
So if this guy span while he was on the gas, then would being off the gas help? Nope, nope and nope.
Remember BTGers, the Nürburgring takes no prisoners, and this guy got off light. Stay within your limits, drive safe, have fun.
