Nürburgring Südschleife

This page tells the story about the less famous part of the old Nürburgring, the Südschleife. Compare to it's big brother the Nordschleife this part belongs to the past.

Südschleife, the forgotten part of the old Nürburgring

You can call the Südschleife the forgotten part of the old Nürburgring. The Südschleife (South-loop) was a part of the original circuit as it was at the opening in 1927. Till 1931 races where held at the 28 km long combination of the Nordschleife, Start und Ziel Schleife and the Südschleife.

Overview of the original Nürburgring. The red part is the Südschleife.

Click on the picture above for a photo tour around the Südschleife, or watch the video below for footage of a lap.

At the end of the Second World War the facilities of the circuit where used as headquarter of the allied forces. With their tanks they drove at the circuit and damaged the surface. After the war the Südschleife was first repaired with financial help from the French government, and in August 1947 there has been raced again. Two years later the Nordschleife was repaired.

This part of the Südschleife is now the entrance to the parking.

The last official race at the Südschleife was a Formula 3 race on the 17th of october 1971. Till 1975 the Südschleife was used for Tourist Rides in combination with the Nordschleife. And some unofficial races have been held where they used the so called Stichstrasse. The Stichstrasse (Shortcut Road) was a connection, constructed in 1938, between two parts of the Südschleife to make it possible to use the Südschleife even when the combination of the Nordschleife and the Start un Ziel Schleife was used.

The Rassrück section.

After Nikki Lauda's grave accident in 1976, when the Nürburgring lost the German Grand Prix, plans where made to build a brand new circuit. The Start und Ziel Schleife and a part of the Südschleife where demolished to make place for the new Grand Prix Strecke (Grand Prix Circuit). The Nordschleife, who survived the modernisation, was connected with the new track to make a combination of both circuits possible. But this was definitely the end of the Südschleife!

The name of this corner is Sharfer Kopf. Here ends the last remained part of the Südschleife!

The first part of the Südschleife is now the public road from Nürburg to Müllenbach. An average tourist will not expect that this was once a part of the worlds most exciting race track! Another part has been neglected and looks more like a path trough the woods now. The best conserved part of the Südschleife is now used as the entrance road to the parking during events.

Here the public road has the same shape as the circuit once. After this corner the Südschleife was connected with the Start und Ziel Schleife.

An old telephone post from the Marshalls is now leaved on the public road.

Text and pictures: Herman Liesemeijer