A track section at the ‚Green Hell’ was dedicated to Stefan Bellof, record holder at the Nordschleife, during the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. The series of turns between the jump at the Pflanzgarten and the section Schwalbenschwanz will from now on be called ‘Stefan-Bellof-S”.
„It is really an extraordinary moment when a track section is added at a circuit with such a historical background as the Nordschleife. The track section designations had been introduced during the construction phase between 1925 and 1927 and the one and only name which was changed since then was the Caracciola Carousel because he was the only race driver who passed through the inner part of the corner of the Carousel to be quicker than his competitors. For us, Bellof’s driving skill is at eye level with him and his record will probably forever be connected with the Nordschleife”, explains Dr. Karl-Josef Schmidt, CEO at the Nürburgring during the unveiling ceremony of the commemoration plate. “We are very grateful to the family, the companions, the friends and fans about the fantastic support which have decisively contributed to the success of this event.”
Up to today, Stefan Bellof has been the only driver to complete the Nordschleife at an average of more than 200 km/h. He thus set the fastest lap ever on the Nürburgring with 6:11:13 minutes at the 1000 km Race practice session. Bellof had a bad accident on 1st September 1985 during the 1000km Race at Spa-Francorchamps after a collision with Jacky Ickx from Belgium in the “Eau Rouge”.
It is not only the record which is closely linked to Bellof, but also the corner itself. After having set the fastest time of 6:11:13, he suffered a serious accident right at this corner in the race. His car got airborne at the jump and went off the track with the driver unable to control the car. Bellof climbed out of his car without being injured and immediately started to give autographs again to the spectators at today’s “Stafen-Bellof-S”.
Stefan-Bellof Tribute Exhibition in the ring°werk
The Stefan-Bellof Tribute Exhibition at the ring°werk is designed to remind of this great personality and race driver Stefan Bellof as well as of his record set at the Nordschleife. Further to vehicles and unique items from Bellof’s career, a specifically designed wall with quotations and photos shall commemorate the German race driver. The exhibition is part of the attractions in the ring°werk and is available for visitors during the normal opening times.
