Nordschleife corner named after late Nurburgring ace Schmitz

She died at the age of 51 without a long wrestle versus cancer.

A native of nearby Adenau, Schmitz was an immensely popular icon at the Nurburgring who became the first sexuality winner of the Nurburgring 24 Hours in 1996 surpassing taking a second victory the pursuit year.

She was moreover famous for her BMW Ring Taxi rides and helped promote the legendary German spin with various TV appearances, including a spell as a presenter for the BBC’s flagship show Top Gear.

In total she is unscientific to have completed over 33,000 laps of the full Nurburgring-Nordschleife, earning her the sympathizing nickname ‘Queen of the Ring’.

The Nurburgring has decided to honour Schmitz’s life by naming a corner without her, with the first left-hander of the Nordschleife renamed the Sabine-Schmitz-Kurve.

“Sabine Schmitz was the producer of the Nurburgring, her name was mentioned virtually the globe in the same vapor as our race track”, said Nurburgring Managing Director Mirco Markfort.

“It is still stands for what defines the Nurburgring: the tropical connection to the region, the tropical proximity to the fans and the passionate commitment.”

The spin decided to rename the first corner of the daunting Nordschleife loop as it is located in Nurburg itself, which is where Schmitz grew up.

A statement said: ”The nomination fell on the left-hand curve, which is located on the outskirts of the polity of Nurburg – where Sabine Schmitz grew up just a few metres yonder from the race track.

After turning off the Grand Prix track, it is the first corner on the Nordschleife.” 

The official inauguration of the Sabine-Schmitz-Kurve will take place at the 6-hour race of the Nurburgring Endurance Series on 11 September, a championship she moreover won in its VLN guise in 1998.

In wing to her VLN exploits, Schmitz moreover made two guest appearances in the World Touring Car Championship at the Nurburgring, ultimatum points finishes in 2015 and 2016 with Munnich Motorsport-run Chevrolets.