Ronan McGrath from Autoweek recently spent time with Nurburgring legend Sabine Schmitz, who gave him some tips for first-time ‘Ring goers, told him the corner she thinks is most dangerous and other tracks she enjoys driving.
“I’m a farmer,” Sabine Schmitz says, laughing, as she jumps out of her dusty Range Rover to release some of her horses.
Some farmer. Sabine is probably the best known woman in European motorsport, so much so that she is identifiable by only her first name.
Sabine has lived most of her life close to Germany’s famed Nurburgring racetrack, with which she is closely identified. She ran her first lap there at the age of 15 and by her own estimate has done more than 30 000 laps – or almost 640 000 kilometres – on the Nordschleife. She has won the Nurburgring 24-hour race twice and finished on the podium several times. She has held the track lap record.
Sabine lives in the rolling countryside near the ‘Ring in a comfortable but unassuming home – although the Bell 407 Jet Ranger parked on the helipad out back is not a common sight in rural Germany. She is a qualified helicopter pilot.
Nearby, Sabine and her co-driver, Klaus Abbelin, are building a modern workshop to work on their Porsche RSR race car as well as customer cars, as they have outgrown the old one.
In the old workshop sits the partially disassembled RSR, which is about to be retired after five years of campaigning, including a number of trips. She retired from this year’s 24-hour Nurburgring race with gearbox failure. A new car is coming this week.
What does Sabine think of other tracks? “I like Road America,” she said. “It has some of the Nurburgring feeling.”
Despite her racing success and continuing involvement, Sabine has become much more widely known as the driver of the BMW ‘Ring Taxi. Booked months in advance, you can get a lap of the Nurburgring flat-out in a M5.
Sabine will also take a single passenger around the track in her personal Porsche GT3 RS through her company, Sabine Schmitz Motorsport, but you will need to start booking for 2011 now as 2010 is sold out.
Sabine has driven just about every conceivable vehicle at the ‘Ring, most famously a beat-up Ford Transit panel van. She had laughed at the ‘Ring time that Jeremy Clarkson set in a diesel Jaguar S-Type and said she would do better in a van. So, in something about the size of a UPS delivery truck, she almost made it – a touch over 10 minutes.
Immensely likeable, Sabine’s outgoing personality and sense of humor have made her widely popular. She has had her own show on German television.
Driving on the road with Sabine, she has the perfect precision of line and minimal movement that all great drivers display – both hands on the wheel, perfect smoothness and, even at modest speeds, a sense of complete control.
Asked what she would advise for a first-timer at the ‘Ring. “Wear a crash helmet?” She smiled. “For those who have not been here, try it in a lower-power car. They’re just as much fun and you are less likely to get into trouble. Try a front-wheel drive first.”
Sabine thinks that the sweeping left-hander at Schwedenkreuz, about five kilometres into the lap, is the most dangerous. “You cannot achieve the speeds here that you learned on a simulation game, and you should not try,” she warns.
For those interested, there are a number of agencies that rent cars for the purpose of lapping the Nurburgring. One of the largest is RSR Nurburg.
Sabine is just as committed to racing now as she ever has been. A fierce competitor, she will be back at next year’s 24-hour race with the new car.
She still maintains an involvement in her family’s hotel business. It’s not uncommon for Sabine to be seen clearing tables at the ever popular Pistenklause restaurant.
The new Nurburgring complex includes a roller coaster, but you’d be well advised to skip that ride in favour of the ‘Ring Taxi.
