Cyndie makes her racing debut on the Nordschleife
Where: Nürburgring, Germany. When: 2013-04-13. Author: Cyndie Allemann Team.
Taking some time off her busy television schedule, 27-year-old Swiss race car driver Cyndie Allemann went back into race mode last weekend (April 13th) as she made her debut on the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. Cyndie received an invitation to take part of Round 1 of the VLN series with Mathol Racing, an opportunity that she accepted without hesitation, as the Nordschleife was still on her ‘to do’ list as far as racing on legendary tracks go.
“For me, the three most legendary tracks in the world are Le Mans, Indianapolis and the Nürburgring Nordschleife. I have raced at Le Mans and Indianapolis, and now this weekend, my dream of racing on the third one was fulfilled. Even if I went into this weekend with reasonable objectives and program, I could still grasp all the history at the Nürburgring, with all those greats from the past who have raced there, from Rudolf Caracciola to Juan Manuel Fangio – I almost feel like they’re still watching us. And even the names of the corners all mean ‘history’ and also ‘respect’ to me: Karussell, Hatzenbach, Flugplatz, Pflanzgarten and others.”
However, past the excitement of racing with history, the Swiss star knew perfectly well that she first had to learn and be modest on the Nordschleife, especially against drivers who know this massive circuit like the back of their hand. She was eager to learn, but also to enjoy herself and her racing.
“As far as racing goes, the only thing I knew about the Nürburgring was the short Grand Prix Course, which I competed on back in my Formula 3 days. Otherwise, the Nordschleife was a mystery to me. So obviously, the main objective was to learn the track and to gain experience. A little bit like when I first raced on a super oval like Indianapolis or at Le Mans with its super long straights, I had the feeling that I almost had to start from scratch as the Nordschleife is like nothing else I’ve ever raced on. The racing approach and technique is fairly different than a regular race track. Another factor to consider with the VLN series is the traffic and the differences between all those cars and classes. That was interesting for sure, but I did enjoy myself every minute I was on this amazing track.”Related photos: