It may be the most famous race track in the world to enthusiasts, but Germany's Nürburgring has been in peril for the last two years because of the public track's private management. Since November we've promoted the call to "Save The 'Ring" for another generation of car lovers, and today we've finally got some good news.
The Nürburgring was once a publicly-owned and operated facility, until May 2010 when the government turned over the track to a pair of private operators who promised to turn it into a mega entertainment complex (A quick refresher right here). That didn't work and the 'Ring has been in debt due to the track's ghost town shopping center/roller coaster.
Today's great news is that the private operators have been sacked. It's a step in the right direction, although it probably means any chance of an F1 race has been diminished in the near term.
"[It's] definitely a historic day today," Mike Frison, the man who helped start the SAVE THE RING movement told Jalopnik. Though a step in the right direction, Frison cautions that there's a legal battle to come and the government still seems to want a private operator.
"The Nurburgring is public ownership and should be treated as such: operated for the public and motorsports," Said Frisson. "A new private operator would again look to fill his pockets."
We'll keep watching this story until the 'Ring is properly saved.
Photo Credit: SAVE THE RING