Despite its worldwide renown for motorsports, automaker testing and fairly frequent amateur day crashes, the Nürburgring has been in dire financial straits for years. Now a savior seems to have arisen from an unlikely place: America!
Reuters reports that an investor group led by Miami based buyout firm HIG Capital is poised to purchase the Green Hell for somewhere between $82.4 and $96.2 million.
They just outflanked F1 head honcho Bernie Ecclestone, who also submitted an offer to buy the circuit. The assets the investor group will acquire include the track and an adjacent amusement park.
One of the world's oldest and most dangerous race courses, the 'Ring was built in 1927 and used for Formula One until a new adjacent circuit was created for that purpose in the 1980s. The Nordschleife remained in use for other races as well as track days and testing with lap times around it becoming the source of considerable bragging rights in the world of cars.
But the 'Ring had suffered from financial difficulties for nearly a decade, causing the debt-riddled circuit to go into bankruptcy in 2012. After quite a bit of wrangling over who should own it, it looks like a solution may be on the horizon.
I'm hoping that if this deal goes through, these American equity firm will treat it with the respect it deserves. And maybe push for decent hot dogs and overpriced Miller Lite in the concession areas.
Photo credit AlBargan
Some Americans Are About To Buy The Nürburgring