Why the Nürburgring Matters So Much in Sim Racing

If you’ve watched Jimmy Broadbent’s videos, especially his series where he drives different cars around the Nürburgring, you probably already know—it’s one of the most iconic tracks in sim racing. Those are some of his most popular videos. Is that just a coincidence? Or is there something about the Nürburgring that makes it more than just the longest track in the world?

Where It All Started for Me

When I first got into sim racing, it was more like gaming than anything else. I had a Logitech G920, an old Xbox, a monitor a friend gave me, and a little soundbar I got for free. It wasn’t much, but it was mine—and it felt like the best setup in the world.

Back then, I’d keep the Nürburgring loaded all day and jump in for a lap or two whenever I had a free moment. Being such a long track, it gave me a sense of flow that I’ve never really felt anywhere else. That’s probably why it stuck with me. It’s a real challenge, and once you manage to hook up a full lap without going off or crashing, it’s super satisfying—especially when you can show it off to your friends.

The Nürburgring Pulls You In

The track has something like 150 corners and barely any runoff. One small mistake and you're in the wall. You need full focus every second, and even hitting the curbs wrong can mess you up. It forces you to drive with precision, but once you get into a rhythm, it’s honestly one of the best feelings in sim racing.

I think that’s what makes it so addictive. It’s not just about fast laps—it’s about fighting to survive the whole circuit cleanly.

My Day Job Made Me Appreciate It Even More

I build sim rigs and PCs for a living, so I’m constantly setting up new systems. When I need to test a PC or simulator, 9 times out of 10 I’ll load the Nürburgring. It’s long, it’s graphically demanding, and it gives me time to really get a feel for how everything’s working. Even if I only have five minutes, it’s enough to get into a bit of a flow and see how the hardware holds up.

Watching Jimmy Makes Sense Now

Back to Jimmy Broadbent—I think the reason people love watching him drive the Nürburgring is because it just looks insane. I once showed my dad a lap of the Nordschleife in an F1 car, and to him, it looked completely bonkers. I’ve done thousands of laps there, so maybe I’m a little numb to it, but showing someone else forces you to really dial in and drive clean. You don’t want to crash when you're showing it off, right?

There’s also something cool about driving it in old-school H-pattern cars, heel-and-toeing through the corners. It just adds to the immersion and the challenge.

One of My Craziest Sim Racing Memories

I remember going back to the start of it all—playing Gran Turismo with PlayStation VR. I took out the Dodge Vision GT, which goes over 300 mph and feels like it has unlimited grip. Driving that around the Nürburgring in VR was wild. Every second you had to be laser-focused. It was totally overwhelming and totally addicting.

There Are Other Long Tracks, But...

Yeah, the Nürburgring is probably the most famous of the long tracks, but there are others I’d love to explore more—like the Isle of Man. That place is next-level, weaving through towns and tiny roads, and it’s something like four times the length of the Nürburgring. That’s definitely on the bucket list.

Still Learning, Even After Thousands of Laps

Even now, after 20+ years and who-knows-how-many laps, I’m still not the fastest. I’m consistent, sure, but there’s always more to learn. Every year when the Nürburgring 24H comes around, I get excited because it means long stints on a track that demands total focus. I love that. I love how intense it is. And I love that it still finds ways to surprise me.

Sometimes just changing the camera angle or field of view makes the track feel completely new. You see lines you’ve never noticed before. It’s weird to describe, but if you’ve spent enough time here, you know what I mean.

What About You?

Is there a track that hits you the way the Nürburgring hits me? One that you keep going back to, year after year? Let us know—we’d love to hear about it.