Andy Gülden is the chief instructor for the Nürburgring Driving Academy. In other words, he earns a living teaching people how not to kill themselves on the ‘Ring, and occasionally how to lap the Nordschleife in a spirited-but-competent manner. Business, we guess, is slow in the winter, but a driver must constantly practice his skills to stay sharp.
We’re not sure if piloting a formula car around a snow-and-ice-packed ‘Ring demonstrates mad skills or just plain madness, but it makes for entertaining video. The car Gülden is driving weighs just over 1,000 pounds and is powered by a 140-horsepower, 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine. They don’t make snow tires for formula cars, so he’s lapping on what appear to be intermediate rain tires. We’d call them “sub-optimal” for snow and ice.
Also sub-optimal was the temperature for Gülden’s run, which was hovering around the three-degrees-Fahrenheit mark. In weather like that, we’d prefer our wintertime driving fun behind the wheel of a (winter-tire shod) BMW M3, with working heat and heated seats.
Want to get driver training from Gülden and his staff on your next trip to Germany? You’ll find complete details on available programs at the Nürburgring Formel Super Racing website.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
