Sabine Schmitz
Encyclopedia
Sabine Schmitz is a German
former professional motor racing driver for BMW
, now known for driving the BMW "Ring taxi" around the Nürburgring
race track as well as being a television personality. From the start of 2011, Sabine no longer drives the BMW Ring Taxi.
within the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Schmitz trained as Hotelfachfrau and Sommelière
. During her marriage to a hotelier she lived in Pulheim
, but after her divorce in 2000, up until 2003, she owned a bar-restaurant in Nürburg named the Fuchsröhre (Foxhole) after a track section. In 2004 she qualified as a helicopter
pilot.
Following occasional drives with the family car on the Nordschleife, all three sisters started racing, but only Schmitz continued and collected victories. Schmitz won in CHC
and VLN
race events, the VLN endurance racing championship in 1998, and is the first woman to win a major 24h race, the 24 Hours Nürburgring
, in 1996 and 1997, all with a BMW M3
entered and co-driven by local veteran Johannes Scheid. In 2006 Schmitz and Klaus Abbelen
drove the #97 Porsche 997
in the Nürburgring VLN
endurance racing series, entered by Land Motorsport. They finished a strong third in the 24h 2008, beaten only by the factory-backed Manthey-entered winners of 2007 and 2006.
"Ring taxi" around the 20.8 km long race track in an entertaining manner.
According to her own estimates, Schmitz has gone around the track more than 20,000 times, increasing by approximately 1200 per year. Her familiarity with the circuit earned her the nicknames "Queen of the Nürburgring" and "the fastest taxi driver in the world". She says her favourite parts of the track are Schwedenkreuz and Fuchsröhre.
Claudia Hürtgen
is her main rival, winning the championship in 2006, and scoring pole and victory in the third VLN race of 2008, with a BMW Z4
.
Her company, Nürburgring-based Sabine Schmitz Motorsport, offers advanced driver training and a "Ring Taxi" service for passengers.
TV channel. In each show, Schmitz takes on another challenge, for example Schmitz in a Ferrari 360
vs. a 1200 hp Race Truck
, or Schmitz in a Formula Renault
race car vs. a race sidecar
.
In December 2004, Schmitz gained recognition in the United Kingdom
after appearing in the BBC
television show Top Gear
with presenter Jeremy Clarkson
. After Clarkson (under her tutelage) set a lap time of 9 minutes 59 seconds around the Nürburgring in a Jaguar S-Type
diesel (Season 5, Episode 5), she castigated his best lap with the comment "I tell you something, I could do that lap time in a van". She did a lap in the Jaguar S-Type, and set a time of 9 minutes 12 seconds, beating him by 47 seconds. When trying to film Schmitz as she drove the S-Type, the film team couldn't keep up so they used Jaguar test driver Wolfgang Schubauer to drive the Jaguar S-Type R chase car, which means that much of the lap shown on the episode was not the first lap where she set the 9 min. 12 sec. lap time.
Thus, in her second appearance on Top Gear, she actually drove a Ford Transit
Diesel in an attempt to beat Clarkson's time set in the Jaguar S-Type diesel. Her final time with the Transit was 10 minutes and 8 seconds (Season 6, Episode 7). For this final lap the van was stripped and streamlined at the front with gaffer tape (Schmitz's belt, hubcaps, spare wheel, toolkit and Richard Hammond
were removed) and a Dodge Viper
was driven in front to help keep the "air clean" by providing a good slipstream
to travel through.
Her first appearance on British television, however, was on the 2002 BBC programme Jeremy Clarkson Meets the Neighbours, where she takes Jeremy around the Nürburgring in the "Ring Taxi".
Her third appearance was at the 2005 Top Gear Awards to collect the award for 'Best German' (Season 7, Episode 6).
In 2007, she appeared in Clarkson's Supercar Showdown DVD where she raced an Audi R8 against The Stig
in a Porsche 911 GT3
.
Schmitz also appeared in the sixth episode of the Top Gears 11th series
, in a competition between the German motoring equivalent of Top Gear, on which she features, and the British Top Gear
team. Both groups engaged each other in a series of challenges, in which Schmitz raced the Top Gear team in a double decker car race, and Clarkson in a one-on-one Mini challenge. She was victorious in both her events; however, due to the timely intervention of James May
(dressed suspiciously like The Stig
), the overall result was a win for the Top Gear team.
It is rumoured that Schmitz has taken on the role of the Stig in BBC 2's Top Gear in place of 'outed Stig' Ben Collins.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
former professional motor racing driver for BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, now known for driving the BMW "Ring taxi" around the Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
race track as well as being a television personality. From the start of 2011, Sabine no longer drives the BMW Ring Taxi.
Biography
Born to the local hotel and restaurant owning Schmitz family, Sabine and her two elder sisters grew up in the "Hotel am Tiergarten" (in the basement of which is the Pistenklause restaurant) in NürburgNürburg
Nürburg is a town in the German district of Ahrweiler, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is also the name of the local castle, Burg Nürburg , which was built in the High Middle Ages. The town is best known for its 24 kilometer race track, the Nürburgring...
within the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Schmitz trained as Hotelfachfrau and Sommelière
Sommelier
A sommelier , or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food matching...
. During her marriage to a hotelier she lived in Pulheim
Pulheim
Pulheim is a city in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.Since the 1920s, a large substation of the RWE has been sited at Pulheim...
, but after her divorce in 2000, up until 2003, she owned a bar-restaurant in Nürburg named the Fuchsröhre (Foxhole) after a track section. In 2004 she qualified as a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
pilot.
Following occasional drives with the family car on the Nordschleife, all three sisters started racing, but only Schmitz continued and collected victories. Schmitz won in CHC
Castrol-Haugg-Cup
The Rundstrecken Challenge Nürburgring or BMW Driving Experience Challenge, previously known as Castrol-HAUGG-Cup , is a motorsport event series. Being run since the early 1960s mainly on the Nürburgring, it is regarded as Germany's oldest touring car racing series...
and VLN
VLN
The VLN, properly the Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring is an organisation of motorsport clubs of which each hosts one event of a ten-race series held on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the "VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring"...
race events, the VLN endurance racing championship in 1998, and is the first woman to win a major 24h race, the 24 Hours Nürburgring
24 Hours Nürburgring
The 24 Hours Nürburgring is a touring car and GT endurance racing event on the Nürburgring Nordschleife . With a lap length of over , it allows the participation of more than 200 cars, and over 700 drivers.-Overview:...
, in 1996 and 1997, all with a BMW M3
BMW M3
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...
entered and co-driven by local veteran Johannes Scheid. In 2006 Schmitz and Klaus Abbelen
Klaus Abbelen
Klaus Abbelen is a butcher master, an entrepreneur for meat products , and a race car driver....
drove the #97 Porsche 997
Porsche 997
The Porsche Type 997 , also simply called the 997 is the current version of the 911 family sports car built by German manufacturer Porsche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen...
in the Nürburgring VLN
VLN
The VLN, properly the Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring is an organisation of motorsport clubs of which each hosts one event of a ten-race series held on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the "VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft Nürburgring"...
endurance racing series, entered by Land Motorsport. They finished a strong third in the 24h 2008, beaten only by the factory-backed Manthey-entered winners of 2007 and 2006.
Nürburgring
Schmitz came to mass public attention driving one of the two BMW M5BMW M5
The first BMW M5, based on the E28 5 Series, made its debut at Amsterdam Motor Show in February 1984. It was the product of demand for an automobile with the carrying capacity of a saloon , but the overall performance of a sports car. It utilized the 535i chassis and an evolution of the engine from...
"Ring taxi" around the 20.8 km long race track in an entertaining manner.
According to her own estimates, Schmitz has gone around the track more than 20,000 times, increasing by approximately 1200 per year. Her familiarity with the circuit earned her the nicknames "Queen of the Nürburgring" and "the fastest taxi driver in the world". She says her favourite parts of the track are Schwedenkreuz and Fuchsröhre.
Claudia Hürtgen
Claudia Hürtgen
Claudia Hürtgen is a German race driver. Along with Ellen Lohr and Sabine Schmitz, she is one of Germany's best known female racers.Hürtgen started her career in karting and moved to German Formula 3...
is her main rival, winning the championship in 2006, and scoring pole and victory in the third VLN race of 2008, with a BMW Z4
BMW Z4
The BMW Z4 is a rear-wheel drive sports car by the German car maker BMW. It follows a line of past BMW roadsters such as the BMW Z1, BMW 507, BMW Z8, and the BMW Z3. The Z4 replaces the Z3. First generation production started in 2002 at BMW USA's Greer, South Carolina plant, with production of both...
.
Her company, Nürburgring-based Sabine Schmitz Motorsport, offers advanced driver training and a "Ring Taxi" service for passengers.
Television career
As a result of her popularity as "the fastest taxi driver in the world", and charisma, Schmitz became an occasional motorsport guest commentator, known for her gleefully dry descriptions of driving incidents. Since September 2006, Schmitz has co-hosted a motoring show on German television, D Motor on the DMAXDMAX (TV channel)
DMAX is a men's lifestyle channel operated by Discovery Networks Deutschland free-to-air in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Though the channel is widely available throughout the rest of Europe...
TV channel. In each show, Schmitz takes on another challenge, for example Schmitz in a Ferrari 360
Ferrari 360
The Ferrari 360 is a mid-engine midsize two-seater sports car produced from late 1999 until 2005. The 360 replaced the Ferrari F355 and was itself replaced by the fairly similar Ferrari F430...
vs. a 1200 hp Race Truck
Truck Racing
Truck racing is a form of motor racing which involves modified versions of heavy tractor units on racing circuits.The sport started in England in 1984 with the first race held at Donington Park and enjoyed great success, but declined in the 1990s. However, in the last few years the profile of...
, or Schmitz in a Formula Renault
Formula Renault
Formula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971. It is popular in Europe and other countries. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault, GP2 or...
race car vs. a race sidecar
Superside
style="float:right"|FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is one of the two remaining original FIM road racing championship classes that started in 1949, the other being the 125cc world championship...
.
In December 2004, Schmitz gained recognition in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
after appearing in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television show Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
with presenter Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
. After Clarkson (under her tutelage) set a lap time of 9 minutes 59 seconds around the Nürburgring in a Jaguar S-Type
Jaguar S-Type
The Jaguar S-Type was a mid-size luxury/executive car that debuted at the 1998 Birmingham Motor Show and went on sale in spring 1999. The name is a revival of a previous Jaguar model, the S-Type introduced in 1963.-Overview:...
diesel (Season 5, Episode 5), she castigated his best lap with the comment "I tell you something, I could do that lap time in a van". She did a lap in the Jaguar S-Type, and set a time of 9 minutes 12 seconds, beating him by 47 seconds. When trying to film Schmitz as she drove the S-Type, the film team couldn't keep up so they used Jaguar test driver Wolfgang Schubauer to drive the Jaguar S-Type R chase car, which means that much of the lap shown on the episode was not the first lap where she set the 9 min. 12 sec. lap time.
Thus, in her second appearance on Top Gear, she actually drove a Ford Transit
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a range of panel vans, minibuses, and pickup trucks, produced by the Ford Motor Company in Europe.The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term...
Diesel in an attempt to beat Clarkson's time set in the Jaguar S-Type diesel. Her final time with the Transit was 10 minutes and 8 seconds (Season 6, Episode 7). For this final lap the van was stripped and streamlined at the front with gaffer tape (Schmitz's belt, hubcaps, spare wheel, toolkit and Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
were removed) and a Dodge Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
was driven in front to help keep the "air clean" by providing a good slipstream
Slipstream
A slipstream is a region behind a moving object in which a wake of fluid is moving at velocities comparable to the moving object . The term slipstream also applies to the similar region adjacent to an object with a fluid moving around it...
to travel through.
Her first appearance on British television, however, was on the 2002 BBC programme Jeremy Clarkson Meets the Neighbours, where she takes Jeremy around the Nürburgring in the "Ring Taxi".
Her third appearance was at the 2005 Top Gear Awards to collect the award for 'Best German' (Season 7, Episode 6).
In 2007, she appeared in Clarkson's Supercar Showdown DVD where she raced an Audi R8 against The Stig
The Stig
The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
in a Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
.
Schmitz also appeared in the sixth episode of the Top Gears 11th series
Top Gear (series 11)
The 11th series of Top Gear was broadcast between 22 June 2008 and 27 July 2008, in show's usual time slot of 8pm on Sunday on BBC Two. The series consists of six episodes. This series included a revised title sequence, following the same visual style as with the sequence used for Series 8 through...
, in a competition between the German motoring equivalent of Top Gear, on which she features, and the British Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
team. Both groups engaged each other in a series of challenges, in which Schmitz raced the Top Gear team in a double decker car race, and Clarkson in a one-on-one Mini challenge. She was victorious in both her events; however, due to the timely intervention of James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
(dressed suspiciously like The Stig
The Stig
The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
), the overall result was a win for the Top Gear team.
It is rumoured that Schmitz has taken on the role of the Stig in BBC 2's Top Gear in place of 'outed Stig' Ben Collins.
Race results
- 24 Hours Nürburgring24 Hours NürburgringThe 24 Hours Nürburgring is a touring car and GT endurance racing event on the Nürburgring Nordschleife . With a lap length of over , it allows the participation of more than 200 cars, and over 700 drivers.-Overview:...
: Overall winner in 1996 and 1997 (BMW), third in 2008 (Porsche), ninth in 2011 (Porsche)
External links
- SpeedBee (formerly Sabine Schmitz Motorsport)
- BMW Ring Taxi review by Ian Bevis
- 2006 Team website
- Report on "Ring-Taxi"
- The Fastest Taxi Driver In The World
- BMW Ring-Taxi
Video footage
- Schmitz on the Nürburgring followed by a Porsche 996 GT3 Google video
- Schmitz at the ring, tuned Porsche GT2 vs Caterham CSR260 YouTube video, German
- Nordschleife Tours - Nürburgring Google video, English, Sabine Schmitz at 10:02,20:00
- Part 1, Part 2 One Lap with Ford Transit (diesel) in 10:08 at TopGear
- Dmotor challenge: Schmitz in a 500hp Dodge Viper vs. a 164hp race kart with a Honda CBR 1100 Blackbird engine YouTube video, German