Sabine Schmitz, Queen of the Nurburgring, dies at 51
Sabine Schmitz, the first and only female race car driver to win the annual 24-hour race on the famed Nurburgring circuit and a renowned TV personality, has died. She was 51. Schmitz had been ill with cancer since 2017 and continued racing until 2019. The 24-hour race's organizers said she died Tuesday following “a years-long battle with her disease.”
Schmitz grew up near the Nurburgring, a fearsome track which winds through the hills of western Germany. Its 13-mile Nordschleife configuration is regarded as one of the most demanding and dangerous tracks in the world.
Schmitz moved through lower-level racing categories before winning the 24-hour race in 1996 and 1997 as part of a team driving a BMW M3. She also won the VLN championship of endurance races at the Nurburgring in ...