Sabine Schmitz: "the fastest taxi driver in the world" - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Cynthetiq · 08-07-2008, 08:38 AM

YouTube - Sabine Schmitz In a Ford Transit

Watch the lady drive a Ford Transit in about 10 minutes in the Nürburgring.

Shows you what a driver can do even with bad equipment.

Sabine Schmitz

Quote:

Nürburgring
Sabine came to mass public attention driving one of the two BMW M5 "Ring taxi" around the 20.8km long race track in an entertaining manner.

According to her own estimates, Sabine has gone around the track 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 Fuchsrohre.[2]

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.

Television career
As a result of her popularity as "the fastest taxi driver in the world", Sabine became an occasional motorsport guest commentator, known for her gleefully dry descriptions of driving incidents. Since September 2006, Sabine has co-hosted a motoring show on German television, "D Motor" on the DMAX TV channel. In each show, Sabine takes on another challenge, for example Sabine in a Ferrari 360 vs. a 1200hp Race Truck or Sabine 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. On her only attempt, using the same car, she beat his best lap time of 9 minutes 59 seconds in a Jaguar S-Type diesel by 47 seconds (Season 5, Episode 5), having castigated his best lap with the comment "I tell you something, I do that lap time in a van".

Thus, in her second appearance on Top Gear, she actually drove a Ford Transit van in an attempt to beat Clarkson's time set in the Jaguar S-Type diesel. Her final time with a slightly stripped (hub caps, spare tyre and toolkit removed and a Dodge Viper driving in front to create 'clear air') Transit van was 10 minutes and 8 seconds (Season 6, Episode 7). When trying to film Schmitz, the team couldn't keep up so they used Jaguar test driver Wolfgang Schubauer to drive the Jaguar S-Type R chase car[3].

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.

She also appeared in the sixth episode of the 11th series of Top Gear, in a competition between the German show she appears on with British Top Gear. In the double decker car race she beat Jeremy Clarkson and his co-driver a one armed sound recordist. In the Axis vs Allies cars, Hammond came first in the Ariel Atom. The Top Gear presenters arrived in Spitfires for comedic effect.

LoganSnake · 08-07-2008, 09:11 AM

Wasn't this posted already? I could've sworn I saw it on a forum....

But yeah, pretty cool.

BadNick · 08-07-2008, 10:33 AM

It was posted previously, but this reminds me that I forgot to propose marriage to her last time.

Cynthetiq · 08-07-2008, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadNick

It was posted previously, but this reminds me that I forgot to propose marriage to her last time.

yes, it was in the Nürburgring history thread from last year. I originally wanted to post this information, but got caught up in the video again. Besides, now she's got her own thread.

you'll get your chance this weekend...

Quote:

View: Sabine Schmitz Leaving Nürburgring, Coming To America
Source: Jalopnik
posted with the TFP thread generator

Sabine Schmitz Leaving Nürburgring, Coming To America
Everyone's favorite Nürburgring Taxi driver, Sabine Schmitz, is coming to America to race in Grand Am Koni Challenge events at New Jersey Motorsport Park and Iowa Speedway. Sitting behind the wheel of a VW GTI race car, Sabine will be filling in for Randy Pobst at APR Motorsport. Sadly, we'll only be graced by her presence for those two races before she flies away back to the fatherland.

So how did they convice her to jump the pond? Well, Schmitz is friends with the folks at APR Motorsport through all the testing the team has done on the Nordschleife, where Sabine is an instructor, BMW 'Ring-taxi driver, and ruling Queen. When Pobst found he couldn't drive in two of the races due to commitments in other racing series, Schmitz was the first choice to sit in. Her response?

"I am really excited to get the chance to race in KONI Challenge, in a German car with Mark White and APR Motorsport. I have spent a lot of time with the APR Motorsport Team, as well as Mark over the years, including spending some time this past spring on the Nordschleife in a GTI race car. We all developed a great amount of respect and friendship for one another and I hope to do a good job for team, as filling Randy Pobst's seat is not easy!"

ratbastid · 08-07-2008, 10:45 AM

Yeaaaahh.... Fast and adorable. Just how I like 'em.

BadNick · 08-07-2008, 11:35 AM

Wow, you guys might know I was just at New Jersey Motorsports Park this past Tuesday. This was the first trackday ever on that Thunderbolt track and there was a LOT of debate at drivers' meetings about the best line around that track...I suspect that after Sabine hits that track we will know the best line. I'm really looking forward to seeing her race and how well she does against the pros.

I wonder if she knows I was born in Austria...I'll tell her.

Cynthetiq · 08-07-2008, 12:11 PM

what a nice looking track and facility...

NJMP Track Information

have a fun time!

08-07-2008, 09:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
LoganSnake We work alone Location: Cake Town	Wasn't this posted already? I could've sworn I saw it on a forum.... But yeah, pretty cool. __________________ Maturity is knowing you were an idiot in the past. Wisdom is knowing that you'll be an idiot in the future. Common sense is knowing that you should try not to be an idiot now. - J. Jacques

08-07-2008, 12:11 PM	#7 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	what a nice looking track and facility... NJMP Track Information have a fun time! __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

08-07-2008, 10:33 AM	#3 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	It was posted previously, but this reminds me that I forgot to propose marriage to her last time.

08-07-2008, 10:45 AM	#5 (permalink)
ratbastid Darth Papa Location: Yonder	Yeaaaahh.... Fast and adorable. Just how I like 'em.

08-07-2008, 11:35 AM	#6 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	Wow, you guys might know I was just at New Jersey Motorsports Park this past Tuesday. This was the first trackday ever on that Thunderbolt track and there was a LOT of debate at drivers' meetings about the best line around that track...I suspect that after Sabine hits that track we will know the best line. I'm really looking forward to seeing her race and how well she does against the pros. I wonder if she knows I was born in Austria...I'll tell her.