Stefan Bellof is one of the biggest names from a golden era of GT racing, when incredibly light and stunningly powerful cars were driven by now legendary names such as Derek Bell, Jacky Ickx and Hans-Joachim Stuck.
Sadly, Bellof was killed in a sports car racing accident at Spa in 1985, but a string of sports car victories and some impressive results in Formula One before his death means his legacy has lived on. And one piece of history he's left us is the overall lap record at the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife, set aboard the Porsche 956 Group C car back in 1983.
The Nordschleife has finally celebrated this feat, reports Piston Heads, by naming one particularly appropriate corner the 'Stefan Bellof S', after the German legend.
Once part of the tricky Pflanzgarten complex, Bellof corner marks the spot where the racer had crashed heavily in 1983, during the Nürburgring 1,000 km event. At the same event as his unmatched 6:11.13, 125 mph lap record, Bellof's car flipped and spun into the barriers at the corner--only a few laps after setting the race record too, with a 6:25.91 lap time.
To celebrate his friend and teammate's amazing feat, Derek Bell drove an original Porsche 956 to the corner for a naming and dedication ceremony--a fitting tribute by a legendary driver, to a legendary driver.
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