Nuerburg links car racing with nature and history

Race drivers call it "The Green Hell" and it has taken dozens of drivers' lives, but Germany's Nuerburgring car-racing track offers unparalleled excitement for car racing fans.

Engines roar, car tires squeal, crowds cheer or hold their breath for the champions, all in the middle of dense woods in western Germany, amid the singing of unfazed birds.

Throngs fill the stands or crowd along the fenced track, beer in hand, their tents and mobile homes a few steps away, in the woods. The races become fiestas for German and foreign fans alike.