The EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany will close to the public at the end of 2017, after DEKRA announced that it was to purchase the DTM venue for use as a test track for autonomous driving.
The DEKRA Technology Center (DTC) has been located next to the track since 2003, and now the facility will become a leading venue for use in the development of autonomous driving.
It means that the circuit in eastern Germany will close to the public after the end of the 2017 racing season.
The circuit has played host to Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) events since 2000, although the first event was called off due to torrential rain ahead of the races.
“We are initially investing more than 30 million euros in establishing this testing network,” said DEKRA CEO Stefan Kölbl. “Automation and connectivity, the topics of the future, are becoming increasingly important for the safety of mobility.
“We take our ‘safety mandate‘, which the founders of DEKRA defined more than 90 years ago, very seriously. That is why we are offering testing and development expertise to our customers from the automotive industry.
“The takeover of Lausitzring and its combination with the DEKRA Technology Center is a very decisive step for us.
“The combination of connection and automation is a vital requirement for autonomous driving in the future. That is why our customers, especially in the automotive industry, need the necessary testing services from one provider.
“We will be able to provide this through the intensive cooperation of all the DEKRA locations and business units involved.”
Josef Meier, Managing Director of EuroSpeedway Verwaltungs GmbH who DEKRA have bought the facility from, called the sale a ‘positive’ event.
“We are delighted that the next chapter of the Lausitzring will open on such a positive note”, added Meier. “After eight years, in which we have successfully operated and developed the Lausitzring, we were faced with the question of how to transform it into a long-term, sustainable concept, given the current investment needs.
“Together with DEKRA as a long-standing, reliable partner we have found what is, from our perspective, a good solution.”
Update: This article originally stated that the circuit was to close to motor racing events at the end of 2017. However, it has since been clarified that DEKRA, as the new owner, may still hire out the circuit to host events such as the DTM. The Lausitzring itself will no longer act as a promoter of racing events at the circuit.
Memorable moments at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz
Although a staple of the DTM calendar since it opened in 2000, the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, or the Lausitzring as it was originally known, has never had the honour of either starting or ending the season as the calendar is typically bookended by races at the Hockenheimring.
TouringCars.Net picks some of the circuit’s other historical moments.
Pre-2000 – The circuit was constructed on the site of a former opencast mine, in part to replace the legendary AVUS circuit in Berlin.
2000 – The first-ever DTM meeting at the new Super Speedway is called off due to torrential rain.
2001 – Tragedy strikes during testing as Audi’s ex-F1 driver Michele Alboreto is killed whilst testing an Audi R8 prototype Le Mans race car.
2001 – The US-based Champ Car World Series visits the circuit for the first time, just four days after the September 11 terrorist attacks. A tragedy strikes the race, as Alex Zanardi is involved in a huge accident leading to the amputation of both of the Italian’s legs.
2003 – The DTM attempts to use the tri-oval between Turn 1 and Turn 5 but punctures and a big crash for Christian Abt force officials to revert to the GP circuit for the race.
2005 – The DTM visits the circuits twice in one season for the first time due to the last-minute cancellation of a planned street race in Avignon in France.
2010 – The Red Bull Air Race is held at the circuit for the first time.
2017 – Jamie Green matches Gary Paffett and Bernd Schneider’s tally of three wins to become the joint most successful driver at the circuit.