Lausitzring
{{Short description|Race track located near Klettwitz, Germany}}
{{Infobox motorsport venue
| Name = Dekra Lausitzring
| Former_names = EuroSpeedway Lausitz (2000–2010)
Lausitzring (2010–2017)
| Time = CET (UTC+1)
CEST (DST)
| Image = 250px
| Location = Klettwitz
(Brandenburg, Germany)
| Coordinates = {{coord|51|32|0|N|13|55|10|E |type:landmark_region:DE-BB |display=inline,title}}
| Broke_ground = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1998|06|17}}
| Opened = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2000|08|20}}
| Closed =
| FIAGrade = 2 (2 layouts)
| Owner = Dekra Automobil GmbH (2017–present)
| Operator = EuroSpeedway Verwaltungs GmbH
| Events = Current:
DTM (2000–present)
European Truck Racing Championship (2001–2002, 2025)
ADAC GT Masters (2007–2017, 2020–2022, 2025)
Former:
World SBK (2001–2002, 2005–2007, 2016–2017)
Sidecar World Championship (2001–2002)
Champ Car German 500 (2001, 2003)
ADAC GT Masters (2007–2017, 2020–2022)
FIA GT (2000)
A1GP (2005)
F3 Euroseries (2005–2006, 2009)
World Series by Nissan
(2003–2004)
ASCAR Racing Series
(2002–2003)
| Capacity = 120,000
| Layout1 = Superspeedway (2000–present)
| Banking = up to 5.7°
| Length_km = 3.256
| Length_mi = 2.023
| Turns = 3
| Record_time = 0:34.747
| Record_driver = {{flagicon|BRA}} Tony Kanaan
| Record_car = Reynard 01I
| Record_year = 2001
| Record_class = CART
| Layout2 = Grand Prix Circuit (2000–present)
| Length_km2 = 4.345
| Length_mi2 = 2.700
| Turns2 = 14
| Record_time2 = 1:32:059
| Record_driver2 = {{flagicon|GBR}} Scott Mansell
| Record_car2 = Benetton B197
| Record_year2 = 2004
| Record_class2 = F1
| Layout3 = Grand Prix Circuit with Banked Turn 1 (2021–present)
| Length_km3 = 4.601
| Length_mi3 = 2.860
| Turns3 = 10
| Record_time3 = 1:32.085
| Record_driver3 = {{flagicon|GER}} Maro Engel
| Record_car3 = Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
| Record_year3 = 2022
| Record_class3 = GT3
| Layout4 = Motorcycle Circuit (2000–present)
| Length_km4 = 4.297
| Length_mi4 = 2.670
| Turns4 = 14
| Record_time4 = 1:36.634
| Record_driver4 = {{flagicon|GBR}} Chaz Davies
| Record_car4 = Ducati Panigale R
| Record_year4 = 2017
| Record_class4 = World SBK
| Layout5 = Sprint Circuit (2004–present)
| Length_km5 = 3.478
| Length_mi5 = 2.161
| Turns5 = 12
| Record_time5 = 1:13.100
| Record_driver5 = {{flagicon|FRA}} Patrick d’Aubreby
| Record_car5 = Benetton B192
| Record_year5 = 2005
| Record_class5 = F1
}}
Image:Aerial image of Lausitzring (view from the west).jpg
Image:EuroSpeedway Lausitz Haupttribüne.jpg
The Lausitzring (formally known as the Dekra Lausitzring for ownership reasons) is a race track located near Klettwitz (a civil parish of Schipkau, Oberspreewald-Lausitz district) in the state of Brandenburg in northeast Germany, near the borders of Poland and the Czech Republic. It was originally named Lausitzring as it is located in the region of Lusatia, known as Lausitz in German, but was renamed EuroSpeedway Lausitz for better international communication from 2000 to 2010. The EuroSpeedway has been in use for motor racing since 2000. Among other series, DTM (German Touring Car Championship) takes place there annually. It also used to host the Superbike World Championship.
The Lausitzring has a feature which is unique in continental Europe: a high-speed oval race track, as used in the United States by NASCAR and IndyCar. The {{cvt|3.256|km|mi|abbr=on}} tri-oval (similar to Pocono Raceway) was used twice in 2001 and 2003 by open seater CART races named German 500 (won by Kenny Bräck and Sébastien Bourdais), plus a few British SCSA races. In 2005 and 2006, the German Formula Three Championship held races at the oval,[http://www.formel3.de/news.php?id=275 Sensationelle Rennen im Trioval] - August 29, 2005 (in German)[http://www.formel3.de/news.php?id=375 Cindy - Liebling der Fans] - July 31, 2006 (in German) with a pole position lap average speed of {{cvt|251.761|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}[http://www.formel3.de/ergebnisse/2005-08-28-q2.pdf ADAC Eastside 100 - Practice 2] - August 29, 2005 (in German) and a race average of {{cvt|228.931|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}.[http://www.formel3.de/ergebnisse/2005-08-28-r2.pdf ADAC Eastside 100 - Race 2] - August 29, 2005 (in German)
History
As far back as 1986, in the former communist East Germany, it was planned to convert one of the huge open coal mine pits into a race track. In the late 1990s, this idea was taken up again in order to build a replacement for the AVUS in Berlin. The construction of the EuroSpeedway Lausitz began on 17 June 1998.{{cite web |url=http://eurospeedway.de/de_racing_company.asp?iid=81&mid=14&uid=0 |title=Die Anfänge |website=Eurospeedway.de |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122180431/http://eurospeedway.de/de_racing_company.asp?iid=81&mid=14&uid=0 |archive-date=22 November 2010 |language=de |url-status=dead}} The facility was officially opened during a public ceremony on 20 August 2000.{{cite web |url=http://eurospeedway.de/de_racing_company.asp?iid=82&mid=14&uid=0 |title=Saison 2000 |website=Eurospeedway.de |access-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122181240/http://eurospeedway.de/de_racing_company.asp?iid=82&mid=14&uid=0 |archive-date=22 November 2010 |language=de |url-status=dead}}
Winding in the infield of the high-speed tri-oval, there is a regular road race track for automobile and motorbike racing, using various track configurations up to roughly {{cvt|4.562|km|mi|abbr=on}}. The stands around the tri-oval have a capacity of 120,000, while the huge main grandstands have 25,000 seats, and unlike many circuits, the entire circuit can be seen from the main grandstand. Next to the racing facility, there is a test oval with two long straights connecting two steeply banked U-shaped corners. The test oval has a total length of {{cvt|5.800|km|mi|abbr=on}}, with each of its two straights measuring about {{cvt|2.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} in length. All tracks can be connected to form a {{cvt|12.030|km|mi|abbr=on}} long endurance racing course, but so far this option has been used only for testing and never as part of a major event.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}
There were three serious accidents at the facility in its first year of operation. On 25 April 2001, former Formula One driver Michele Alboreto was killed on the test oval after crashing at high speed due to a tyre failure.{{Cite web |title=Michele Alboreto Killed in Testing Accident (Updated) |url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/michele-alboreto-killed-in-testing-accident-font-faceverdana-size1iupdated-i-font-5056656/5056656/ |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=www.autosport.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=2001-04-26 |title=PLUS: AUTO RACING; Alboreto Is Killed Testing Audi R8 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/26/sports/plus-auto-racing-alboreto-is-killed-testing-audi-r8.html |access-date=2023-05-05 |issn=0362-4331}} Alboreto was testing an Audi R8 in preparation of his participation at the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just over a week later, on 3 May 2001, a track marshal was killed when he was hit by a touring car during a test session.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}
The third serious accident occurred on 15 September 2001, when the venue's tri-oval hosted the 2001 American Memorial. It was the first race of the American CART series to be held in Europe, but it was eventually overshadowed by the accident in which the series' two-time champion Alex Zanardi was involved. Zanardi lost control of his car at the pit exit following a late stop for fuel and the car slid onto the tri-oval, where it was hit from the side by Alex Tagliani's car at full speed. The impact split the front of Zanardi's car from the rest of it and caused the driver to suffer a traumatic amputation of both of his legs. Tagliani was not seriously injured, having suffered some bruising as a result of the crash.
The official EuroSpeedway anthem "Speed Kings" was recorded by the veteran East German band Puhdys in 2000.
The last concert of German hard rock band Böhse Onkelz took place on 17 and 18 June 2005 at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz under the name Vaya Con Tioz, in front of approximately 120,000. It was the biggest open air show by a German band ever.
On 9 October 2005, the EuroSpeedway played host to the A1 Grand Prix series on its road course. The fastest lap of the meeting was set by Nicolas Lapierre and was 0.45 seconds slower than the lap record for the {{cvt|4.345|km|mi|abbr=on}} circuit held by Heikki Kovalainen.
The EuroSpeedway played host to Round 6 of the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship. As the last two events of the 2010 Championship (Rounds 7 and 8) were cancelled, the 2011 series was cancelled as well. The series then suffered an overall three-year hiatus before finally returning in September 2016 and September 2017.{{cite web|url=http://www.lr-online.de/sport/rundschau/Rundschau-Sportberichte-Red-Bull-Air-Race-wieder-auf-dem-Lausitzring;art1075,5288818|title=Red Bull Air Race wieder auf dem Lausitzring|date=16 December 2015|work=Lausitzer Rundschau|language=de|access-date=2015-12-16|location=Cottbus, Brandenburg}}
Image:EuroSpeedway Lausitz Panorama.jpg
On 1 November 2017, the entire facility was sold to the vehicle inspection company Dekra, which announced plans to modernize it and use it as a proving ground for road car innovations.{{cite web|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/130803/lausitzring-to-close-to-public-after-2017|title=DTM and former Champ Car venue Lausitzring to close to public|date=17 July 2017|work=autosport.com|access-date=2017-07-17}} Amid fears that the purchase would mark the end of public racing events at the circuit, Dekra announced that it would not organize such events, but other companies would remain welcome to organize them and Dekra would rent the circuit to them for the purpose.{{cite web|url=https://www.motorsport-total.com/dtm/news/dekra-uebernimmt-lausitzring-dtm-koennte-bleiben-17071702|title=Dekra übernimmt Lausitzring: DTM könnte bleiben|author=Wittemeier, Roman|language=de|date=17 July 2017|work=Motorsport-Total.com|access-date=2017-04-26}} The DTM has continued to organize races at the circuit ever since.
Layout configurations
File:EuroSpeedway Lausitz tri-oval diagram.svg|Superspeedway layout
File:EuroSpeedway GP.png|Grand Prix Circuit layout
File:EuroSpeedway GP Oval T1 2.png|Grand Prix Circuit with Oval Turn 1
File:EuroSpeedway DTM Circuit.svg|DTM Sprint Circuit layout
File:Lausitz GrandPrix Strecke.png|Motorcycle Circuit layout
File:EuroSpeedway Lausitz detailed map.svg|Detailed map of the Lausitzring
{{-}}
Lap records
As of June 2025, the fastest official race lap records at Lausitzring are listed as:
Commercial use
= Test site =
On 1 November 2017, Dekra acquired the Lausitzring as a test site, especially for autonomous driving.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dekra-motorsport.com/de/media/?clipid=55|title=DEKRA und der Lausitzring - DEKRA übernimmt den Lausitzring|language=de|access-date=April 18, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In April 2019 test and verification of communication elements took place on the Lausitzring. Participants were Ford, Samsung, Vodafone, Huawei, LG Electronics and others. Topics were communication matters.{{Cite web| url=https://www.lr-online.de/sport/klettwitz-erfolgreicher-test-zum-autonomen-fahren-auf-lausitzring_aid-38189815 |title= Weltkonzerne freuen sich über Meilenstein auf Lausitzring|language=de |date=April 18, 2019|access-date=April 20, 2019}}
= Entertainment =
Dekra organised also an Open-air festival, that took place in May 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dekra-motorsport.com/de/lausitzring/?article=114|title=Saisonkalender 2019 und neue Website für DEKRA Lausitzring |language=de |access-date= April 18, 2019}}
= Events =
Complementary racing events, such as DTM are on the agenda.
== Current ==
- May: Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, European Truck Racing Championship, ADAC GT Masters, Prototype Cup Germany
- June: Lausitzring Classic, ESET Cup Series
- September: DMV Goodyear Racing Days
== Former ==
- 3000 Pro Series (2005)
- A1 Grand Prix (2005)
- ADAC Formula 4 (2015–2018, 2020, 2022)
- ADAC GT4 Germany (2020, 2023–2024)
- ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship (2020–2022)
- ASCAR Racing Series (2002–2003)
- Austria Formula 3 Cup (2003–2010, 2012–2013, 2015–2018, 2024)
- Champ Car
- German 500 (2001, 2003)
- DTM Trophy (2020–2022)
- EuroBOSS Series (2004–2005, 2009)
- FIA GT Championship (2000)
- FIA Sportscar Championship (2003)
- Formula BMW ADAC (2000–2007)
- Formula König (2001–2004)
- Formula Renault 2.0 Germany (2001–2005)
- Formula Three Euroseries (2005–2006, 2009)
- Formula Volkswagen Germany (2001–2003)
- Interserie (2001, 2003–2004)
- Northern Talent Cup (2020)
- Porsche Carrera Cup Germany (2000–2017, 2020, 2022–2023)
- Red Bull Air Race World Championship (2010, 2016–2017)
- Sidecar World Championship (2001–2002)
- Superbike World Championship (2001–2002, 2005–2007, 2016–2017)
- Supersport 300 World Championship (2017)
- Supersport World Championship (2001–2002, 2005–2007, 2016–2017)
- Trofeo Maserati (2003)
- V8Star Series (2001–2003)
- World Series by Nissan (2003–2004)
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [https://www.dekra-lausitzring.de Official website of Lausitzring]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061203060424/http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/Europe/Germany/lausitzring.html e-Tracks: EuroSpeedway Lausitz]
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Category:A1 Grand Prix circuits
Category:Motorsport venues in Brandenburg
Category:Superbike World Championship circuits
Category:Buildings and structures in Oberspreewald-Lausitz