By alley - Jul 19, 2017, 1:59 PM ET

Uncertain future for racing at Eurospeedway Lausitzring

Germany's Eurospeedway Lausitzring, which played home to Champ Car, the DTM (pictured) and other major racing series, has undergone an ownership change that could alter the future usage of the combined oval and road course.

In the announcement of the sale to German safety inspection firm DEKRA, plans to shift the Lausitzring from a motor racing and large event host to an automotive test facility were unveiled.

"We are initially investing more than 30 million euros in establishing this testing network," said DEKRA CEO Stefan Kolbl. "Automation and connectivity, the topics of the future, are becoming increasingly important for the safety of mobility. 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."

Champ Car's 2001 stop at the Lausitzring, just days after 9/11, was burned into the memories of those who watched the terrible accident unfold between Alex Tagliani and Alex Zanardi that caused the Italian to lose both legs. Countryman Michele Alboreto lost his life at the circuit during a test with Audi earlier in the year, which also marred Lausitzring's early existence.

In recent years, the large facility has played host to all forms of racing as the former ownership group, which was comprised of five partners, often acted as event promotors that created events to increase activity. The addition of athletic competitions, beer festivals, and other gathering were also promoted to offset the dwindling amount motor racing activities at Lausitzring.

With the takeover by DEKRA, it was assumed motor racing would come to an end at the facility, but in a follow-up interview with a company spokesperson, it would appear the option will exist for external promotors to hold events once the ownership transfer is completed in Nov. 1.

"The claim that our acquisition of the Lausitzring racetrack would necessarily mean the end of all motorsport activities there is not accurate," DEKRA's Wolfgang Sigloch told

RacingCircuits.info

. "DEKRA is a company that has motorsports at its heart - you can see that from our long-term commitment to DTM or the sponsoring partnership with Nico Hülkenberg. Of course, organizing racing events is not our core business, so it is clear that we ourselves will not be doing that.

"However – and I am grateful to anyone pointing that out in the media – we have said in the press conference on Monday that we are indeed willing to talk to potential organizers who would want to hire the racetrack for certain events. There is no guarantee for racing events to take place from 2018 onwards, but it is by no means impossible under our plans of using the racetrack as a testing facility for automated and connected driving."