The Lausitzring was the first banked oval opened in Europe since the 1920s when it opened in eastern Germany. The circuit’s first race, a German Touring Car Championship event scheduled for 3 September 2000, was cancelled due to rain. Worse was to come for the circuit’s early history was racked by tragedy. Michele Alboreto was killed while testing for the 2001 Le Mans 24 Hours and a marshal died during an event a week later. In September 2001, Europe’s first Champ Car race was marred by Alex Zanardi’s horrific accident and serious injuries. That said, the low-banked tri-oval is a magnificent facility, and an impressive 87,000-crowd watched the inaugural Champ Car race. The series returned in 2003, but DTM is now the most important championship to visit.
