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The Croatian circuit Grobnik will again be part of the TCR Eastern Europe series calendar. The circuit with a rich history will welcome the championship in 24-26th July.
Grobnik Automotodrom is a typical representative of old school circuits. It was opened in 1978 and during that time the profile of the track has practically not changed. And that’s good news. For drivers, it is a challenge they will hardly find on other circuits in the calendar. Track limits here determine the character of the place and instead of asphalt zones, Croatians prefer traditional gravel traps or grass fields. Competitors simply pay for the mistake, because they can damage the car or lose of time.
Grobnik was established as a replacement for the nearby Opatija circuit, which were opened between 1931 and 1977. In the period before World War II, the whole region belonged to Italy and in 1939 the famous Italian native Luigi Villoresi triumphed there with a maserati. After the Second World War, the entire Istrian peninsula fell into Yugoslavia, and in 1969–1977 (except 1971), Opatija hosted the World Motorcycle Championship.
However, Opatija ceased because of security requirements and in 1978 Grobnik was opened, where World Motorcycle Championship continued it´s Croatia journey. The circuit hosted a total of thirteen Grand Prix of Yugoslavia until 1990.
In 2018, Grobnik welcomed the ESET Cup for the first time in its history. A year later, the TCR Eastern Europe series was held here for the first time. Exactly 4168 meters long track with fifteen turns is a great challenge for all drivers and the fastest time 1:29.409 from last year is held by Milovan Vesnič, who also won first race. The second one belonged to Tomáš Pekař.
