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Žarko Knego will compete ahead of his home fans this weekend. And he would like to finish in top five. He revealed that and more in our pre-race interview.
After first three rounds, you are 14th in the championship standings. How are you satisfied with the season so far?
The start of the season wasn´t so good. I had a lot of technical problems so I didn´t start the second race of the weekend at all. Second round in Slovakia was quite good. In general, I´m satisfied. But there is a big room for improvement.
Žarko Knego started from pole position in Race 2 at Slovakiaring thanks to reversed grid. Photo: Petr Frýba
This weekend, you will race on your home track in Grobnik. What do you expect from the weekend? What are your ambitions? Do you think you will be able to achieve better results on your home track?
I hope for a slightly better results in Grobnik as I know the circuit well. My target is to finish in top five if it´s possible. That would be a great result for me. However, all other drivers have been on this track and were making good lap times so it won´t be easy to achieve my goal.
Leaving aside Grobnik is your home circuit, is this track amongst your favorite circuits? In 2019, you finished there fifth and sixth and achieved your best results in TCR Eastern Europe career so far…
Grobnik as my home track is one of the favorite tracks, but Slovakiaring as one of the most demanding circuits is my favorite circuit number one from the calendar. It has fast and technical parts. The one who makes a good lap there is a complete driver who can easily adapt to a different configurations.
Žarko Knego had a successful home appearance in 2019. Photo: ESET Cup
How did look like your preparation before Grobnik round? Did you prepare also for probable high temperatures in any way?
I raced within Croatian championship in Grobnik. I used it as a preparation on that track. I wasn´t going for result there, but I was trying to improve myself and the car. We will see if there is an improvement. We expect high temperatures as Grobnik is one of the hottest places in Croatia at the end of July.
What do you think about the development of TCR Eastern Europe? You are a driver of this series since the beginning…
TCR Eastern Europe has developed very well. Mr. Křenek and the rest of the team is doing a very good job and the championship is becoming more and more interesting. There are a lot of Croatian drivers who want to join it and I hope it will continue this way. Races are close to each other and it reduces the costs what makes the championship attractive to more drivers. TV coverage with live broadcasting is one of the best things. It helps with sponsors and fans.
Opening photo: Petr Frýba
