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The Eset Race Star project wrote an almost fairy-tale story at Poznan circuit in 2021 season. Polish driver Bartosz Groszek became the hero of the race weekend in TCR Eastern Europe. A year before, he was a completely unknown driver, preparing for the first racing season in TCR Eastern Europe. But the coronavirus pandemic changed plans. He replaced his race car for a simulator and celebrated his first major international victory in TCR Eastern Europe Simracing. He achieved his second big success in Poznań, where he started in TCR Eastern Europe as a member of the Eset Race Star. He grabbed his chance beyond all expectations. In the second race, he kept all the favourites behind his back and celebrated the victory.
„It is true that when I entered the series in Poznan, I did not expect to be able to win and stand on the podium in every subsequent race. It was a pleasant surprise. But it would certainly not be possible without a well-prepared Horňák-Aditis car.
You started with the support of ESET Race Star, which for sure was big help for you.
The project helped me finance the racing program. Everyone knows how difficult it is, especially for young riders, to develop their talent without the necessary financial background. That is why I am grateful to Mr. Josef Křenek for inviting me to this project and allowing me to compete in such a quality championship. I fought with Sebastian Steibl, who also had the support of Eset Race Star, for third place in the championship. However Carol Wittke had best outing in final event at Brno and took third place in final classification. I finished fourth, but I was satisfied with the weekend at the Masaryk Circuit. I finished second behind Wittke in both races – on the track where I started for the first time. In addition, we kept third place in teams championship for Horňák-Aditis team.
You said goodbye to the 2021 season in Prague by winning the exhibition race on simulators, where you competed with best Czech racing drivers. Is it harder to win a virtual or real race?
It’s a question of training and I pay a lot of attention to the simulator. I repeat each ride, at the same time I watch my opponent on video and then I try to transfer the experience to the race track. In a real race, you feel with your whole body how the car behaves and you can use it. In simulator you have to rely on your eyesight and steering wheel, so it’s harder. But in SIM racing, you don’t have worry about the money.
