April 29, 2022 - Powerful motorcycles will thunder at the Tehnix FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Croatia at the Millennium Stadium in Međimurje in just a few days.
Acceleration greater than that of a Formula 1 car, without brakes, powered by methanol, with over 80 horsepower, and 500cc are ridden in the speedway for a spectacle just as impressive as their fearless riders.
"We are happy that the Grand Prix has returned to Croatia and that the new season of speedway racing is starting from our region, where this is a sport with a long history," said race director Darija Pavlic. "The 16 best riders in the world will arrive at the Millennium Stadium on Friday, April 29. We are logistically and mentally ready for the biggest sports spectacle that Međimurje has ever had the opportunity to host."
Apart from many world televisions, the race will be broadcast live by Sports Television (SPTV), and on the second day, you can watch it on HRT at 5:30 pm, with commentators Stjepan Balog and Darija Pavlic. The global promoter and media giant Discovery Sports Events took good care to transfer the image of Međimurje and Croatia to about forty countries around the world, from the USA to Australia. Over 80 journalists and photographers have been accredited, which will significantly increase the visibility of continental Croatia as a sports and tourist destination.
François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events, commented: “It is a pleasure to start a new era of Speedway GP in Croatia, and we are glad to be able to show FIM Croatian Speedway GP live to television audiences in cooperation with SPTV, as well as show the most interesting moments to HRT viewers. I know that the race in Donji Kraljevec has always been fierce, and it is challenging to predict the winner for this year's introductory round. However, an epic evening and an attractive race on SPTV await the spectators, and we are looking forward to many Croatian sports fans having the opportunity to see how exciting the race is when the Speedway GP 2022 season starts on April 30 at the Millennium Speedway Stadium."
Millennium Stadium and loyal fans are used to world-class races, as this track has twice in a row decided on who will qualify for the Grand Prix 2019 and 2020 through the SGP Challenge. Matej Žagar won this race, this year's wild card that brings an army of Slovenian fans, which will surely warm up the atmosphere in the stands.
The track is ready for real races that will surely get the audience on their feet, said Jurica Pavlic, who has been preparing it for over a month since the last pre-season training ended. The popular Jura, a synonym for speedway in this part of Croatia, is in charge of the technical aspect of racing, and he is also the author of the trophy for the best three riders.
"I made three cups together with my friend Nikola Lepoglavac from the company "Klima LS" and Andrej Kežman from the company "Marti," also from Prelog. All three cups are unique products, and in the beginning, we had a problem because the first version weighed 25 kilograms, but we managed to make them lighter. I will be honored that the best three from the Croatian GP will take our Cup, which will always remind them of Croatia."
The Millennium Stadium opens its doors on Saturday from noon, and at 13:00, the official training and qualifications for the main race begin. Then, from 16:30, fans can get autographs of the riders while the start of the race is at 19:00.
Tickets will also be available at the entrance to the stadium; children under 12 have free admission, while some grandstands are entirely sold out.
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