November 24, 2020 - Excellent news from the auto racing world as Croatia will host NASCAR GP for the next three years!

HRTurizam reports that in mid-November, Croatia hosted the prestigious European automotive series of NASCAR races for the first time, and the race at Automotodrom Grobnik met all expectations organizationally.

In fact, as the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series points out, the organization of the race and Automotodrom Grobnik even exceeded all expectations.

This is also evidenced by the fact that only five days after the NASCAR GP race at Automotodrom Grobnik, it was officially confirmed that Nascar will return next year as well, and Croatia has been included in the official race calendar for 2021.

"We are very happy with the agreement reached on long-term cooperation with Automotodrom Grobnik. We found a fantastic place for NASCAR GP. It is located by the sea, on the beautiful Croatian "Riviera", the track is very beautiful and the drivers were very happy with it. We found very motivated, dedicated partners in the employees of Automotodrom Grobnik. There is great interest in NASCAR races in the area and everyone has worked great together to organize the first NASCAR race there. The southeastern part of Europe is a new area for us that we are just discovering and we have definitely found a new home in Croatia for EuroNASCAR. Also, we want to work with local federations and other partners to develop drivers from the region, there are many talents we just need to discover. This is a very positive step for the future," concluded NWES President CEO Jerome Galpin.

A member of the Management Board of Automotodrom Grobnik believes that this is probably the most important moment since they laid the new asphalt on the Grobnik runway in 2018.

The fact that Croatia received the Nascar Euro Series for the next three years plus two years is proof that the investment in and around the track was recognized, said the member of the Management Board of Automotodrom Grobnik Robert Žiković and added:

"We believe that this is the beginning of a new era for Grobnik and our region. I hope that in the second year the pandemic will not force us to close the facility to the public again, because the interest of the audience exists. This event, apart from the point of view of sports, can make a significant contribution to the development of Croatian motoring and tourism. With the exceptional support of the Croatian Auto and Karting Association and its president Davorin Štetner, we will organize an even better race, with the hope that more Croatian drivers will apply in the coming years. In cooperation with HAKS, in recent years we have been working on profiling as many drivers as possible to drive the circuit. We believe that even through the race of this rank, some more domestic drivers could be profiled. The year 2021 will be challenging, but we are looking forward to it because a real spectacle awaits us in September."

"I am proud that this great competition is returning to Croatia and I believe it will be in front of the spectators! This is the result of exceptional cooperation between Automotodrom Grobnik, the Croatian Auto and Karting Association, and other participants. I thank the team of Automotodrom Grobnik led by Robert Žiković, the president of NASCAR Jerome Galpin, and everyone involved in this spectacle! Unfortunately, we could not choose the date and Nascar coincides with the date of the Buzet Days, the race of the European Championship on mountain trails. However, this means that this weekend we will have a motoring holiday in Croatia with two spectacular events," said the President of the Croatian Auto and Karting Association Davorin Štetner.

Thus, in 2021, Croatia will host two major spectacles, the World Rally Championship - WRC and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

October 24, 2020 -  After Croatia was named the host of the 2021 World Rally Championship less than a month ago, more great news follows from the world of auto racing... NASCAR is coming to Croatia! 

Index.hr reports that Croatia and Automotodrom Grobnik will host one of the most prestigious automotive competitions in Europe, NASCAR GP, on November 14 and 15, 2020.

Namely, due to the epidemiological situation and restrictions caused by COVID-19, Croatia will replace the third race of the NWES championship, which was to be held on the same date in the Czech Republic.

"In such a challenging and uncertain situation, we must be responsible and give priority to security. It is sad to postpone the Czech Republic for 2021, but at the moment, this is the best decision for everyone. We are happy to develop a new event in Croatia with very motivated partners from Automotodrom Grobnik," said NWES President Jerome Galpin after visiting the Grobnik runway.

"The Croatian coast is beautiful at this time of year. Rijeka is a perfect location, and the Grobnik runway is fast, technically demanding, and fascinating! We are enthusiastic that we can offer NWES drivers and teams a new challenge and look forward to the first Croatian NASCAR GP Croatia."

"Automotodrom Grobnik can't imagine a better end to the season. This is certainly the first step towards more attractive and numerous racing competitions for the audience. This is proof that NWES President Jerome Galpin has recognized all the improvements we have made on the track and the entire facility in recent years. One of our goals is to support the Croatian Automobile and Karting Association (HAKS) and its president Davorin Štetner, believing that collaboration is inevitable for the future of motorsport and drivers so that they can compete in higher-ranking competitions. All this makes us happy despite this challenging year and gives us the right to believe that next year will bring some new sports challenges," said the member of the Management Board of Automotodrom Grobnik Robert Žiković.

"We closely monitored the situation with COVID-19 and, at a crucial moment, managed to ensure the arrival of the spectacular NASCAR for the first time in Croatia! I thank Automotodrom Grobnik and Robert Žiković for the excellent cooperation, and I look forward to strengthening auto racing competitions in Croatia!" said HAKS President Davorin Štetner.

The first NASCAR Croatia will be broadcast live on EuroNESCAR social networks and Motosport.tv and Kreator TV on November 14 and 15, 2020. 

Jacques Villeneuve, a Canadian sports car driver, winner of the 500 miles of Indianapolis, and the 1995 Cart-Champcar Championship, will also drive on the Grobnik runway. He was also a Formula 1 world champion with Williams Renault (1997).

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.