Franić Defends Championship Lead in Slovakia
After a nearly three-month break, the Croatian Circuit Championship resumes this weekend at the Slovakiaring, with 20 Croatian drivers among more than 200 entries.
After a nearly three-month break, the Croatian Circuit Championship resumes this weekend at the Slovakiaring, with 20 Croatian drivers among more than 200 entries.
This weekend, after a nearly three-month hiatus, the Croatian circuit championship resumes at the Slovakiaring, located near Bratislava. The Slovak Grand Prix takes place from August 21 to 23, and alongside a series of cups, it will also feature national championships from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, and Croatia. According to information from Sportske novosti, organizers have received more than 200 entries, including 20 drivers from Croatia.
The largest number of Croatian representatives will compete in Group 5, a class where, after four races this season, Đivo Franić holds the top spot. He notes that the break was well used to prepare the car, with special attention given to the weather forecast.
"We've had a longer break, but at least we had time to prepare the cars thoroughly. According to weather forecasts, we expect rain at the Slovakiaring, which has shaped our preparations but hasn't changed our goal. Personally, I'm hoping for good results again that would allow me to maintain my leading position in the standings," Franić told Sportske novosti.
Franić expects the usual tough competition, and in the national class, he believes around ten drivers will compete, though there could be more since there are cars available. At least five drivers from AK Dubrovnik Racing are traveling to Slovakia for the race.
"I believe there will be about ten of us in the national class, though there could be more because there are cars. At least five of us from AK Dubrovnik Racing are going to Slovakia, and besides good results, we're also hoping for some relief from the intense heat this summer," Franić added.
Leading the Dubrovnik contingent on the road to Slovakia is Žarko Knego, who is set for another appearance in the Eastern European TCR Championship. Knego has been racing at the Slovakiaring since 2019 and knows all the challenges of this nearly 6-kilometer track well.
"I've been racing at the Slovakiaring since 2019, and I can say the track is extremely demanding, one of the few that combines technically challenging and very fast sections, which requires a compromise in car setup. The first sector is particularly fast, including the fastest right-hand corner in the entire championship, taken at 205 km/h, maybe a bit more. In 2020, I had a heavy crash there at 190 km/h, completely wrecking the car, and that corner is still special to me. You can gain a lot there, but also lose a lot. Then comes the middle section, which is technical on a track that's nearly 6 km long," Knego described for Sportske novosti.
At the beginning of August, Knego recorded two fourth-place finishes at Most in the Czech Republic, and in Slovakia, he expects stronger and more numerous competition, which serves as extra motivation.
"We've entered the second half of the season, and as things stand, Kadlečik and Kout are fighting for the top, while Zbožinek and I will battle for third place," Knego stated.
The Slovak track hasn't suited Valter Nežić well either, who leads Group 6 of the Croatian championship. Although he likes the track and considers it technically demanding and fast, he admits it doesn't suit him best with the Clio.
"I like the track; it's technically demanding and fast, but somehow it doesn't suit me with the Clio. I don't know why, but I'm not as fast there as I'd expect. Last year, I was slower than Tomislav Jaklin in practice, but I managed to pull out a result through experience. I hope it'll be better this year, but you never know-Tomo can really surprise, and it'll be interesting," Nežić told Sportske novosti.
