FIM Speedway Grand Prix returning to Croatia

by croatiaweek
November 15, 2023
in Sport

FIM Speedway Grand Prix returning to Croatia (Photo: FIM Speedway Grand Prix Croatia)

In 2024, Donji Kraljevec will host the first round of the battle for the world champion title on April 27th.

For the third consecutive year, the Millennium Stadium will be the venue for the FIM Speedway Grand Prix competition, hosting the first round – FIM SGP of Croatia.

Riders like Bartosz Zmarzlik, Fredrik Lindgren, Jack Holder, Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley, Tai Woffinden, as well as Mikkel Michelsen, Leon Madsen, and many others, will kick off the race for the world champion title in the green landscapes of Croatia, in Međimurje, at the beautiful Millennium Stadium.

(Photo: FIM Speedway Grand Prix Croatia)

“We will repeat the Speedway spectacle we witnessed in the past two years in an even better edition at the end of April this year when we organize the Grand Prix for the sixth time in the history of the Millennium Stadium. Each time, we are amazed at how good a speedway event can be and what the limits of competitiveness are for these riders who give their last ounce of strength for every point earned! We are also pushing the boundaries of (ad)venture tourism: an exclusive experience for the audience coming from all over the world to Croatia, to Međimurje, on that Saturday night,” said Darija Pavlic, race director and member of the FIM Race Track Commission.

(Photo: Julien Duval)

“In 2022 and 2023, the incredible image of Croatia and the beautiful Međimurje circulated the world; the race was broadcast in 56 countries globally, with over two thousand hours of content shown on all media. It is estimated that over 15 million viewers worldwide watched both Croatian Speedway Grand Prix races. The marketing and promotional value that Međimurje achieved as a destination exceeded 10 million euros, a value that no other sports project has achieved!” she added.

In the 2023 season, speedway celebrated a hundred years of the sport, and the Međimurje (and Croatian) race was once again declared one of the most interesting and exciting races on the calendar, with the future four-time world champion, Polish rider Bartosz Zmarzlik, emerging as the winner.

(Photo: FIM Speedway Grand Prix Croatia)

“The goal of WBD Sports Europe is to expand the calendar but also to retain traditional races, so we are happy that in the 2024 season, SGP will be held at 11 different locations,” said Laura Manciet, championship director. “For the first time since 1997, Landshut will host Speedway GP in the third round, and the Speedway of Nations will take place in Manchester, on a track considered one of the most exciting on the calendar. Speedway Grand Prix returns to Wroclaw, and the season starts in Croatia, in Međimurje, at the Millennium Stadium in Donji Kraljevec.”

Well-known to Međimurje and Croatian speedway fans is Armando Castagna, director of the FIM CCP Commission: “We have an excellent speedway season ahead of us, looking forward to going to Manchester, and among the top 16 riders, we have five new names representing a total of nine nations!”

Tickets for FIM Speedway Grand Prix will be available through the www.entrio.hr system.