Croatia Rally
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The Croatia Rally is an international rally racing event based in Zagreb, Croatia and is planned to be the third round of 2021 World Rally Championship.[1] The event is organised by Automobile Clubs D.T. Motorsport and Cro Dakar Team with the support of Croatian Car and Karting Federation and was a round of the European Rally Championship from 2007 till 2013. The event was known in the past as Delta Rally and Croatia Delta Rally. It has been a tarmac rally since at least the late 1980s.
History[]
The very first Croatia rally was held more than four decades ago. Its first edition was held in 1974 when it was called INA Delta TLX Rally. It took only three years to grow from a regional race into a national championship event of former Yugoslavia. From the very beginning, the main characteristic of the rally was the extremely long itineraries, which passed through Gorski Kotar, Lika, Primorje and Continental Croatia till mid-eighties.
The first international recognition the race experienced in 1986, when it entered the FIA calendar. The same year special stages located at Žumberak, Plešivica, Zagrebačka gora and Hrvatsko Zagorje were driven by the crews from Austria, Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was the beginning of the project with the goal of entering the European Championship. First nomination towards FIA was sent the same year 1986. But, the race had to wait for the European pedigree for a long six years.
War years despite, Delta rally has become recognized internationally. The event was growing rapidly even in a difficult period one year after another. Good organization has brought it a coefficient 10 by the year 1995, and a year later the organizer nominated it under the name Croatia rally for the highest coefficient of the contemporary European Championship – 20. It took even eleven years till the prestigious series in Croatia.
In late 2006 FIA has reported that the European Championship (ERC) will spread. 34. Croatia rally 2007. has entered the calendar as a third out of ten ERC events. In the first ERC Croatia rally victory was won by the domestic crew Juraj Šebalj and Toni Klinc in Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. The remaining two rallies held in Zagreb and its surroundings were won by foreign competitors – Italians Corrado Fontana and Renzo Casazza, as well as Bulgarians Krum Donchev and Peter Yordanov.
After three successfully organized ERC events in Zagreb, the economic recession has caused the relocation of the race to Rijeka. Croatia Rally in year 2010 was organized in by the Automotive Association of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, and in the next two years by local AC MRC. Special stages were held in Gorski Kotar, Učka, Ćićarija, Istria, and particularly attractive was Super special stage at legendary track Preluk.
In 2013 Croatia Rally has moved once again. This time to Istria and the town of Poreč, which is the host and co-organizer of the event. The rally was organized by the Croatian Car and Karting Federation and the special stages were driven at Učka, Ćićarija and in the triangle of the cities of Buzet, Motovun and Pazin.
The most wins in the history of Croatia Rally were achieved by Slovenians, driver Branislav Kuzmič and co-driver Rudi Šali, each with five victories. They are followed by the Croatian crew Juraj Šebalj - Toni Klinc with four victories and Croatian driver Tihomir Filipović and his co-driver Davor Devunić, with three victories each.
WRC[]
"With a huge international promotion, just imagine the economic effect for Croatia achieved by 10s of 1000s of overnight stays, local expenditures of participants and thousands of people engaged for the organisation. We hope that the situation at the end of April will allow spectators to be there. This would mean the arrival of many WRC fans from around the world. This is the best possible invitation before this year’s tourist season."
—Davorin Štetner, president of the Croatian Automobile & Karting Federation and WRC Croatia Rally Steering Committee.[2]
On October 10, 2020, FIA World Motorsport Council has confirmed Croatia Rally as a new round of the World Rally Championship. The country is set to become the thirty-fourth nation to stage a championship round in the WRC. FIA President Jean Todt congratulated Croatian Automobile & Karting Federation president Davorin Štetner and pointed out that successful including in 2021 calendar was possible thanks to support of Mayor of Zagreb and Croatian Government. The dates are set for Croatia Rally 2021 from April 22 till April 25. Rally Headquarters, start and finish podium will be in Zagreb and itinerary will pass through Karlovac County, Zagreb County and Krapina-Zagorje County. The surface of Special Stages is tarmac.[3]
The idea of bringing WRC to Croatia was born by Daniel Šaškin in year 2013 while Croatia Rally was part of European Rally Championship. Lobbying for the WRC in Croatia began in 2015 thanks to Zrinko Gregurek, Secretary General of CCKF that time, as well member of World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) since 2009. From 2015 to 2020 Gregurek lobbied very strongly and continuously, on the end successfully, for the award of WRC to Croatia. After Jean Tod's visit to Zagreb in July 2020, during next WMSC meeting held in October, the decision on Croatia's inclusion in the FIA WRC Calendar 2021 was adopted. Immediately after the end of the WMSC meeting, Zrinko Gregurek who is WMSC member, sent this exceptional notice to the Croatian Car and Karting Federation.
"The vision was to display our beautiful country to the world through a sport. We believe we can integrate tourism, technology, science and breathtaking scenery in order to show Croatia in a new light. A concept of 310 kilometers of Special Stages with 1000 more kilometers of liaison shall be revealed any time soon. It is our wish to send out a message of traffic safety and bringing a traffic culture to a higher level. This event is much more than the sport itself."
—Daniel Šaškin, President of Organizing Committee of Croatia Rally in a tv show RTL Direkt.[4]
List of winners[]
Sourced in part from:[5][6][7]
References[]
- ^ Craig, Jason. "WRC Rally GB moves to August, addition of new Croatia round". Autosport.com. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "First look at Croatia route as rally aims to have fans". 16 February 2021.
- ^ "Croatia Rally u kalendaru WRC-a! Todt: Poseban dan za Hrvatsku". Hrvatska radiotelevizija. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Sportski spektakl desetljeća stiže u Hrvatsku: 'Ovo je fenomenalan trenutak i prilika za vrhunski biznis'".
- ^ "Previous winners – 44. Croatia Rally 2017". rally-croatia.com. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
- ^ "Croatia Rally". eWRC-results.com.
- ^ "Delta Rally". eWRC-results.com.
External links[]
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- Croatia Rally
- Sport in Yugoslavia
- Rally competitions in Croatia
- European Rally Championship rallies
- World Rally Championship rallies
- Recurring sporting events established in 1974