On its second day, Grand Prix of Croatia again delivered top-tier sporting drama, plenty of wheel-to-wheel battle, and uncertainty on track. The TCR Eastern Europe, Bohemia Clio Cup, and Croatian Open Championship races were especially unpredictable.
The sporting peak of the final day of Grand Prix of Croatia at Automotodrom Grobnik was the second TCR Eastern Europe race. Per TCR rules, the grid was set by reversing the top six finishers of Saturday's race, putting Croatian drivers Niko Pulić and Frano Dubreta on the front row. But when the red lights went out, Žarko Knego made the best start from the second row and took the lead. In the laps that followed, Knego held off attacks from Petar Čižek, but with five laps to go he had no answer for Martin Kadlečik and crossed the line second.
When you reach the podium there's no reason to be unhappy. True, I led for half the race, but I'll say it again, no reason to regret it, Knego said after the race, after dictating a fierce pace and pulling more than two seconds clear of Čižek in just two laps.
I think that very pace is why I lost first place. My engineer Miroslav warned me over the radio about the tyres, told me to ease off, but honestly I didn't have the courage. I kept going at my rhythm and just prayed not to have a puncture, and when Kadlečik came up behind me, I had no tyres left to fight. Knego ultimately achieved his goal and finished the race on the second step of the podium, while Kadlečik climbed to the top step at Grobnik once again. As on Saturday, the 22-year-old Czech started from sixth.
I didn't get away well at the start and had to work my way back while the guys ahead pulled clear. At the same time I had to think about the tyres, because today was sunny and warm, the kind of Grobnik we'd expected. I saved enough tyre for a decisive attack on Knego, and it ended perfectly for me, said a happy Kadlečik, who enjoyed both races.
How exciting and unpredictable the TCR race was is best summed up by the fact that reigning champion Adam Kout, despite starting last from 11th on the grid, finished on the third step of the podium.
Sunday at Grobnik opened with the second Group 1 Croatian Open Championship race, defined by the expected duel between the Blažević brothers for the lead, with Luka returning the favour to Nikša for Saturday's defeat.
Much more uncertain was the battle in the largest Group 5, where from start to finish a very tight contest unfolded for almost every position. In the end, after numerous overtakes and the odd light excursion onto the grass, victory in the National Class went to Igor Tomljanović, who didn't hide his satisfaction after the race.
The National Class is delivering on its promise this year. The competition is fierce, there are some experienced drivers, but also a wave of young talent that has emerged. They're very good, they have strong teams and well-built cars, and it's a real pleasure to win against this kind of field, said Tomljanović, who, despite his rally background, adapted much better to Sunday's dry conditions and showed determination and patience in battles with Leon Zelenko, Gabriel Iviček, and Đivo Franić.
Every win is a combination of circumstances. Today Leon had car trouble and without that, the order might have been quite different, concluded Tomljanović, while Zelenko, Saturday's winner, explained his issues.
For starters I made a small mistake at the start, but already on the first lap I managed to get back to the lead. Then the car problems began. Three laps of pulling, then it starts to splutter. I had no chance against my rivals on the straights. I think this car has done its job and for the rest of the championship we'll move to a different one, said the reigning National Class champion.
In the Group 2 OPH race, 16-year-old Dawid Babraj of Poland won, for him it was just a good warm-up for the Clio Cup, and the best of the Croatian drivers, Ivica Marić, took second.
In the Twingo Cup, Oliver Steiner repeated his Saturday result and finished on the top step, and Tim Gabor followed his lead by winning both Swift Cup races at Grobnik. Austria's Michael Fischer took Formula 3 race two. A real treat for the public was the Bohemia Clio Cup race, won by Julian Smiechowski, who crossed the line just 74 thousandths of a second clear of the persistent Tomas Pekar.