Auto Klub Dubrovnik Racing is organising the 26th edition of the international hillclimb Nagrada Dubrovnika this year, held on 10 and 11 October on the traditional course towards Osojnik.
The race is part of the official motorsport calendar, brings together Croatian and international drivers, and for a quarter of a century has closed the motorsport season in Dubrovnik.
Motorsport is a particular sport. Unlike most sports, Dubrovnik has no circuit, no training ground and no other sporting infrastructure where we can train and hold competitions. Through the year our members race on tracks across Croatia and abroad, and once a year we bring motorsport home to our city.
We know that a race on a public road, however carefully planned, temporarily affects the daily lives of some of our neighbours. That is why we especially want to thank the residents of Osojnik, Mokošica, Lozica and the surrounding areas, and everyone who may feel traffic restrictions over the race weekend.
Every year we adapt the organisation to keep that impact as small as possible
For this year's race we have changed the layout of the start and the service area to ease traffic towards Osojnik and avoid the bottleneck of previous years. The start has moved towards the Franjo Tuđman Bridge, which separates the competition vehicles from the point where local traffic is managed. During breaks between competitive runs, vehicles will be let through to and from Osojnik in a controlled way, and once the day's competition programme ends, traffic flows without restrictions. The same principle is set out in the race's organisational proposal.
Cars belong on the track, not racing on public roads
For our club, motorsport is not only about competing and results. We also want to use it to promote responsible behaviour and road safety, especially among young people.
Bringing young people into organised motorsport is a chance to channel an interest in cars and speed into a controlled, safe environment. The race runs on a closed and secured course under sporting and safety rules, while the public road is no place to prove driving skills.
We want the Nagrada Dubrovnika to be a place to get to know motorsport in exactly that way: as an organised sport that means discipline, responsibility, technical knowledge and respect for the rules.
A race open to everyone
The 26th Nagrada Dubrovnika is not meant only for competitors and members of motorsport clubs. We want it to be an event for Dubrovnik and its people, a meeting place for athletes, car fans, families, children and anyone who wants to get to know motorsport.
Entry for spectators is free.
Free entry is our small way of thanking the people of Dubrovnik for the understanding and support they give us over the one weekend a year when our sport gets its place in the city.
Meet the drivers, the race cars and the Dubrovnik Racing Akademija at Uvala Lapad
As an opening to the Nagrada Dubrovnika 2026, on Friday 9 October from 14:00 to 18:00, we invite everyone in the city and all motorsport fans to the car park by the promenade at Uvala Lapad, where we will present this year's race together.
Visitors can see the race cars up close, meet the drivers and spend time with them in a relaxed atmosphere before the competition weekend begins.
Our special guest is Adrijan Petričević - Adri, multiple drift champion, who will join the drivers and the public at the presentation in Uvala Lapad.
On the same occasion Auto Klub Dubrovnik Racing will present the Dubrovnik Racing Akademija for the first time: the club's new programme for everyone who loves motorsport and would like to take a first step into it, but has not known how or where to start.
The programme is aimed especially at people who have never been involved in motorsport. Through the Akademija we want to let them learn the basics, go through the right training and preparation and, if they wish, take their first steps towards official competitions.
We want to show that motorsport is not a closed circle open only to those who already have experience, a race car or a family tradition in the sport. Someone who comes to watch the race today may be our future driver, mechanic, marshal or team member.
Through the Dubrovnik Racing Akademija the club wants to create a clear, organised path from a first interest in motorsport, through education and getting to know the sport, to the chance to join the system of official competitions.
It matters to us to give young people the message that an interest in cars and speed should grow in a controlled sporting environment, with education, safety rules and responsibility, and not through showing off and racing on public roads.
That is why the event at Uvala Lapad is more than a race presentation. We want it to be a place where anyone thinking about getting into motorsport can come up to us, meet our drivers and club members, ask questions and find out how to take their first step.
Friday 9 October | 14:00-18:00 | Car park by the promenade, Uvala Lapad
We do not expect a motor race to matter equally to everyone, nor do we ignore that temporary traffic management can be a difficulty for some. On the contrary, we want to hear residents' needs, work with the authorities and adapt the organisation as far as possible, without compromising the safety of competitors, spectators and other road users.
All we ask of our fellow citizens is a little understanding for one weekend a year.
That weekend means a lot to our club and our drivers. After a whole season on tracks outside Dubrovnik, it is our chance to race in front of our fans and neighbours and to present motorsport in the city we belong to.
After 25 editions, we want to keep building the Nagrada Dubrovnika as a sporting event the city welcomes: one that respects its neighbours, takes care of safety and brings people together around sport.
See you on 10 and 11 October at the 26th Nagrada Dubrovnika.
Entry is free. Everyone is welcome.