Slovenian star Matej Zagar returns to his adopted FIM Speedway Grand Prix home track as Tehnix FIM Speedway GP of Croatia wild card on April 29.
The former world No.5 lines up in the famous No.16 race jacket in the first Speedway GP round of 2023 in Donji Kraljevec after storming to the semi-finals of the 2022 event, scoring 11 championship points.
Zagar has enjoyed some of the biggest and best nights of his career at Speedway Stadion Milenium. He finished second in the 2012 FIM GP Challenge there after a nail-biting five-rider run-off to book his place in the 2013 Speedway GP World Championship.
He then won the FIM GP Challenge staged there in 2019, sending a passionate crowd of Croatian fans and travelling Slovenians wild as they celebrated his Speedway GP qualification long into the night, before he returned to win the event for a second straight season in 2020.
Zagar is very much at home on Speedway Stadion Milenium’s unique sandy surface, and facing the best riders in the world will hold no fears for a man who has recorded five Speedway GP wins, 1,002 Speedway GP World Championship points, and 706 heats raced over 127 Speedway GP appearances.
The Ljubljana-born racer heads across the border to Croatia alongside fellow Slovenian star Nick Skorja, who serves as first track reserve, wearing the No.17 race jacket. Norbert Magosi of Hungary is named as second reserve at No.18.
Darija Pavlic, SK Milenium president and a member of the FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP), can’t wait to bring the world’s best riders back to Croatia.
She said: “Last year we announced the dawn of the new era of speedway at the first SGP of the season. This year we can only ask you to come again and be our guests at the Stadion Milenium.
“It's a big honour for us at SK Milenium and for Croatia to host an event like this yet again. This will be the 71st event at our 18-year-old stadium and we expect a full house with over 7,500 fans from all over the world. Once again, we're proud to be the first stop in the race to become 2023 Speedway GP world champion!”
Zvonko Pavlic, track manager, played a leading role in building the Speedway Stadion Milenium into the great venue it is today and is pleased to see the sport and its facilities entering a new era.
He said: “Lots has changed since the last time I rode a speedway bike. We've implemented new electronic timing loops as opposed to stopwatches and new LED floodlights.
“The track is ready to welcome 16 of the world's best riders in just under three weeks. We're proud to have a track in such perfect shape that many say it's one of the best tracks of all the GP venues!”
Rudi Grula, director of Meðimurje Tourist Board, is pleased to welcome Speedway GP back to Croatia as FIM Speedway plays its part in ensuring the action takes place with sustainability at its heart.
He said: “Meðimurje is the smallest county in Croatia, but we're proud to host global events like these.
“One of the biggest ideas in 2023 in sports is going green, which Meðimurje county supports. We have a green destination eco label, and events like these that care, promote and act in a green, sustainable and ecological way are what we stand behind.”
Matija Posavec, Mayor of Meðimurje County, has fond memories of watching speedway action and looks forward to the 2023 Tehnix FIM Croatian Speedway GP. He said: “Speedway celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. My father used to take me to see the races 30 years ago. One of the biggest stars then was Lazar Csaba, but Zvonko Pavlic was always our favourite.
“Having legends work on events like these is important, continuing and passing on their speedway legacy to younger generations.
“Celebrating our first 100 years of the sport and just seeing people from all over the world watching, attending and cheering at the SGP in our county is something you can't buy with money.
“We're proud to host a World Championship race in Meðimurje, Croatia. We're proud to have young people that organise events like these, that cater to tradition, sport and the legacy of racing.”
Tickets for the Tehnix FIM Croatian Speedway GP are on sale now. Don’t miss the region’s biggest speedway event – book your tickets online HERE: https://www.entrio.hr/event/fim-speedway-grand-prix-of-croatia-12783
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