Opatija Circuit
 |
|
| Location | Opatija, Croatia |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT +1 (DST: GMT +2) |
| Coordinates | 45°21′08″N 14°20′00″E / 45.35222°N 14.33333°ECoordinates: 45°21′08″N 14°20′00″E / 45.35222°N 14.33333°E |
| Major events | Grand Prix motorcycle racing |
| Length | 6.000 km (3.728 mi) |
Opatija Circuit, also known as Preluk Circuit, was a motorsport street circuit located in Opatija, Croatia. The circuit used the city streets of the seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf between 1931 and 1977. It was known as the "Monaco" of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing circuit because of its dramatic views of the Adriatic Sea.
The circuit first hosted local auto races beginning in 1931 when Opatija was known as Abazzia and was under temporary Italian rule. It has alternately been known as the "Circuito di Abbazia" (Opatija Circuit) and the "Circuito di Carnaro" (Kvarner Circuit). The circuit's layout was comparable to that of the Monaco Grand Prix course but faster and longer at 6 kilometers in length and with 85 meters of elevation changes. The race course presented an impressive challenge for competitors as it followed the corniche along the shoreline, then began to climb as it hugged the hillside above the town before descending back down to the coast.
The venue first gained international prominence when it hosted the 1939 Adriatic Grand Prix won by Luigi Villoresi driving a Maserati 4CL. The area became part of Yugoslavia after the Second World War. Racing resumed after the war with local motorcycle races being held in 1946. The following year, the circuit hosted a round of the Yugoslavian motorcycle national championship. By 1950 car racing also returned with sportscar races between 1950 and 1959, Formula Junior races in 1960, 1961 and 1963, and Formula 3 races between 1964 and 1968.
In 1961, the 50cc race formed the fifth round of the European Championships, won by German rider Hans-Georg Anscheidt on a Kreidler. From 1969 to 1977, the venue hosted the Yugoslavian Grand Prix as part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship. When Godfrey Nash rode a Norton Manx to victory at the 1969 Yugoslavian Grand Prix at Opatija, it marked the last victory for a single-cylinder machine in a 500cc Grand Prix.
...
Wikipedia