Grand Prix of Zelina 2026: motorcycle spectacle in Sveti Ivan Zelina brings championship races, supermoto and classics
Sveti Ivan Zelina will once again get into the rhythm of motorcycle racing on Sunday, 30 August 2026. The Grand Prix of Zelina, an all-day competition bringing together riders from different disciplines and generations of motorcycles, will be held at the ŠRC Zelina complex, at Ulica Vladimira Nazora 87. The organiser, Moto Racing Klub Sveti Ivan Zelina, confirms that the event will take place on 30 August, while official documents of the Croatian Motorcycle Federation show that Zelina will host championship races in road motorcycle racing and supermoto on that day, alongside other disciplines listed in the registration system for the same event. The programme is designed as a sporting event for spectators who want to follow the competition from close range, but also as an all-day gathering featuring a gastronomic offer, an awards ceremony and evening music. Admission for visitors is free.
According to the event announcement, the morning part of the programme begins at 7:30 with practice sessions. The official supplementary regulations for road motorcycle racing of the Croatian Motorcycle Federation also specify the start of official practice at 7:30, while the supermoto regulations provide for practice sessions from 7:30 to 12:30. The organiser's announcement lists 13:30 as the start of the afternoon racing programme, while the official supermoto regulations specify the opening ceremony at 13:35 and the start of the first race at 14:00. Due to possible operational changes during the competition day, spectators are therefore best advised to assume that the main competitive part begins after 13:30 and to follow official announcements at the venue.
Four different faces of motorcycling in one day
The Grand Prix of Zelina is attractive precisely because the programme is not limited to one type of motorcycle. According to the event announcement, disciplines offering spectators very different riding styles will be held in Sveti Ivan Zelina: scooters, classic or vintage motorcycles, road racing motorcycles and supermoto. The official competition registration platform of the Croatian Motorcycle Federation separately lists the Croatian Supermoto Championship, the Croatian Scooter Championship, the CMR competition, or classic motorcycle road racing, and CMU, road motorcycle racing, for 30 August in Sveti Ivan Zelina. This confirms that the event is not merely an exhibition gathering, but part of the official competition calendar in several disciplines.
In road motorcycle racing, the supplementary regulations for the Grand Prix of Zelina list the classes 125 SP, 300 SSP, 600 Superstock, 1000 Superstock and Veteran – Big Boys. In that document, the race is entered in the calendar under the designation CMU M-01-03 and counts towards the individual riders' standings, as well as the standings of clubs, teams and club squads. The organiser's announcement particularly highlights the exciting motorcycle battles in the 600 and 1000 classes, which should represent one of the fastest parts of the programme for spectators. It is precisely the combination of lighter and less powerful classes with high-performance motorcycles that allows spectators to see in a single day how riding lines, acceleration, braking and tactics differ depending on the motorcycle and competition category.
Supermoto brings a different kind of dynamics. The Croatian Motorcycle Federation lists the Zelina race as the fifth round of the 2026 Croatian Supermoto Championship, under the designation M-10-05. The supplementary regulations for this discipline list the "Zelinski bazeni" circuit and confirm MRK Sveti Ivan Zelina as the organiser. In supermoto, the emphasis is on frequent changes of pace, hard braking, rapid changes of direction and very direct battles, so spectators can follow a large number of tactical moves and overtaking attempts in a short period of time. For spectators who do not usually follow motorcycle sport, this is one of the disciplines in which differences between riders' styles can easily be noticed after only a few laps.
Scooters and classic motorcycles also add particular value to the programme. Championship-level scooter racing demonstrates how much competitive potential can be extracted from relatively compact machines, while classic motorcycle road racing brings an entirely different atmosphere and the technical heritage of motorcycle sport. The official 2026 plan of the Sports Committee of the Croatian Motorcycle Federation lists Sveti Ivan Zelina on 30 August as one of the championship rounds in the classic motorcycle road racing calendar. For spectators, this means a rare opportunity to see modern racing motorcycles and machines representing earlier stages in the development of road motorcycling during the same event.
More than one hundred entries through the official competition system
Competitor interest is also visible in the official registration system. Prijavise.eu, the platform used for registrations for Croatian Motorcycle Federation competitions, shows 12 entries for supermoto, 23 for scooters, 46 for CMR and 38 for CMU for Sveti Ivan Zelina on 30 August 2026. Altogether, this amounts to 119 recorded entries or appearances across four disciplines. This figure should not automatically be interpreted as 119 different riders, as the same competitor may, under certain circumstances, compete in more than one class, but the figure clearly demonstrates the breadth of the sporting programme being prepared for Zelina.
The supplementary regulations for road motorcycle racing stipulate that rider entries are submitted electronically and that the regular deadline was 16 August. The organiser was required to publish the list of registered riders by class no later than 23 August. The document also prescribes verification and technical inspection of motorcycles and equipment on Saturday, 29 August, from 16:00 to 20:00 at the "Zelinski bazeni" circuit. Eligibility to compete is linked to the appropriate licence, insurance and medical certificate, while the motorcycle and protective equipment undergo technical inspection before entering the official part of the programme. Such procedures often remain out of sight for spectators, but they represent an important part of the competition weekend and a prerequisite for Sunday's programme to be conducted in accordance with sporting regulations.
The regulations list SPEED Timing, a service specialising in timing for motorcycle sport and other disciplines, as responsible for timekeeping and producing results. Its current "Road Motorcycle Racing 2026" schedule lists Sveti Ivan Zelina for 30 August, further confirming the date of the competition. In practice, this means that the results of individual races will be processed immediately after completion, while the CMU supplementary regulations provide for the publication of provisional results no later than 20 minutes after the race of each class. After the prescribed deadlines and official procedure have expired, the results become the basis for championship scoring.
The Grand Prix of Zelina is also the Ivica Gluhak Memorial
The sporting event also has a memorial dimension. Moto Racing Klub Sveti Ivan Zelina states on its official website that the club was founded on 17 November 2023 with the aim of promoting and developing motorcycle sport and that the Grand Prix of Zelina is also the Ivica Gluhak Memorial, dedicated to one of the club's founders and a great motorcycle enthusiast who died in 2023. The same memorial name also appears in the official Croatian Motorcycle Federation regulations for this year's road motorcycle racing and supermoto events in Zelina.
The club also recalls the older tradition of motorcycle sport in the Zelina area. According to its information, the establishment of today's MRK represents a continuation of a sporting story that had already been developing in Sveti Ivan Zelina during the 1980s, when prominent car racing and motocross riders from the then country competed there. The first race under the name "Grand Prix of Zelina", organised by the new club, was held in 2024. In just a few seasons, the event has therefore grown from a new local project into an event with a stable place on the calendar of several motorcycle disciplines.
The broader significance of the race can also be seen in city documents. In the Destination Management Plan of the City of Sveti Ivan Zelina for the period 2026–2029, the "Grand Prix of Zelina Motorcycle Race – MRK Sveti Ivan Zelina" is included among city events and identified as a sports tourism attraction in August. This shows that the event is also viewed as part of the city's wider offering, rather than merely as a competition confined to the motorcycle community. For a medium-sized city, such events have additional value because they bring together competitors, their teams, families and spectators from different regions over the course of one weekend.
ŠRC Zelina as the centre of the all-day programme
The event takes place in the ŠRC Zelina area, at Ulica Vladimira Nazora 87. The Tourist Board of the City of Sveti Ivan Zelina states on its website that ŠRC includes a multifunctional sports centre with a range of sports facilities, while the official motorcycle regulations refer to the circuit for this race as "Zelinski bazeni". During the competition, this area takes on a completely different function: the riders' paddock, technical zone, area for officials, starting grid and safety-separated spectator zones all become important.
The CMU supplementary regulations state that the riders' paddock is located within the circuit. After the race, motorcycles from individual classes may be held in a specially designated closed area due to possible technical inspections and protests. The rules also provide for official signalling, a precisely defined starting procedure and an obligation for riders to follow the practice schedule without individual calls. All this demonstrates how much more complex the organisation of a road motorcycle race is than merely the moment when the motorcycles appear in front of the spectators.
For visitors, the most important thing is to remain within designated areas and follow the organiser's instructions, particularly along sections of the circuit where speeds are higher. Motorcycle racing also generates very high noise levels, so families with children are advised to bring hearing protection. Since the programme runs from early morning until evening, it is practical to plan arrival in advance, bring protection from the sun or rain depending on weather conditions, and expect heavier traffic in the immediate vicinity of ŠRC. Official traffic regulations for 30 August 2026 had not been found in publicly available city notices at the time this article was published, so any road closures or diversion routes should be checked immediately before arrival.
How to reach Sveti Ivan Zelina and where to plan your stay
Sveti Ivan Zelina is located in the north-eastern part of Zagreb County. According to the city's current implementation programme, the urban area is approximately 37 kilometres north-east of Zagreb and is connected by the A4 motorway and the D3 state road. This location makes the race accessible to visitors arriving from several parts of Croatia, as well as from neighbouring Central European countries. International visitors should bear in mind that Sveti Ivan Zelina itself does not have a railway station, so road transport is the most direct option for reaching ŠRC.
Visitors planning to stay for more than one day, arrive already on Saturday or avoid continuing their journey immediately after the evening programme can review accommodation offers in Sveti Ivan Zelina and the surrounding area in advance. Such a plan may be particularly practical for those who want to follow the morning practice sessions from 7:30, as most of the sporting programme extends throughout almost the entire day. When choosing accommodation, it is useful to check the distance from ŠRC and the possibility of arriving by an alternative route in case of temporary traffic regulations around the circuit.
For those coming only for the main competitive programme, the organisational schedule suggests that arriving before 13:00 is sensible in order to avoid reaching the venue immediately before the ceremony and first races. Since races and practice sessions depend on sporting and safety procedures, the timetable may be adjusted during the day. The supermoto regulations explicitly state that schedule changes may be published after the jury meeting, so the schedule at the venue should be regarded as the final source for the exact order of individual classes.
Awards, gastronomy and a concert follow the races
The Grand Prix of Zelina is not conceived as an event that ends with the final crossing of the finish line. According to the organiser's programme, visitors can expect a rich gastronomic offer, while an awards ceremony follows the conclusion of the sporting part. The official regulations for road motorcycle racing prescribe awards for the best riders in each class as well as recognition for club and team standings, while the supermoto regulations also provide for the presentation of awards after the competition.
After the official sporting programme, a Drajf bend concert and social gathering until the evening hours have been announced. In this way, the event extends beyond a narrowly competitive framework and acquires the character of an all-day city event. For spectators who do not closely follow championship standings, the combination of several different motorcycle disciplines, free admission and an accompanying evening programme makes the Grand Prix of Zelina an accessible way to experience motorcycle sport live. At the same time, more experienced motorcycle enthusiasts will have the opportunity to watch official points-scoring races, different classes and riders fighting for results in the closing part of the summer season.
The most important information for visitors is therefore simple: the Grand Prix of Zelina takes place on Sunday, 30 August 2026, at ŠRC Zelina, Ulica Vladimira Nazora 87; practice begins at 7:30, the main programme develops after 13:30, and admission is free. Official regulations confirm the championship status of several disciplines, while registration data show that a very packed day of competition is expected. For those who want to hear, see and feel the difference between scooters, classic motorcycles, supermoto and high-speed road racing machines, Zelina will offer an unusually concentrated cross-section of motorcycle sport in one place on the last Sunday of August.
Sources:
- Moto Racing Klub Sveti Ivan Zelina – official announcement of the date of the Grand Prix of Zelina 2026 and information about the club (link)
- Moto Racing Klub Sveti Ivan Zelina – club history, information about the Ivica Gluhak Memorial and the first Grand Prix of Zelina (link)
- Croatian Motorcycle Federation – Supplementary Regulations of the Croatian Road Motorcycle Racing Championship, Grand Prix of Zelina 2026 (link)
- Croatian Motorcycle Federation – Supplementary Regulations of the Croatian Supermoto Championship, Sveti Ivan Zelina, 30 August 2026 (link)
- Croatian Motorcycle Federation – calendar of classic motorcycle road racing and supermoto for 2026 (link)
- Prijavise.eu – official registration system with recorded entries for SM, SK, CMR and CMU in Sveti Ivan Zelina (link)
- SPEED Timing – timing calendar listing the "Road Motorcycle Racing 2026" event in Sveti Ivan Zelina on 30 August (link)
- City of Sveti Ivan Zelina – Destination Management Plan 2026–2029, in which the Grand Prix of Zelina is included among sports tourism events (link)
- City of Sveti Ivan Zelina – Implementation Programme 2025–2029 with information on the city's location and transport connections (link)
- Tourist Board of the City of Sveti Ivan Zelina – information about ŠRC Zelina and the address of the multifunctional sports centre (link)