Grand Prix of Belgrade 2014
Race Day

---

Grand Prix of Belgrade 2014 at Ušće

After five years, racing is back on the Confluence Trails track.

Back in 1967, 1968, and 1969 the Cup of Europe for tourist cars was run on a track at the point of the confluence of the Sava and Danube.

The 1969 race was the first automobile competition in the former Yugoslavia, it was televised and I watched the the show.

*******

Ušće 2014 Velika nagrada Beograda 2014

Posle pet godina automobilisti su se vratili na stazu Ušće. Staza na ušću Save u Dunav je krajem 60' godina prošlog veka (1967., 1968., i 1969.) ugostila učesnike takmičenja pod nazivom Kup Evrope za turističke automobile.

Trka održana 1969. je bila prvo automobilsko takmičenje u bivšoj Jugoslaviji koje je prenosila televizija. Gledao sam taj prenos.

Učesnici ovih trka su bili najbolji i najpoznatiji evropski vozači, većinom vozači fabričkih ekipa, BMW, Alpina, Schnitzer, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Abarth.

In the1969 race there were the best and most famous European drivers, and many factory team drivers from BMW, Alpina, Schnitzer, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Abarth.

Many up and coming drivers compeated, Arturo Merzario, Dieter Quester, Ignazio Giunti and Niki Lauda, since then triple Formula One champion who lead the race unitl the last lap. As a support race, there was a formula V (Volkswagen) race.

Unfortunately, the course did not meet even the minimum safty conditions for drivers and spectators, and was droped from the Cup of Europe competition calendar.

After 1969 this track was used to run races for the Summer League automoblista championship of Yugoslavia on oval tracks bringing in large number of competitors from all over the former Yugoslavia. It also drew a large number of viewers, and around 70,000 spectators, and I was at this first race.

Te 1969., u okviru trka za Kup Evrope, održana je i trka formule V (Volkswagen). Do poslednjeg kruga trke vodio je Niki Lauda, budući trostruku šampion formule 1. Još neki od učesnika ovih trka su se kasnije oprobali u formuli 1, Arturo Merzario, Dieter Quester, Ignazio Giunti.

Nažalost, staza nije ispunjavala ni minimalne bezbednosne uslove, kako za vozače tako i za gledaoce, pa je izbačena iz kalendara takmičenja.

Od 1969. na ovoj stazi počinju da se voze trke za šampionat Jugoslavije na kružnim stazama, poznata Letnja liga automoblista, trke koje su u narednim godinama okupljale veliki broj takmičara iz cele bivše Jugoslavije i veliki broj gledalaca, kažu i po 70.000 gledalaca. Bio sam i na toj prvoj trci.

Confluence Trails track
The present Conflience Trails at Friendship Park is 2,310 Meters long. The organizer of auto racing on circular tracks the Sports Car and Karting Federation Serbia.

The competition will be held on 04 and 05 October 2014 under the title "Grand Prix Belgrade 2014 ". Race is recorded in the official calendar SAKSS AND BIHAMK for 2014

I automobili su bili vrhunski, Fiat Abarth 850 TC, Fiat Abarth 1000 TCR, NSU TTS, NSU TT, Renault Gordini 8, Alfa Romeo GTAm, BMW 2002 Alpina, Ford Escort TC, Ford Escort RS, Alfa Romeo 1300 GTA Junior, Fiat 128,...

I čuvena Nacionalna klasa, Zastava 750, i po 70 učesnika u ovoj klasi. Uopšte, 70' godine prošlog veka se smatraju zlatnim dobom Jugoslovenskog automobilizma, a staza Ušće njegovim centrom, bez obzira na velike bezbednosne nedostatke. A izgradnja autodroma je bila uvek u planu. Do današnjih dana.

The compeating cars were superb. Fiat Abarth 850 TC, Fiat Abarth 1000 TCR, NSU TTS, NSU TT, Renault Gordini 8, Alfa Romeo GTA, 2002 BMW Alpina, Ford Escort TC, Ford Escort RS, Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior, Fiat 128 , ... and so on.

The famous 1970 National Class, (Zastava) Flag 750, is considered the golden age of Yugoslav motorsports and was the track's main draw irrespective of the security flaws. However the construction of a new race track was always planed even up to present day.

Staza Ušće je duga 2.310 metara i ima četiri leve krivine. Za ovu trku je bilo prijavljeno 80 takmičara, a pravo da startuje izborilo je njih 72. Naime, u klasi "mali N" bilo je prijavljeno 30 takmičara, a kako je propusna moć staze 22, nakon kvalifikavija otpalo je njih 8.

Gledaoci su imali priliku da u najjačoj klasi, Open preko 2000, vide lep duel između mladog Nikole Miljkovića, Seat Leon Supercopa, i Zorana Kastratovića, Renault Clio sopstvene izrade, ali se na sredini trke pokvario menjač na Seatu.

For this race 80 riders were regestered, and 72 of them qualified to run. The "Small N" class had 30 cars registered for the 22 possisons.

In the larger displacment class, Open through 2000, spectatiors were able to see a nice duel between a young Nikole Miljkovića, in a Seat Leon Supercopa, and Zorana Kastratovića,, in a Renault Clio, but in the middle of the race the gearbox failed in the Seat ending the battle.

The class SP 2000 winner was won by Dragan Stojković in a Alfa Romeo 147 after a long struggle. In a class of N 2000 winner was Viktor Davidovski driving a Honda Civic.

The class N 1400 winner was Branko ćopić, in a VW Polo. In this class, the VW Polo completely defeated the former undisputed Peugeot 106.

In the class of N Sport 1150 the winner was Viktor Davidovski, his second victory in two classes in his Yugo 55 after a hard race with a large field of cars

U klasi SP 2000 nakon velike borbe pobedio je Dragan Stojković, Alfa Romeo 147. U klasi N 2000 pobednik je Viktor Davidovski, Honda Civic.

U klasi N 1400 pobednik je Branko ćopić, VW Polo. U ovoj klasi automobili VW Polo potpuno su porazio nekada neprikosnoveni Peugeot 106.

U klasi N 1150 Sport nakon velike borbe, uz veliki broj učesnika, pobedio je Viktor Davidovski, njegova druga pobeda u dve klase na ovoj trci, Yugo 55.

U klasi N 1150 pobednik je Nikola Jovanović, Yugo 55.

Automobil Yugo 55 je najmasovniji automobil učesnik ove trke, osnova auto-sporta u Srbiji. U toku trke i kvalifikacija bilo je puno izletanja, puno automobila je polupano, kamion AMSS-a je išao po njih da ih pokupi sa staze. Na svu sreću nastradali su samo automobili. Vozači su ostali nepovređeni.

Pred kvailfikacije u subotu krug na stazi obišli su automobili Zastava 750, a pred trku u nedelju starovremenski automobili članova Oldtajmer kluba Beograd.

Lepo vreme omogućilo je velikom broju gladalaca da uživaju u auto trkama.

The class N 1150 saw Nikola Jovanović, Yugo 55 in first place at the flag. The Yugo 55 was the most popular car in this race, which is the basis of Auto-Sport in Serbia.

During the race a lot of cars were wrecked bring out the AMSS truck to remove them from the track. Luckily only the cars were damaged, the drivers though were unharmed.

Durring pre-qualifying Saturday and before the race on Sunday found the Zastava 750, on the along with the Vintage cars from the Oldtimer Club Belgrade members.

Good weather brought out large numbers of spectators every day to enjoy this great auto racing.

Very little room for error

BACK TO TOP