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The Croatian Cup in Gran Turismo Sport is starting a new competition season

Kup Hrvatske u Gran Turismo Sport

Croatian Cup in Gran Turismo Sport from Saturday 15.11. it takes action again. This unique virtual motorsport event takes place under the auspices of the Croatian Auto and Karting Association, which speaks volumes about the seriousness of the competition. Competitors are fighting for the title of the best Croatian virtual driver, but if you happen to think that this is just a game, expect a surprise. The organizers of the cup, the Croatian Auto and Karting Association and the GT Croatia community made sure that the event did not remain only online. Apart from the fact that the competitors win the Wireless Headset for PS5 and a copy of Gran Turismo 7, the main prize is going to live motorsport games - FIA Motorsport Games, where the winner of the current cup will participate as a member of the Croatian national team.

FIA 2021 Gran Turismo

How did the first Croatian championship in Gran Turismo Sport start?

The Digital Cup of Croatia in the game Gran Turismo Sport was organized for the first time last year and lasted from the end of December to the end of January. It was the first online motorsport meeting, which took place in real time, and its finale was broadcast via Kreator TV. After the qualifying race, a total of 11 races were run in five terms during the first month. Interestingly, the second race was taken on the Dragon Trail, a 5-kilometer track that GT Sport locates at the foot of Biokovo. The title of Croatian champion went to Mihael Matika, who was also the fastest in the qualifications in the competition of 79 registered competitors. The planned departure of the winners to the FIA Motosport Games in Marseilles has been postponed to October 2022, and until then, the finalists of this year's Croatian Cup in Gran Turismo Sport will once again fight for this prestigious award.

Gran Turismo Sport

How does participation in the Croatian Cup in Gran Turismo Sport work?

In order to be able to compete in the Croatian Championship in Gran Turismo Sport, drivers need to register electronically via the link www.haks.hr/digital/. The conditions for participation in the competition are very reasonable - the prerequisite for driving is 10 years old, and in addition it is necessary to provide an e-license of the Croatian Auto and Karting Association, which is available on the HAKS website at a price of 100 kuna. After the applications are closed, the first two rounds of the initial phase start. Races are usually held on weekends - by the end of the initial phase there will be a total of 6 races (3 rounds) after which we get 40 quarterfinalists. 24 drivers go to the semifinals according to the same scoring criteria, and the finals and grand finals are driven by 12 drivers in the narrow competition for the title of champion. This season, RaceTrip can boast of its own team, represented by Marko Devčić and Hrvoje Utović, and our cars will be branded with RaceTrip unifroms.

Represented by Marko Devčić and Hrvoje Utović

What is the offer of cars in this digital motorsport simulation?

Choosing a car in Gran Turismo Sport evokes associations with shopping on one of the car portals. 53 brands of vehicles are available to drivers, and the total number of cars jumped from the initial 168 to an impressive 338. All models are classified according to FIA regulations, so we will find cars from groups 2,3 and 4, group N of that group. X. Due to the time limit, the Croatian Cup in Gran Turismo Sport cannot use all this potential, which is why the selection of vehicles for each individual race is defined by the official Competition Calendar. Last year’s cup included a varied offering, from Fiat Abarth to Super Formula Honda and Toyota.

FIA Motorsport Games

Unlike previous versions, the GT Sport focuses on real drivers

Gran Turismo is a car game with quite a tradition. An incredible 24 years have passed since the first sequel, so it is to be expected that the platform has made unprecedented advances in technical terms. Exceptional fidelity in the simulation of real cars and tracks can be attributed to sophisticated graphics, which is especially evident in VR Mode. But we see the biggest shift in the features of multiplayer, which offers the experience of running a race in real circumstances. Such a game configuration allows drivers to express their dexterity and resourcefulness in a similar way as in real racing encounters. Considering the possibilities of the platform, the Croatian championship in Gran Turismo Sport is completely equal in quality to the iRacing championship, which has also been held since the beginning of 2020, organized by HAKS.

The Croatian Cup in Gran Turismo Sport is realistic in every way

When we talk in the persuasiveness of this online competition, it doesn’t all end on the configuration of the game itself. What makes the Croatian championship in Gran Turismo Sport so realistic is the organization of the event itself, which was to a higher level by careful planning. In addition to the Competition Calendar, HAKS has adopted a special supplement to the rules on digital motorsport for the needs of the GT Cup, which defines how the competition itself works. The emphasis is on fairplay, so that in the online format of the race there would be no practice that is not allowed on the actual track. This event also gains in authenticity thanks to the sponsorship of RaceTrip, which allowed the winner to move from virtual tracks to the right tracks - a race car, mechanics, equipment and service team are provided for one race in the formula driver, time trial or slalom disciplines!