Scenes from Dolenjska: torches for the fastest of Gorjan #video

The Gorska dirka Gorjanci, one of Slovenia's most prestigious hillclimb races, has once again drawn significant attention this year with 88 entries received by organizers. This number includes a substantial portion of vintage vehicles, which compete under the FIA European Hill Climb Championship for classic cars. The race will take place on June 20 and 21 on the well-known 4.3-kilometer track starting from Gornja Težka Voda above Novo Mesto and ending at Veliki Cerovec. The track features over twenty corners and a height difference of nearly 300 meters. On the first day, two training sessions are scheduled at noon and 3 PM, while the second day will begin with another training session at 9 AM followed by two competitive runs starting at noon.

This year’s edition of the race also counts towards the Central European Zone (CEZ) championship for both modern and classic vehicles. Among the participants, notable names include Vladimir Stankovič, who will start with number one in his Wolf GB08 Thunder car. International competitors such as Polish driver Syzomonn Piekoš in his Mitsubishi Lancer and Czech driver Karel Krupa in his Škoda Fabia CT have also made their presence felt.

In terms of national standings, Milan Bubnič stands at the top with four wins already secured in the season, giving him a 24-point lead over Matevž Čudna and a 36-point advantage over Anže Dovjak. Both Čudna and Dovjak are competing within Class 2, where Dovjak has yet to defeat Čudna this season. In Class 4, there is an anticipated showdown between Primož Kavšek and Boštjan Bašo, with the latter having reduced his deficit to 12 points after missing the opening race.

The female drivers' categories, Classes 5A and 5B, are among the most represented this year. In Class 5A, Mark Grlj leads after two zero points, although Matija Brunskole still holds the overall lead. In Class 5B, reigning champion Maša Eržen leads with a three-point advantage over Maja Šketelj and six points ahead of Erik Maglio. Unbeaten Sanja Smrdelj is also participating in Class 5B, while Vladimir Stankovič is set to compete in Division 1.

Among the vintage drivers, Boštjan Urbančič leads after four races, followed by Domn Popko and Mladen Čerić.

The history of the Gorska dirka Gorjanci dates back to before World War II when motorcycle races were held on the same route. The first recorded automobile race took place on June 17, 1951, organized by AMD Novo Mesto, with more than 50 participants. That race had a course length of 12.6 kilometers, starting in Gotna Vas near Novo Mesto and finishing at Vahti atop the Gorjanci hills. The fastest time was set by Dušan Malerič with a time of 11 minutes and 38 seconds.

The first official automobile hill climb on the Gorjanci route occurred in 1969, organized by AMD Novo Mesto under the sponsorship of the IMV factory. The course was 6.8 kilometers long with an average gradient of six percent, and 66 competitors participated. Mladen Gluhak won the race in a Renault 8 Gordini, setting a record time of 4 minutes and 4 seconds with an average speed of 102 km/h.

In 1971, the race became part of the Yugoslav National Championship, marking the first time since the move from Ljubljana that Slovenian races were included in a national championship. However, due to tragic accidents during motorcycle races, hill climbs were banned in Slovenia between 1973 and 1978, effectively ending the first era of hill climbing on the Gorjanci route.

The races resumed in 1993 with a course length of 6.5 kilometers. Despite poor weather conditions, around eight thousand spectators attended the event. In 1998, due to safety concerns and deteriorating asphalt, the course was shortened to 4,270 meters, and for the first time, three competitive runs were introduced instead of two.

Over the years, the course has undergone several modifications, including the introduction of double and triple chicane sections in 2016 to limit speeds in the final stretch of the track. The current 4.3-kilometer layout, featuring a triple chicane, was set by Patrik Zajelšnik in 2019 with a time of 1:33.086, translating to an average speed of 166 km/h. This makes the Gorjanci track the fastest hill climb in Slovenia based on average speed.

Despite the high level of competition and the track's potential, issues remain with the asphalt quality, particularly in the early stages of the race, which can cause drivers to lose control and potentially change lanes. If these issues are resolved, the Gorjanci track could become a premier venue for international hill climbing events, given its fast, challenging nature, large pits, easy access for spectators along multiple points of the track, and proximity to Novo Mesto, which offers good infrastructure and economic support.