Croatian starlet Jurica Pavlic has been handed the wild card for the FIM Croatian Speedway Grand Prix at his home track Gorican on August 28.

Nobody knows the Speedway Stadium Milenium better than 21-year-old Pavlic. The circuit was constructed by his father and former rider Zvonko, who has forged a successful career in construction since his retirement from the sport. Jurica finished second in the World Under-21 Championship at the venue in 2009 and has used his experience there to establish himself in the Polish Ekstraliga with Leszno. Pavlic played a vital role at reserve and joined the likes of Jaroslaw Hampel, Leigh Adams and Janusz Kolodziej in taking the Bulls to the top of this season’s Ekstraliga table.

Few Grand Prix riders have racing experience of the Stadium Milenium, which has staged SGP qualification rounds, and this could play into Pavlic’s hands on the biggest night of his blossoming career so far.

He will be joined in the Croatian SGP by track reserves Matija Duh from Slovenia and Joszef Tabaka from Hungary. The pair will don the No.17 and 18 race jackets respectively. They will be called into action should one of the 16 main participants fail to make the two-minute time allowance, touch the tapes, or be unfit to compete in any of their five heat races.

2010 FIM Croatian Speedway Grand Prix, Speedway Stadium Milenium, Gorican, August 28, 19:00H CET