By This week, aside ESR/IRRC/BeNeLux Trophy/Belgian Twin Trophy races at Dutch racing gem Varsselring in Hengelo, the 2026 Czech road racing season opens at 22nd Stare Mesto Races edition (named as ‘Slovacky Okruh’).
The main star on the start-line will be, current outright Stare Mesto lap-record holder (recorded in 2024 as a newcomer – 1.31.509, plus unofficial all-time lap-record set during qualifying last year – 1.30.352), Roadhouse Macau Racing TT 2026 team member, German star David ‘Datziii’ Datzer with BMW, RS660 Aprilia machinery in Superbike and Super Twins categories.
Joining Datzer within the SBK starting-list are permanent IRRC Superbike of recent times, Nico Muller (hailing from Hohenstein-Ernstthal, the Sachsenring circuit’s hometown), Austrian pilots potential Manx Grand Prix newcomer Thomas ‘Uccio’ Altendorfer, event debutant, this month’s Landshaag Hill Climb Supersport 300 class winner, Nicolas ‘Stengz’ Stangl.
Tomas Toth, David Hanzalik (also Kopcany race organizer, scheduled for 25th-26th July), Plus Czech aces Jiri ‘Joker’ Petrla, son/father Petr Vajner Jr and Petr Vajner Sr. David Kuzela, Jan Huk, Bohdan Schaal, Martin Hajek, Lubos Jelinek, Michal Podrabsky and Radovan Stepanek.
Supersport P1/top three/top five result candidates include (already mentioned Thomas Altendorfer, Tomas Toth and David Hanzalik) Kopcany 2024 SSPRT race winner, Cemetery Circuit experienced Wolfgang ‘Wolfi’ Schuster, fellow Germans Leopold Wohlthat and Florian Glashauser.
Zbynek Prochazka, Ondrej Kubalek, Miroslav Medek, Zdenek Sedlak, Vojtech Hanousek, Pavel Novak, female riders Kristyna ‘Kiki’ Jakesch, Veronika Vojenciakova, Polish pair Norbert Szczepanek and Przemyslaw Rozynski.
It is great to see famous racing lady Veronika Hankocyova returning to competition after he unlucky moment at Kirk Michael during TT 2025. She will be Aprilia apparated in the Super Twins field competing alongside above-illustrated David Datzer, former overall Stare Mesto lap-record holder Karel Pesek, Maxim Zanaska.
Rene Horak, David Rezac, Jan Markalous, Jan Herzog, Martin Hrstka, Lukas Walter, Lubos Konak, Jan Dresner, Pavel ‘Wusa’ Koci, Slovak racers Ludovit Krusina, Milan Hanzalik and Poland’s Adrian Witek.
A-very interesting potential debutant this Saturday, Sunday is the first French female racer in Stare Mesto racing history, Chloe Battu (Supermono/Moto3 races entrant).
If we look towards race classes not featured yet, reputable names to mention include:
Supermono; Matous Ondrusz, Marek Paul, Moritz Nestler (additionally Moto3 class participant).
GP125/Moto 3; Sweden’s Anders Richnau, Patrik Kolar, Oldrich Podlipny, Horice 125cc lap-record holder Christopher Eder, Sarka Schmidtova, Pavlina Matusova, Rene Lohse and from his latest Cookstown 100 expedition, Chris Meyer.
250 Open; the forever young Karel Kalina, Pavel Navratil and Zdenka Kucerova.
Sport-production 125; Marek Zima, Pavel Nechanicky, Jiri Bursa, Josef Svoboda, Lukas Fikker, Pavel Habrda, Matyas Kapral and Kristyna Sliwkova.
Supersport 400/Supersport 300; Boris Korcak, Petr Plichta, the first TT racer ever from Slovakia Miroslav ‘Laki’ Sloboda.
Ondrej Mraz, Lukas Walter, Tomas Sauer, Lubos Kycler, Karel Silpoch, Anna Malinova (Wonder Women Racing Team-mate of Veronika Hankocyova) plus previously spotlighted Milan Hanzalik, Zbynek Prochazka, Kristyna Jakesch.
There is also yesteryear classics competitor, British rider David Gilbert (another British racer James Walker featured in provisional start-list, is now a non-starter, get well soon).
Roll on 2026 Stare Mesto Races, let’s go racing!
Photo credit: Thijs Van Der Horst
Words by Jan Vavra
