Nestling on the Croatian coast in the mountains above the city of Rijeka is the Automotodrom Grobnik, once home to the stars of the motorcycling world but now rather forgotten by international racing. Circuit runs in an anti-clockwise direction with a total distance of 4.17 kilometers which includes a series of long straights and fast left-right sweeping corners. The track is because of that very challenging to drive, especially in cars with a low downforce. Fast and flowing, it remains the only FIA and FIM-accredited circuit in Croatia. From 1978 to 1990, it hosted the Yugoslavian motorcycle Grand Prix of MotoGP. By 1990 the facilities were looking a little dated but it was the mainly the safety, race organization and medical care that were the biggest causes for alarm during the Grand Prix. As it was, world events would conspire to put an end to racing completely for several years as Yugoslavia was plunged into civil war. Post-war, the circuit found itself a part of the newly-sovereign Croatia and racing resumed, although the lack of money to spend on infrastructure meant that international racing largely stayed away, although the FIM World Sidecar Championship returned in 2005 and has made it a permanent stop on its calendar ever since.