A Childhood Dream Turned Into One Of Europe’s Most Intriguing New CircuitsMark McCann’s latest video takes us to what is likely the world’s newest race track. And it’s not just a tiny track for local gatherings – it’s a FIA-approved circuit potentially hosting World Superbike starts in the very near future. The video leans into the fun of it, with McCann calling himself the “test dummy,” admitting a few awkward moments, and poking around to see what this new place is really about. A Fresh Strip Of Asphalt With Serious Intent On paper, the place already sounds good. The circuit, named A1 Motor Park, runs 3.91 kilometers (2.42 miles), packs in 15 turns, and stretches out into a 900-meter (0.55-mile) main straight where cars can push past 174 mph. It can also switch between 21 layouts, which is a neat trick because it lets one venue act like several different tracks. The venue also carries FIA Grade 3 and FIM Grade B certification, so it can welcome serious four-wheel and two-wheel action, not just Sunday posing.It also came together fast. Groundbreaking took place on March 10, 2025, and the main construction and installation work ran from March through November of that year. The official opening followed on March 21, 2026. A Future F1 Star Lapped The Track The opening ceremony got its real star in Nikola Tsolov. Bulgaria’s young Formula 2 talent drove the first official lap in a Dallara GP2/11, and that gave the whole event a lot more weight than a ribbon-cutting photo op. He also had room in his schedule because Formula 2’s Bahrain and Jeddah rounds, plus the Bahrain in-season test, were called off in March.The track already has events lined up, including the Bulgarian Endurance Series 999 and BMW Cup rounds in its first season. For a place that smelled like fresh asphalt yesterday, that is one heck of a start. One Man’s Childhood Dream The project came from private investors that include Glavbolgarstroy, its chairman Kalin Peshov, and Divela Investments. Kalin was the main driving force behind the project, and in the video, he explains how building a track was one of his childhood dreams.At the track opening, he said his first idea was simply “a small track” around 10 meters wide with “a few garages,” but that modest vision snowballed into the four-kilometer circuit now sitting outside the city of Samokov. He has also described the finished venue as “unique,” added that “nothing like this has been done in Bulgaria,” and gave the project a surprisingly open-hearted spin by saying, “This track isn’t ours, it belongs to everyone,” with visitors welcome “with a car, a motorcycle, or on foot.”Source: Mark McCann on YouTube
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