What Is DONUT and How It Grew from an Automotive Event into a Drift Platform
For anyone visiting the DONUT website for the first time, the simplest explanation would be that DONUT is a regional drift competition.
That is accurate, but it no longer tells the whole story.
The project’s full name is DONUT3logy, while DONUT is used in everyday communication because it is simpler and easier to pronounce.
Today, DONUT connects cars, the organisation of international motorsport events and the production of media content, while working continuously to develop drifting across the region.
On the track, that work is visible through drift competitions. Away from the track, it includes everything required for the sport to build an audience, create recognisable drivers, produce high-quality content and establish a foundation for further growth.
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?
DONUT began with a simple idea: the automotive scene in Croatia and the wider region deserved an event produced to a higher standard.
The cars, drivers and audience already existed, but there was no format capable of bringing those elements together into one serious and recognisable experience.
The aim was to create an event that would appeal both to people who already followed drifting and to those experiencing the sport for the first time.
That combination of cars, competition and event production became the foundation for everything DONUT would later become.
FROM A SINGLE EVENT TO A CHAMPIONSHIP
Following the first events, it became clear that the interest was there — but also that one event per year was not enough to support the serious development of the sport.
Drivers need continuity.
One strong run may be enough to win an individual event, but only a season made up of several rounds can show who is capable of maintaining their driving level, preparation and car reliability over a longer period.
DONUT therefore gradually developed into an international cup featuring multiple rounds, different locations and a shared championship points system.
The change of venues was not simply intended to bring DONUT to different cities. Each track requires a different driving style, car setup and production approach, making the championship more demanding and more interesting while also extending its presence to Croatia’s two largest cities.
Six DONUT events had been held by the beginning of the 2026 season. The new calendar introduces four additional rounds and will conclude with the milestone DONUT 10 event at the Bugatti Rimac test track.
A REGIONAL COMPETITION, NOT JUST A CROATIAN EVENT
As the number of events increased, the competitive grid expanded as well.
DONUT now brings together drivers from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and other European countries. During the previous season, teams and drivers from 14 countries took part, including current and former national champions.
That level of competition changed the standard of the championship.
Croatian drivers are no longer competing only against one another. Throughout the season, they regularly face some of the strongest names in the regional drift scene.
At the same time, international drivers gain access to a championship where they can compete in front of large audiences, across different locations and with professional media production supporting every round.
Adrian Petričević won the 2025 title, ahead of Slovenia’s Erik Janković and Serbia’s Nikola Ilić. The international composition of the top three reflected the direction in which DONUT is developing — as a meeting point for the strongest competition from across the region.
WHY IS ORGANISING A RACE NO LONGER ENOUGH?
A race lasts for one weekend, but a serious sport needs to remain active throughout the entire year.
Audiences want to get to know the drivers, follow the development of their cars, understand the relationships within the championship and see what happens between rounds.
When only the results and a few photographs remain after an event, much of the story is quickly lost.
That is why DONUT has developed through three connected areas:
Cars. Events. Media.
Each has its own role, but their greatest value is created when they work together.
DONUT PRODUCTION
Production connects every part of the project and gives it a life beyond the competition weekend itself.
DONUT production includes photography, video production, social media, interviews, reports, aftermovies and content through which the audience gets to know the drivers and the wider scene.
Media production has several key objectives:
introduce drifting to new audiences
explain the competition and its protagonists
build recognition for drivers and teams
document the development of the regional scene
connect individual events into one continuous story
From the 2026 season onwards, selected DONUT rounds will also be available on VOYO, allowing the championship to reach a wider audience beyond the event venues.
THE ROLES OF GOF AGENCY AND AKK OMT
A small operational team stands behind DONUT, but the project involves two different areas of responsibility.
GOF agency d.o.o. develops DONUT as a brand and platform while managing event production, creative direction and communication.
AKK OMT operates within the official sporting system and connects the competitions with the Croatian Automobile and Karting Federation, providing the rules, safety standards and formal sporting framework.
RESULTS SO FAR
The growth of DONUT is most clearly reflected in the expanding scale of the project.
What began as a single automotive event has developed into an international cup that attracts thousands of visitors and dozens of drivers from across Europe each year.
Its development so far includes:
six DONUT events held before the beginning of the 2026 season
expansion to a four-round championship calendar
events in Zagreb, Split and Zaprešić
more than 50 drivers participating during the season
competitors and teams from 14 countries
current and former national champions competing on the same grid
the integration of drifting into the Croatian Automobile and Karting Federation system
the launch of the official HAKS Drift Cup
professional broadcasts through VOYO
original media formats and content
a growing community following DONUT both trackside and online
A PLATFORM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENTIRE SCENE
DONUT’s goal is not simply to organise increasingly large competitions.
A major event has little long-term value unless the cars, drivers, audience and media surrounding it are developing at the same time.
That is why DONUT is building a broader platform designed to support the growth of the sport as a whole while contributing to the continued development of automotive culture and motorsport across the region.
