Racing for Success

Text and photo by Teresa Ampudia

When a foreigner is asked about Brno, even about the Czech Republic, some are only able to say Moto GP in the Circuit of Brno, no more. That is why I decided to interview Miroslav Bartoš, 34, the track’s sport director who devotes himself to the circuit – the best-known “monument” in Brno.
Life turns very fast. But it turns even faster for Miroslav Bartoš, 34, sports director of the Circuit Raceway outside Brno. From his early-morning arrival at the circuit, located deep in the forest, to his obsessive attention to detail to prevent any major injuries, the track is his life. He spends more time in the office than at home because he has got a real vocation in management and “although I would like to dedicate more time to my girlfriend,” he says.
Says one colleague, motorcycle-race manager Radka Dvořáková, “He is very responsible at work and he likes things to be extremely well-done.” and also friend, says. “He is a little bit strict and rigid,” Another colleague, media manager Lenka Nestrojilová, the Media manager, adds that “He’s a little bit strict and rigid.” But as the boss, says Bartoš, he has to organize workers and management in the circuit: “This is like working in a factory, even more, like working in a big airport.” He also has to travel a lot and his life is always a time-trial.
Bartoš dedication has helped put the Brno raceway on the map of European Moto GP racing and made it one of the Czech Republic’s most recognizable landmarks. “I am surprised when somebody asks foreigners about this country and they are only able to say: Brno Circuit… no Spilkberg Castle, no Cathedral, no anything else.” This shows the importance of Moto GP race in the city, economically and internationally, and for this reason, Bartoš dreams of the day the Czech National Anthem will be heard on the top of the podium of Brno Moto Grand Prix, which is celebrated every August.
Ironically, though, Bartoš himself has never raced, and was not even interested in the sport as a youth. Indeed, his first taste of this life came as a college student, when he was looking for part-time work. He was studying Management in Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno and he decided to earn some extra money becoming a time keeper in the circuit. In this way, “I could be known inside one of the most important management of Brno and Czech Republic,” he says. He recorded the time of the races, the time taken and the time remaining. Despite he did his job with some machines he was very afraid in the beginning. “I felt myself with a lot of responsibility and I could not fail in that.” And this feeling on his first job is one of the reasons why he spends so much time in his office nowadays, because “he is very perfectionist,” Lenka indicates.
“Luckily, I learnt to love the driving force world there,” Bartoš continues. He stresses “luckily” because this job made it possible for him to be known in that place and two months after finishing his degree he had already become an employer of the circuit. It was September 1997. Five years after he was already the sport director. Although he is still very young, Lenka and Radka recognize that “he is very well prepared for this job” because he has spent almost the half of his life working at the circuit.
Bartoš does not forget that, in spite of working at the raceway and loving cars and bikes, “I am a manager who works as a sport director, so, although I don`t vent as much adrenaline as riders do, my job is exciting and sometimes even heart attack.”
His job lets him smell the warm asphalt after the race, hear the roar of driving forces, feel the trace of the speed and see spectacular accidents. Last month, an Audi TT roaring along at 200 kilometers per hour lost control during a practice and rolled over for four times. His face becomes serious, “A shudder covered my body when I saw the track full of pieces of the car, because I could not believe the driver was still alive… but when I saw him getting off the car by his own I could take a deep breath.” Although fatal accidents don`t happen very often in a circuit nowadays, if something would happen at the raceway “I would be one of the responsible persons as the sport director and I could have problems even with Justice.”
Despite he can say satisfied and proudly that “there haven`t been any fatal accident in the circuit”, he does not forget to knock on wood, “just in case” he assures, because as a professional manager, one of his biggest worries is safety.
He constantly has problems because the safety requirements are stricter today and he has to control every rule and endorsement. The circuit is also in the middle of the forest, so “when people come here, they disturb the animals, like squirrels, so sometimes they cross the track, and if they cross during a race, they could cause some accidents,” he says. “Actually, we are thinking about organizing some hunts before races,” he jokes, “but not only for animals, also for some journalists who want to make the best picture of car and motorbike races even risking their lives.” This is a serious worry for him, but he dares to joke to play it down, because “he has a special sense of humor, little bit dry and English-like,” Lenka says.
“It is wonderful to see how he enjoys his job,” Radka continues, because he has already found almost the perfect job. “My dream job would be to be a millionaire, but after that, I would say that being the sport director of the circuit of Brno is my second dreamt job, because I love management and the driving force world” so he is not considering to change it, “at least for the next years.”
Winter is coming and motor season has already finished in Brno. But this young sport director continues working because next season will arrive soon. And the cycle is starting once again. But, as he says, “no season and no race are the same.”