The championship, involving more than 250 professional drivers from 13 countries, was officially opened by President Stjepan Mesic.
In a brief statement for the press, Mesic said he hoped the competition would be educational for drivers.
Commenting on the new Road Safety Act, which imposed a zero alcohol limit on drivers, Mesic said that he had supported 0.05% blood alcohol content as a legal limit, but added that the decision by the Parliament on zero alcohol tolerance should be respected.