Two-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Champion Loris Hezemans will make history on Sunday, March 27th when he will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Circuit of The Americas, Texas piloting the #27 Team Hezeberg Ford Mustang. The 24-year-old Dutchman will become the second ever EuroNASCAR champion to compete in NASCAR’s top series, the first to drive for a European Team.
After debuting in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019 and taking part in several races both in the NASCAR Truck Series and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series between 2021 and 2022, Hezemans is looking forward to taking on the best NASCAR drivers in the world at the challenging 5.5-Km road course located in Austin, Texas.
Hezemans will be competing in all the 6 road courses on the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series calendar, whilst adding ovals along the way as he is approved to do so.
“The idea that I will be making my NASCAR Cup series debut still feels surreal, from watching many of the great Cup drivers on TV to now being able to compete in a Cup series race with them is a very humbling experience and something I am very grateful for,” said Hezemans. “My main focus for the weekend will be to work as closely as possible with the team on our long run set up for the race, further it’s about applying my road course experience as best as possible whilst making sure that even the smallest mistakes are kept to a minimum. From the Next Gen test at the Charlotte Roval in 2021 I was able to put in competitive lap times, now the big focus will be on putting everything together & trying to maximize our result”.
In his EuroNASCAR career, Hezemans won the championship twice – in 2019 and 2021 – alongside two Junior Trophy titles. He captured 11 race wins, nine pole position starts and 24 podium finishes in 45 EuroNASCAR PRO starts.
The brainchild of Toine Hezeberg and Ernst Berg, Team Hezeberg is the first team with roots in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series to enter the NASCAR Cup Series. The Dutch team finished 22nd in the Daytona 500 with Formula 1 champion, Indycar champion and two-time NWES race winner Jacques Villeneuve behind the wheel of the #27 Mustang.
The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix will take place on SUNDAY, MAR. 27 at 21:30 CET.
