Nine rounds in the books and the worst result of the regular season dropped: the whole NASCAR Whelen Euro Series paddock is eager to return to action in the 2024 playoffs. With double points on the line, there’s no room for mistakes. Consistency, pace and perfect teamwork will make the difference in the title battles in EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR 2. The start of the double points paying playoffs is held in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Germany. The venue close to Magdeburg made its NWES debut back in 2023 and impressed immediately with an enthusiastic crowd of 13,000 fans visiting the track to enjoy the V8 orchestra of EuroNASCAR.
The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben offers a unique experience with plenty of off-track attractions, making the first playoff round a fantastic American festival for NASCAR fans in Germany and all over Europe. Helicopter flight, US ball game sports, country music and a wide variety of food are just some examples of the great show that the German track has offered since its first EuroNASCAR event in 2023. A parade on Thursday to Oschersleben’s city center highlights a rich program for the whole family. Singer songwriter Garlev was acquired to provide the official soundtrack for the NASCAR GP Germany. The rock song “Freischwimmer” will be released officially on September 20.
EuroNASCAR PRO: Ghirelli leads the way
Vittorio Ghirelli enters the 2024 EuroNASCAR PRO playoffs on top of the standings. The Italian from Fasano has 282 points on his tally and scored five race wins in the regular season. The driver of the #24 PK Carsport Chevrolet trained intensely to be in perfect shape for the playoff rounds in Germany and Belgium and there’s nothing more he wants than becoming the sixth European NASCAR champion in the history of the series. But Ghirelli has a tough competition waiting for him to make any mistake and lose some ground.
His closest rivals are Hendriks Motorsport’s Liam Hezemans and RDV Competition’s Paul Jouffreau. Hezemans has already scored three race wins in the 2024 NWES season and with eight points separating the Dutch driver from Ghirelli, the younger brother of former EuroNASCAR PRO champion Loris Hezemans is second in the overall classification. Third is Most race winner Jouffreau from France. The reigning EuroNASCAR 2 champion joined the championship battle with a very strong outing in the Czech Republic that moved him to third in the standings, just ten points behind Ghirelli.
But there are more big names that want to join the three-way title battle up front. While Hezemans and Jouffreau also fight for the Junior Trophy, the reigning EuroNASCAR PRO champion Gianmarco Ercoli follows in fourth. The Italian from Rome became a father during the season opening weekend in Valencia but is still waiting for his first race win of the season. The CAAL Racing driver is 25 points off from Ghirelli and still has a chance to defend the title that he won in a dramatic final race in 2023 at Circuit Zolder.
One of the most experienced drivers in the paddock closes the top-5: Lucas Lasserre. Speedhouse’s owner, engineer, driver coach and star driver lost the championship battle a year ago in the last second but the Frenchman is eager to strike back and have a say in the battle for gold. The Pau native sits ahead of Bremotion’s Tobias Dauenhauer, Hendriks Motorsport’s Martin Doubek, Team Bleekemolen’s Marc Goossens and Speedhouse teammate Ulysse Delsaux. Ryan Vargas in tenth rounds out the Junior Trophy top-10 while Max Lanza leads the Challenger Trophy ahead of Thomas Toffel and Dario Caso.
EuroNASCAR 2: Doubek the dominating force
Six race wins and a 49-point advantage: Martin Doubek enters the 2024 EuroNASCAR 2 playoffs with a comfortable cushion on top of the standings. However, the Czech cannot relax any second as his closest rivals are ready to chase the 2021 champion down. Doubek had a strong year onboard of his #7 Hendriks Motorsport Ford so far and dominated the division with his consistency. Still, Doubek has to bring home the title and in four double-points races, anything could happen.
RDV Competition’s Patrick Schober returned to Victory Lane at Autodrom Most and took over second in the overall classification. The Austrian is 49 points behind Doubek and seven points ahead of Thomas Toffel in his #34 Race Art Technology Chevrolet. Doubek’s teammate Gil Linster is fourth while Marko Stipp Motorsport’s Thomas Krasonis completes the top-5 that is separated by a total of 64 points. The battle is on in NWES’s most unpredictable championship and maybe there will be more surprises when the teams maximize the performance in the most important phase of the season.
Thomas Dombrowski is sixth ahead of his Team Bleekemolen teammate Melvin de Groot. The latter made it to the podium in the Czech Republic and stormed back to the top of the Legend Trophy standings after a tough start to the season. Brands Hatch race winner Jack Davidson follows in eighth in his #21 Lux Motorsport Camaro, while Michael Bleekemolen is de Groot’s closest rival in ninth overall and second in the Legend class. Rounding out the overall top-10 and the Legend Trophy top-3 is Claudio Cappelli in tenth.
Speedhouse’s Florian Richard is eleventh and the leader in the Rookie Trophy just four points ahead of Marko Stipp Motorsport’s Victor Neumann. Two-time Most class winner Mario Ercoli follows in third among the newcomers while Julien Rehberg, who led the classification until Most, is still in contention in fourth. The EuroNASCAR 2 offers plenty of battles and thrilling racing with gentleman drivers and young talents on the grid of the second division. Buckle up and get ready for a thriller until the very last lap of the 2024 NWES season.
Club Challenge, Endurance Teams and General Information
The Club Challenge is back in action with its first playoff race. Three-time title winner Gordon Barnes and Most winner Reza Sardeha are tied in points on top of the standings. Federico Monti is third just two points behind the top-2. Bruno Costa is only one additional point behind in fourth, meaning that the top-4 are separated by only three points. Andreas Kuchelbacher and Edouard Fatio are still in contention for the title as well.
In the Endurance Teams Championship, the #50 Hendriks Motorsport team leads by six points ahead of the #3 RDV Competition squad. The #72 Team Bleekemolen is third followed by Marko Stipp Motorsport’s #46 team and the #99 Bremotion organization. Unlike in the drivers championship, there are no double points in the teams classification but every result counts to the overall results. With the top-5 separated by 19 points, every point will make a difference.
As already mentioned, the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben offers a rich program for the whole family. In addition, side cars and classic cars will hit the tracks beside EuroNASCAR on September 21-22. Gridwalks and open paddock will bring the fans as closest as possible to the V8 cars and drivers that tame those machines. The races will also be broadcasted live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel and several TV networks from all around the world.
EuroNASCAR PRO
Constantin Scholl returns – After making his EuroNASCAR debut at Raceway Venray, Constantin Scholl will be back on the EuroNASCAR PRO grid with Bremotion.
Top-10 within 70 points – With double points on the line in the playoffs, numerous drivers still have a shot of winning the title.
Tobias Dauenhauer back in Victory Lane? – In 2023, Dauenhauer wrote history when he became the first ever German to win an EuroNASCAR PRO race. He took that win at his hometrack in Oschersleben and is looking to win another trophy.
EuroNASCAR 2
Luli del Castello again with CAAL Racing – The 2022 Lady Trophy winner made her comeback at Autodrom Most and will race again in the #54 Chevrolet for the retired Sven van Laere.
Gordon Barnes back with Club Motorsport – Club Challenge title contender will not only fight for consistency with Marko Stipp Motorsport, the Brit will also race in EuroNASCAR 2 with the Italian organization.
Dominique Schaak the local hero – The German was born close to the track and therefore knows every corner like the back of his hand. The Halle native wants to drive into the top-10 again as he did during his debut back in 2023.
Wil jij ons magazine ook lezen? Meld je dan aan via “bestellen” op onze website: www.start84.nl
