Earlier today, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series announced that the series will be expanding this year’s Drivers Recruitment Program with the addition of an unprecedented third date. The third date for the Drivers Recruitment Program is scheduled to be held on 27 February 2020 and like the previous two Test Days, it will be held at the series’ official test track Circuit de Fontenay-Le-Comte in France.
A total 35 drivers from 14 different countries has taken part in the previous two Test Days in this year’s Drivers Recruitment Program. NASCAR Pinty’s Series star Julia Landauer, ex-Formula One driver Patrick Gaillard, and GT4 European Series race winner Alex Lambertz are some of the drivers that have taken part in the previous Test Days of the 2020 Drivers Recruitment Program.
The 2020 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Drivers Recruitment Program will be offering the 12 chosen drivers with a “scholarship” financial aid that will help fund the driver’s aspirations to compete in Europe’s premier stock car racing series. The chosen drivers will be receiving financial aid from €7,500 ($8,311) – the cost of the season entry fee – to as much as €45,000 ($49,869) – the cost that represents 50% of the approximate full season budget of €90,000 ($99,739).
The Drivers Recruitment Program is also offering the Special Beginners Program for drivers that are willing to enter the regularity-based Club Challenge class. The chosen drivers of the Special Beginners Program will be receiving financial aid in the range of €2,000 ($2,216) to €4,000 ($4,434).
The Drivers Recruitment Program has produced some notable graduates over the previous two editions of program, with this year’s Euro Series champion Loris Hezemans being the most notable of them. Other notable graduates including this year’s Elite 2 championship runner-up Giorgio Maggi and this year’s Valencia Elite 2 race winner Nicholas Risitano.
It also has seen participation from several drivers that have taken part in the highest levels of motorsport such as Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat, ex-MotoGP race winner and ex-250cc World Champion Marco Melandri, and the 1997 Formula One World Champion – and current Euro Series driver – Jacques Villeneuve.
“It is absolutely amazing to see those talents coming from different continents and different racing backgrounds and really enjoy themselves driving our cars,” said NWES founder, President, and CEO Jerome Galpin to euronascar.com. “We all gather around our passion for racing and really feel that more and more drivers want to come back to pure racing versus artificial competitions having BoP or too much electronic assistance. EuroNASCAR is all about drivers skills!”
Visit https://www.euronascar.com/recruitment/ for more information on the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Drivers Recruitment Program.
Disclaimer: Unless noted, all photos used in this article are courtesy of NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.