NASCAR Whelen Euro Series has revealed details about the historic first ever test on ice that they have been teasing last month, showcasing that series founder and CEO Jérôme Galpin personally drove the car on the test at the famous ice racing track Val Thorens.
On 26 March 2021, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series posted a picture of an ice racing track on their social media feeds, stating that they have “found ourselves surrounded in ice” and telling fans to stay tune for more about it. Fans have been left wondering on what this ice track picture meant and earlier today, the series has revealed more details regarding the cryptic ice post.
As it turned out, on that day NASCAR Whelen Euro Series’ organizer Team FJ visited the famous ice racing track Val Thorens to take upon the challenge of making NASCAR’s first official test on an icy surface.
Series founder and CEO Jérôme Galpin, who had plenty of experience with driving on uneven surfaces like ice thanks to Team FJ and the Galpin family’s long and storied history with rallying, took upon the challenge to drive the EuroNASCAR car at Val Thorens.
“That was super fun!” said Galpin in the official press release. “To be honest we didn’t expect this first test on ice to go so well. The EuroNASCAR car has a great balance, so it is very easy to swing around on the ice.”
The test on ice further validates the versatility of EuroNASCAR cars on various types of racing venues. From its inception in 2009, the Euro Series cars have been driven on venues ranging from historic circuits like Spa-Francorchamps and Monza, to the hillclimb stages of Goodwood and Race of Champions’ stadium tracks and now it has proved that it can be driven on perhaps the most challenging type of racing surface.
The date of Euro Series’ test on ice – 26 March 2021 – coincidentally matches with the date of NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ first Practice laps at Bristol Dirt, an event that marked Cup Series’ first race week on dirt in half a century.
“This test will definitely open up new horizons and spark new ideas for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series,” said Galpin post-test. “We have to see what’s the next step but for sure this was a very special day. It doesn’t matter the surface you drive on, the shape of the track or the kind of driver you are: the Pure Racing character of the EuroNASCAR car is contagious and you will not want to stop driving it!”
Running on an unbranded but specially developed ice tires, the test itself was deemed as a success. According to the press release, the Euro Series car was able to lap the track faster than the RWD cars that was specifically designed for competition at Val Thorens.
“It is probably among the most versatile race cars ever built, able to race on every track and every surface, in every condition. The level of performance is also pretty impressive: with only one day of testing, we were able to set one of the fastest times around the track for a rear wheel drive car,” said Galpin in regards of its performance.
Disclaimer: Unless noted, all photos used in this article are courtesy of NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Patrick Trocelli.