Six championship rounds and two All-Star events, including NASCAR’s first ever race on ice at Rovaniemi in March, will make up the calendar for the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season.
The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season is set to be the biggest in EuroNASCAR’s history after it was announced yesterday that six NASCAR GP weekends and two All-Star championship rounds will be featured in the calendar for next year.
EuroNASCAR’s 2023 calendar will start with the biggest announcement of them all: NASCAR’s first ever race on an ice surface. After a successful test on the icy surface at Val Thorens in March 2021 and teasing that an ice race will happen in the 2022 postseason, EuroNASCAR’s 2023 calendar has confirmed that the Arctic Ice Race is now scheduled to be held on 4-5 March at Rovaniemi.
After the Arctic Ice Race, the series will move to Circuit Ricardo Tormo on 6-7 May for the traditional season-opening Valencia NASCAR Fest, which will once again carry the NASCAR GP Spain banner for the 2023 season.
Brands Hatch’s American SpeedFest will host the second round on its traditional mid-June slot as the legendary track in the United Kingdom is ready to host the 10th edition of EuroNASCAR’s crown jewel race.
Given that American SpeedFest X is scheduled to be hosted just one week after NASCAR enters the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Garage 56 project, the opportunity for some of the biggest NASCAR stars to potentially be featured in the American SpeedFest turns the already spectacular event into a must-see one for the fans.
“Europe is an important market for NASCAR and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will play a key role in NASCAR’s 75th anniversary celebration,” said Chad Seigler, NASCAR’s Vice President for International competitions. “Next season will give us the opportunity to honor Whelen Euro Series history through milestone races at Valencia and Brands Hatch.”
“We’ll also have our eyes towards the future of NASCAR with the Garage 56 program at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. From traditional races to the unique new NASCAR Arctic Ice Race, we’re excited for the opportunities the Whelen Euro Series will give us to showcase NASCAR to race fans across Europe.”
After its last minute addition to the EuroNASCAR championship round calendar in 2022 following the cancellation of NASCAR GP Germany at the Hockenheimring, Autodromo di Vallelunga and NASCAR GP Italy will continue to host the third round of the season on 8-9 July.
The summer break will follow before the series returns to the Czech Republic for the NASCAR GP Czechia on 2-3 September, once again hosted at Autodrom Most. Three weeks later, EuroNASCAR will host their first NASCAR GP Germany in three years as Motorsport Arena Oschersleben – EuroNASCAR’s newest track – will be featured as the fifth round of the year and the last round of the regular season.
NASCAR GP Belgium will host the Finals once more as the famed 4.010 km circuit at Heusden-Zolder returns to their traditional season finale slot. With Zolder returning to the Finals slot, Rijeka’s Automotodrom Grobnik will now host a postseason All-Star Race that will bookend the 2023 season. The format of Rijeka’s All-Star event is currently unknown.
“2023 will be a season to remember for NASCAR in Europe! A season that makes history, starting with the first ever NASCAR race on ice and passing through amazing events across Europe!” explained NWES President, CEO, and founder Jérome Galpin.
“I would like to thank our great Circuit partners from Valencia, Brands Hatch, Vallelunga, Most, Oschersleben, Zolder and Grobnik for all their enthusiasm and continuous efforts to build incredible American events that delight more and more race fans. We are also very excited to be part of the amazing NASCAR Garage 56 program that will for sure draw the eyes of millions of fans in Le Mans, Brands Hatch and Goodwood!”
2023 SEASON PROVISIONAL CALENDAR
| ROUND (RACE) | DATE | RACE NAME | CIRCUIT |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICE (1) | 4 March | Arctic Ice Race | Rovaniemi |
| ICE (2) | 5 March | ||
| 1 (1) | 6 May | NASCAR GP Spain – Valencia NASCAR Fest | Circuit Ricardo Tormo |
| 1 (2) | 7 May | ||
| 2 (3) | 17 June | NASCAR GP UK – American SpeedFest X | Brands Hatch Indy Circuit |
| 2 (4) | 18 June | ||
| 3 (5) | 8 July | NASCAR GP Italy – American Festival of Rome | Autodromo di Vallelunga |
| 3 (6) | 9 July | ||
| 4 (7) | 2 September | NASCAR GP Czech Republic – Autodrom Most NASCAR Show | Autodrom Most |
| 4 (8) | 3 September | ||
| 5 (9) | 23 September | NASCAR GP Germany | Motorsport Arena Oschersleben |
| 5 (10) | 24 September | ||
| 6 (11) | 14 October | NASCAR GP Belgium – EuroNASCAR Finals | Circuit Zolder |
| 6 (12) | 15 October | ||
| AS (1) | TBA | All-Star Race | Automotodrom Grobnik |
| AS (2) | TBA |
Disclaimer: Unless noted on the photo, all photos used in this article are courtesy of NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Bart Dehaese.