Advait Deodhar, India’s first NASCAR race winner, is stepping up to EuroNASCAR’s top class after his move to Academy Motorsport was announced by Italian website Erregimedia.
Advait Deodhar is making the next step on his EuroNASCAR career after Italian motorsport news website Erregimedia revealed on 28 April 2023 that the Indian driver has been signed by Academy Motorsport to compete in the EuroNASCAR PRO division.
Deodhar, the Mumbai-born yacht broker who became the first Indian driver to win a race in NASCAR, is set to become the new ENPRO driver of Academy’s No. 1 team. He and fellow ENPRO rookie Vladimiros Tziortzis will make up the new ENPRO roster of Academy’s two-car team in the upcoming 2023 season.
Credits: NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
“I have been following Academy Motorsport’s season and I was really impressed,” said Deodhar to Erregimedia. “Their growth and the results achieved were a clear sign of how strong the team became. I am convinced that the choice will prove to be a winning one.”
Deodhar first entered EuroNASCAR in 2018, when he competed for DF1 Racing in the Club Challenge division. The Indian driver impressed on his debut year and managed to win the championship title in EuroNASCAR’s regularity-based division.
His performances in Club Challenge was enough to secure a part-time campaign in EuroNASCAR 2 in that same year. He remained with DF1 for the start of the 2019 season, but funding issues forced Deodhar to switch to SpeedHouse for the second round at Franciacorta before he found a new home at CAAL Racing starting from Brands Hatch.
Despite further financial issues that threatened to derail Deodhar’s promising campaign multiple times, he was able to secure enough funding to see out the 2019 season. He only missed the race at Venray, which he was able to list that as his “joker” round of the year.
His persistence was rewarded with a podium finish at Brands Hatch and a fourth-place finish in the overall standings, proving that EuroNASCAR Club Challenge alumnus can make it to the top in EuroNASCAR’s two main divisions.
The pandemic forced Deodhar to sit out the 2020 season, but he returned in 2021 with renewed ambitions. He also was able to secure a full-season deal with CAAL Racing after TJB Super Yachts – the company that Deodhar worked with – pledged full support to their employee’s racing dreams.
Despite a late-season struggle that left Deodhar twelfth in the standings, he was able to secure a memorable victory at Brands Hatch. In the round that Deodhar considered as his home race given that he is currently based in London, the Indian driver held off a race-long challenge from Tobias Dauenhauer to become India’s first-ever NASCAR race winner.
In search of a new challenge, Deodhar moved to Not Only Motorsport in 2022. He was due to compete for the full season with the Italian outfit, but Deodhar announced on 25 August 2022 that he chose to stop his participation early due to a “multitude of factors”.
Deodhar promised that he will be returning for the 2023 season, something that has come to fruition thanks to Academy Motorsport. Academy’s co-owner Federico Monti praised Deodhar’s driving skills, emphasizing that he believes that Deodhar will have what it takes to become a star in EuroNASCAR’s top division.
“We strongly wanted Advait in our team,” said Monti to Erregimedia. “I am convinced that he will be a revelation for this new season. He is definitely a driver with experience and determination and together I am sure we will obtain great results.”
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