World of EuroNASCAR’s first Race Preview for the American Festival of Rome takes a look at the changes that we will see on the Entry List for the round at Autodromo Vallelunga.
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is back in action this weekend for the third round of the 2023 season, the NASCAR GP Italy – American Festival of Rome at Autodromo Vallelunga.
The fast and fearsome 4.085 kilometer long track in Campagnano di Roma has wowed the hearts of the passionate Italian tifosi during the previous three editions of NASCAR GP Italy and this year is shaping up to be no different as 30 teams and 54 drivers across all three classes are set to take part in the last round before the summer break.
As usual, this Preview article is going to be the first of a three-part series with Part 1 focusing on all of the changes in the Entry List. Parts 2 and 3, which is scheduled to be released in the near future, will be focused on our preview for the EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR 2 divisions.
With 30 teams entering Vallelunga, it is perhaps not a surprise that the number of participants has increased on EuroNASCAR’s return to mainland Europe due to the ease of travel in countries where most of the teams are based, plenty of which are part of the European Union.
The return of a former championship winning squad headlined the team changes for Vallelunga as Double T Racing is listed to make its return to the series this week.
Onofrio Veneziani’s team left EuroNASCAR at the end of the 2022 season to enter the Italian GT Championship (CIGT), but the team’s recent activities has made it clear that they will be keeping in touch with EuroNASCAR for the foreseeable future.
Double T had recently signed the services of Race Art Technology’s star driver Giorgio Maggi in the second round of CIGT at Monza and now the team is due to enter Vallelunga with the No. 38 Chevrolet Camaro.
Highly experienced sportscar ace Cesare Balistreri is listed to drive the No. 38 Camaro in both classes, setting the stage for the Italian’s first EuroNASCAR race week in eight years.
Veneziani’s former partner Dario Caso is also back on team owner duties after Vict Motorsport did not enter Brands Hatch. Both of Vict’s cars, the No. 8 and No. 9 Italicus Camaro’s, will be back in action for the team’s home round.
Another team that is back for Vallelunga is Yannick Panagiotis’ Panasport. Panasport, a close partner to EuroNASCAR’s organizers Team FJ through their collaboration in the Dakar Rally, will be bringing back the No. 4 Camaro after it was last seen on the team’s debut at Valencia last year.
Interestingly, car number 4 had actually been used by RDV Competition when Yann Schar made his return to the regularity-based Club Challenge division two months ago. As a result, it is expected that RDV will help Panasport field their car and turn the team into a “satellite” entry for Franck Violas’ team.
Bulgarian Team or Team Japan Needs24 are not listed to compete in Italy, but there will be another new team that will make their debut at Vallelunga. The French Uber Modern Racing team, who made their name in Funyo Endurance Cup, is set to enter the No. 75 Chevrolet Camaro for French drivers Hugo Fleury and Olivier Bec.
A total of 29 drivers made up the EuroNASCAR PRO drivers roster and there’s going to be some major changes for Italy. Most notably, series legend Frédéric Gabillon will hand over his seat to his young teammate Paul Jouffreau, who is set to make his ENPRO debut in the No. 3 TEPAC Ford Mustang this weekend.
Jouffreau wouldn’t be the only French driver to make his EuroNASCAR top class debut at Vallelunga as Uber Modern’s lead driver Hugo Fleury is also set to do so in the No. 75 Camaro. Three drivers will be joining Cesare Balistreri in the list of returnees: Dario Caso and Simone Laureti, both returning after one round, and Yannick Panagiotis, returning after one year.
In EuroNASCAR 2, there were seven changes made towards the Entry List that featured 26 drivers. The division welcomes back Eric Quintal, who returns to the No. 64 SpeedHouse Ford after Igor Sicuro drove the car at Brands Hatch.
Sicuro will remain in the grid for his home race however, as SpeedHouse has announced that he will drive the No. 40 Ford in the place of Matthias Hauer.
Paolo Valeri is also due to return to the No. 8 Vict Camaro for Vallelunga, although he will not be accompanied by Dario Caso because the No. 9 Vict Camaro has a new driver: Valerio Marzi, a young Italian go-kart star who is set to make his first car racing appearance this weekend.
Olivier Bec, Hugo Fleury’s partner in Uber Modern, is due to make his stock car debut in the junior division. Panasport’s workshop manager and Yannick’s brother Olivier Panagiotis is also scheduled to make his debut onboard the No. 4 Panasport Camaro. Lastly, Cesare Balistreri is set to make his EuroNASCAR 2 debut as he was listed to do double duty in Double T’s No. 38 Camaro.
Twelve drivers in eleven entries are listed as entrants in EuroNASCAR Club Challenge, who will compete in their second round of the year. All of the main protagonists from Valencia returned to Vallelunga with Gordon Barnes in particular being set to make his return to the regularity-based division after he raced in the EN2 class on his home round at Brands Hatch.
Olivier Panagiotis and Loris Cencetti are set to make their debuts in the No. 4 and No. 94 Camaro’s respectively, while Hugo Fleury and Olivier Bec will share driving duties in the No. 75 Uber-Modern machine. Finally, there’s the inclusion of former two-time champion Anthony Kumpen, who will enter the Club Challenge sessions under the extra practice provisions.
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.
Last Updated: 5 July 2023