World of EuroNASCAR takes a look back to NASCAR GP Italy to explain why three drivers were disqualified in a single day, a record high for disqualifications in EuroNASCAR history.
It has been three weeks since the 2023 NASCAR GP Italy at Autodromo Vallelunga was held and EuroNASCAR’s visit to Italy has proved itself to be a success for the fans, but it was a round that was full of dramatic moments on the track.
Sunday was the peak of the drama as EuroNASCAR officials handed their first disqualifications in more than a year. Keyword on “disqualifications” as three drivers – yes, three – were excluded from the final results.
EuroNASCAR adheres to a more strict driving standard in comparison to most NASCAR-sanctioned series out there, but despite this disqualifications remains a rarity as it’s only given to drivers or teams that had committed extreme transgressions during or after the race.
The last driver to be disqualified prior to this was Francesco Sini, who was excluded from the second EuroNASCAR PRO race at Autodrom Most in 2021 for ignoring orders to do a drive-through penalty. He remained the last until Vallelunga, where three drivers received the penalty including two in the Sunday EuroNASCAR 2 race – the first time stewards handed more than one disqualification in a race.
So what is it that caused these disqualifications and who are the drivers that incurred the wrath of the stewards? We take a look at these disqualifications to explain why they received their penalties.
The first driver to be disqualified from the races at Vallelunga was Thomas Toffel, who was disqualified for his role in the “Big One” on the Sunday EuroNASCAR 2 race.
Toffel clipped the rear end of Claudio Remigio Cappelli’s Ford Mustang when the Swiss rookie tried to make a move on his teammate on the first lap of the race. The contact sent both drivers into a spin right in front of the pack and a multi-car collision was very much inevitable.
In the end, six other drivers were involved: Melvin de Groot, Igor Sicuro, Max Mason, Cesare Balistreri, Riccardo Romagnoli and Paolo Valeri. All but Cappelli and Valeri had to retire from the race and for Max Mason, he also received a back and neck injury because his No. 1 Academy Motorsport Ford Mustang landed hard after going into two wheels.
The aftermath of the crash was affected by the EuroNASCAR PRO drivers too since five of the six cars that retired were unrepairable for their Sunday race. Due to the extreme consequences of the incident, Toffel was excluded from the final results after a post-race call up to the stewards’ office.
Less than half an hour after Toffel’s disqualification, Valerio Marzi was also excluded from the EuroNASCAR 2 race for creating another extremely severe incident.
Marzi, who is making his EuroNASCAR debut at Vallelunga with the No. 9 Vict Motorsport Ford Mustang, was racing Nick Strickler on the final restart when they made contact at the back straight.
The contact sent Strickler’s No. 94 Racingfuel Motorsport Camaro into a high speed collision with the Armco barriers on the outside, completely destroying Strickler’s car and damaging the section of Armco that the American hit.
Strickler was thankfully uninjured, but knowing that Strickler could have been injured, the stewards were left with no choice but to wave the black flag to the young Italian driver as the field circles behind the Safety Car to the checkered flag.
As it turns out, Marzi was not the only Vict Motorsport driver to receive the black flag. A few hours later in the EuroNASCAR PRO race, it was Dario Caso’s turn to be disqualified from the race.
Despite being a veteran driver, Caso was no stranger to black flags. The Italian has been disqualified twice in 2019 – one at Hockenheim for taking Michaela Dorcikova out of the race and one at Zolder for ignoring a drive-through penalty – and at Vallelunga, he received the third disqualification of his career.
The chain reaction that led to his disqualification began on the opening lap. Caso was racing Fabrizio Armetta when the Challenger Trophy leader hit Caso’s No. 8 Italicus Camaro, causing extensive damage to the bodywork of his machine.
Caso dived to the pits to repair his car and when he rejoined the race a few laps later, it looked as if the situation would sort itself out. However, little did anyone know that Caso was steaming red hot, arguably as red hot as the red color that adorned his Camaro.
In a move that would be considered as dastardly anywhere in the world, Caso intentionally took Armetta out of the race when they encountered each other again on lap 6.
The live broadcast did not have replays of the incident available, but the stewards had access to each car’s onboard cameras and they clearly saw Caso’s actions as intentional. Disqualification was immediately handed to Caso just as he returned back to the pits on lap 7.
All three drivers will have to race under probation on the next round that they’re scheduled to compete. We’re wishing that they – nor other drivers in the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season – would commit a transgression severe enough to receive a disqualification by the stewards.
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.