Our second Race Preview for the EuroNASCAR Finals takes a look at what can be expected from the EuroNASCAR PRO title and Trophy battles at Zolder.
The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season will reach its conclusion with this weekend’s EuroNASCAR Finals at Circuit Zolder. This year’s running marked the return of Zolder as the venue for the season finale after Valencia, Vallelunga and Rijeka hosted the Finals in the past three years.
The 4.011 kilometer circuit at Heusden-Zolder has provided fans with fantastic action ever since it was introduced to the calendar in 2015. This year promises to be the same and with the crowning of a new champion on Sunday, there’s more reason to tune in to this year’s Finals.
To welcome Zolder’s return as the host of the EuroNASCAR Finals, a total of 27 teams and 46 across all three divisions will be ready to compete for the grand finale of the dramatic 2023 season.
This EuroNASCAR Finals Preview article is going to be the second of a three-part article, covering the title contenders from EuroNASCAR PRO and what to expect in the championship deciding round.
Like with previous rounds, Part 1 was focused on all of the changes listed in the Entry List while Part 3 will talk about our preview for the EuroNASCAR 2 races.
When the dust settled at the conclusion of NASCAR GP Germany, four drivers emerged as the primary contenders for the EuroNASCAR PRO championship title. Two will be chasing for their first top class titles, while the other two are aiming to end their wait for a third championship ring.
Leading the charge for the title contenders are the two potential first-time EuroNASCAR PRO champions: CAAL Racing’s Gianmarco Ercoli and Team Bleekemolen’s Vittorio Ghirelli.
When the 2023 season started at Valencia, Gianmarco Ercoli became the strongest candidate for the title as he’s the highest finishing driver from 2022 that competed in this year’s championship.
The predictions were justified when he scored three consecutive victories at Brands Hatch and Vallelunga, allowing the Rome driver to claim the top spot in the standings.
There have been some struggles at Most and Oschersleben, but the 2015 EuroNASCAR 2 champion has managed to retain his lead. Ercoli and CAAL Racing are certainly going to be the team to beat at Zolder as the Italian acted as the reigning winners for the NASCAR GP Belgium.
It should be noted that Ercoli has experienced two agonizing losses in the Finals. He came home three points short of a title in 2021 and suffered a late race spin after a botched block attempt last year. Could it be that third time’s the charm for the 28-year old?
“My team and I are working really hard and we want to get the win after tough races in the Czech Republic and Germany,” said Ercoli to euronascar.com. “I will study all the conditions and be prepared for all possible scenarios. If it’s raining or if it’s going to be sunny, it won’t be a problem for us!”
Ercoli needs to be wary as only four points separated him from his compatriot Vittorio Ghirelli. After a disappointing campaign in 2022, the driver from Fasano has rejuvenated himself and brought Team Bleekemolen to their first proper championship dogfight.
His season started off slow with issues at Valencia and Brands Hatch before he went on fire starting from Vallelunga. With two wins and six top-5 finishes in the last six races, Ghirelli will be putting his all to bring the championship trophy to the No. 72 team.
“Everyone can win the title, so I expect a very tough, close and intense battle,” comments Ghirelli on the championship battle. “We’ll see who has the better luck in the double points race, but you can be sure I’ll be out there trying to win the EuroNASCAR PRO title!”
Trailing 21 points behind Ercoli is Lucas Lasserre, the surprise package of the 2023 season. The SpeedHouse team owner wasn’t planning to even compete this year, but a shock victory in Valencia – a round that was supposed to be an one-off entry for Lasserre – made the 45-year old reconsider his plans.
The two-time Racecar Euro champion collected points after points thanks to consistent finishes, which became crucial when he suffered a double DNF at Oschersleben. Now with everything on the line, could Lasserre use his consistency to bring home his first championship title in the NASCAR era?
“I’m a lion and I’ll never give up!” states Lasserre. “My goal is to stay in the mix, push and not give my competitors a chance to breathe. I want to seize the opportunity after this strong season with SpeedHouse. I’m 100 percent ready.”
Finally, there’s the Belgian who is chasing the perfect ending for his story: Former two-time champion Anthony Kumpen. He has yet to win a race this year, but the Belgian is only 23 points behind and knows that the Finals is where you need to put all your chips in.
The PK Carsport owner-driver has experience with winning a championship after trailing behind in the regular season, so could he repeat that feat in 2023? With the cameras rolling for his show The Long Road Home, Kumpen would have a strong chance to spoil the party for the potential first-time champions.
“My NASCAR program was a little bit affected by this busy schedule. I had almost no time to test at the international tracks we visited with EuroNASCAR, but I knew the finale would take place at Circuit Zolder and we did some testing at my home track,” mentions Kumpen when talking about The Long Road Home.
“The car felt great at the last test there and I’m sure we had the best setup for the #24 Chevrolet Camaro all season. We have a lot of confidence and the goal is to win both races and add another NWES championship ring to my collection. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The focus at Zolder is justifiably going to be focused on the primary four contenders, but there’s also others that are vying for their own personal glory. One of them is Liam Hezemans, who enters the Finals as the leader in Junior Trophy.
Liam’s regular season struggles has left him with a 37 point deficit in the overall standings, but he managed to snatch the Junior Trophy lead away from Ulysse Delsaux thanks to the dropped points system.
The 20-year old will face the greatest opposition from Vladimiros Tziortzis, Delsaux and Oschersleben winner Tobias Dauenhauer. With 10, 15 and 16 points separating the trio from Liam, it’ll be anyone’s game in the sub-classification for drivers aged 25 and under.
One young driver that could bring havoc to their battle is Paul Jouffreau. With the Frenchman having scored two victories in just six races in ENPRO, he could play a similar role to what Jacques Villeneuve had in 2021 if he was to win at Zolder and steal away crucial points from the top contenders.
In the battle for the best amateur drivers in Challenger Trophy, Max Lanza’s absence meant that it is now projected to be a fight to the end between The Club Motorsport teammates Fabrizio Armetta and Riccardo Romagnoli.
It is often said that your teammate is your greatest enemy and for both Armetta and Romagnoli, that will certainly apply when they battled for the top Challenger glory at Zolder.
They need to be cautious however, as too much interference between each other can lead to Race Art Technology’s Thomas Toffel stealing the overall Challenger Trophy victory away from them.
The Swiss rookie is coming to the Finals with plenty of motivation after he scored an overall podium finish in EN2 at Oschersleben. Armed with plenty of track time from his recent VW Fun Cup outing with 8KS Corse, he will be lurking in the shadows and ready to pounce when the opportunity comes.
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.
Last Updated: 12 October 2023