Arianna Casoli gave her thoughts on the EuroNASCAR Finals, the 2023 season and being an inspiration for the next generation in a press release that was published by ACI Reggio Emilia.
The EuroNASCAR Finals at Circuit Zolder saw Arianna Casoli complete her eighth season in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, culminating a year where she created plenty of memorable moments for herself and her fans.
Casoli embarked on a second season with SpeedHouse Racing, once again driving the No. 14 Ford Mustang in the EuroNASCAR 2 class. She took the checkered flag in all twelve races and finished in 16th place on the final standings as the winner of Lady Trophy.
With fond memories from 2023, Casoli takes a look back at her best memories of the recently completed season in a press release that was released by Automobilo Club Reggio Emilia after the Finals.
She began her retrospective look with a discussion on Zolder, noting how difficult it is for a driver as experienced as her to adjust to the ever changing weather conditions at the Belgian circuit during the Finals weekend.
“We experienced an incredible weekend in Zolder where we crossed the four seasons in two days, given the very strong weather variability,” said Casoli on the Finals weekend. “We started the last race on a dry track and finished in the rain without changing tires. It’s not exactly a walk in the park…”
Casoli then moved towards her thoughts for the 2023 season. The Italian admitted that she hasn’t been performing at her best, but highly appreciated the “good times” that she had with SpeedHouse. She also gave her personal opinion towards the Full Course Yellow system that was introduced this year.
“2023 has not been easy,” said the 49-year old driver on her latest full season campaign. “My performance was fluctuating because of a flare-up in my shoulder and right arm.”
“There were also discontent with a major regulation change that greatly reduced the presence of the Safety Car in favor of a Full Course Yellow in the event of a neutralization. It was a choice that deprived the typical spectacle of the ‘side-by-side’ restarts that are iconic to NASCAR.”
“Despite this, I have to thank Lucas Lasserre, Marco Raggi and the SpeedHouse team for their impeccable work on their car and, above all, the good times that we shared together on race weekends.”
“I also greatly appreciated the presence of Ulysse Delsaux and his wonderful family. They, together with my family and sponsors, helped to make this season very special.”
The 2023 season proved to be a special one for Casoli as she inspires many families all across Europe to see her competing against the best that European stock car racing has to offer.
Casoli received many messages from families during the meet and greet events, who thanked her for becoming a role model for their children and making them believe that women drivers can compete amongst the boys in dominantly male activities like motorsport.
“I always had a fairly large following from children, and being a woman and a mother, this has always made me proud,” states Casoli. “However, more so than any other year, I felt that there are so many parents that came with their children to meet me this year.”
“I often get this message [from the parents]: ‘I want to make my children understand that women can be successful even in worlds considered to be dominantly male. Thank you for the example you set for them.’”
“It is a detail that makes me proud to still be a part of this sport, despite the adversity. I’m glad that my experience contributes to the understanding of how much motorsport can give to women and that racing in cars is also a totally doable thing for us.”
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