Essen Motor Show will celebrate NASCAR’s 75th anniversary with a special collection show consisting of legendary stock cars from US and Europe, including EuroNASCAR’s 2024-spec car.
Essen Motor Show, one of the largest auto shows in Europe, is going to include a selection of NASCAR stock cars to their collection of cars as part of the organizers’ effort to internationally recognize the 75th anniversary of NASCAR.
“Messe Essen is taking the 75th anniversary of NASCAR as an opportunity to present a major special at the Essen Motor Show 2023 from December 2 to 10,” announced the Essen Motor Show.
“In Hall 3, against the backdrop of the Daytona International Speedway, fans can look forward to a colorful selection of extraordinary vehicles from this exceptional motorsport event. These include models from real American racing legends.”
“Happy birthday, NASCAR! I am delighted that we are celebrating the anniversary at the Essen Motor Show exclusively in Germany,” adds Ralf Sawatzki, Project Manager of the Essen Motor Show, in their official announcement.
The NASCAR collection presented in the so-called “Performance Festival of the Year” will feature some highly storied cars from the world of NASCAR, such as Hendrick Motorsports’ DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Jeff Gordon drove in his late 1990’s title run.
Matt Kenseth’s Valvoline Ford Fusion from the 2010 NASCAR Cup Series season is also going to be showcased along with a replica of McGriff family’s Olympia Beer Dodge Charger owned by French journalist Christophe Schwarz.
The Olympia Beer Charger, driven by Hershel and Doug McGriff, was one of the first two NASCAR cars that raced at Le Mans in 1976. It raced alongside Junie Donlavey’s Ford Torino and predated the entry of NASCAR’s Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro by 47 years.
The original car sadly was lost in time, but Schwarz was able to make a perfect replica of the car after finding a 1974-model Dodge Charger in Oregon that had an identical spec to the one that McGriff raced at Le Mans.
Marko Stipp Motorsport are also present to showcase the team’s No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro’s. The car ran full-time in 2023, securing a top-10 finish in the Teams Championship and an overall Rookie Trophy win thanks to Jack Davidson’s heroic efforts.
More details were made known by André Wiegold, first on his independent publication Leadlap on 21 November before he helped NASCAR Whelen Euro Series to work on their official release that was published on the following day.
Reports from Wiegold revealed that Bremotion is working together with EuroNASCAR to join MSM in Hall 3. The team will display the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro that Tobias Dauenhauer took to two victories in the 2023 season.
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will be using the Essen Motor Show as an opportunity to showcase the 2024-spec car for the first time. EuroNASCAR’s CEO Jerome Galpin had tested the 2024 cars himself during the recent Drivers Recruitment Program session.
Drivers such as Dauenhauer, Matthias Hauer, Nick Schneider, Gil Linster, Alina Loibnegger and Dominique Schaak are invited to take part along with other major names such as 3F Racing’s team principal Dennis Hirtz, EuroNASCAR’s PR Manager Gian Luca Guiglia and Raceway Venray’s owner Harry Maessen.
A separate stand in Hall 2 will be used by Bachor Racing Team to exhibit their V8 Oval Series late model racer. Other cars such as an ex-Dave Marcis Oldsmobile Cutlass, a Richard Petty tribute Ford Fairlane and Dale Earnhardt’s 1994 Dodge Avenger from IROC will also be showcased in the 75th Anniversary collection.
All of the above can be visited and enjoyed by automotive fans when the 2023 Essen Motor Show takes place on 2-10 December. More information on the event and how to get there can be checked at Essen Motor Show’s official website.
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.