We interviewed Max Marzorati to discuss his EuroNASCAR debut at Vallelunga with Double V Racing and the goals for his next race at Brands Hatch.
EuroNASCAR race weekends usually feature at least one driver that is making their first start in the series and it’s no different for the 2024 American Festival of Rome, which featured two debutants across both EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR 2.
One of them is Max Marzorati, Double V Racing’s newest signing for ENPRO. The Brit had already tested the EuroNASCAR stock cars in the Drivers Recruitment Program, so his appearance at Vallelunga was the next step forward for his racing career.
Drivers Recruitment Program has given plenty of opportunities for many drivers in the past and it’s no different for Marzorati, as revealed in our interview with the 23-year old driver from Harrow on the Hill.
“Jerome [Galpin, EuroNASCAR’s founder and CEO] and I were talking about a career path in NASCAR following the fantastic driver recruitment day,” said Marzorati on how he got the Double V ride.
“Conversations developed between Double V Racing and myself. We got introduced and the positive chemistry between us was apparent very quickly.”
The positive talks led to Marzorati securing a part-time contract with Double V, which was officially announced on 13 May. He would be racing with the team for not just Vallelunga, but also for Marzorati’s home round at Brands Hatch.
Three days later, he flew to Italy to join his team in the Campagnano Motor Village parade. The parade through Campagnano di Roma’s historic city center was an unforgettable experience for Marzorati, who was impressed at how it allowed fans to get up close with the sport.
“The setting was breathtaking,” Marzorati said on the parade. “It is a fantastic initiative, and what impresses me the most is how NASCAR takes motorsport to the fans and enables the fans to engage closely with the sport rather than keeping the fans at arm’s distance.”
Marzorati normally works as a driver coach at Britain’s famous racing venues such as Donington Park, but the roles were reversed at Vallelunga. It was his turn to be taught by Double V in Italy on the build-up to the Friday Practice sessions.
The transition from driving the car during a test to the highly competitive race weekend was challenging, but the team’s expertise made things easier for Marzorati. “Double V made the experience positive and supported me in the transition,” he said.
Marzorati’s weekend at Vallelunga started with a 23rd place finish on Friday Practice. He was 3.6 seconds behind Vittorio Ghirelli, but gained important experience.
The Brit put his newly found knowledge to good use in Qualifying, gaining a second to qualify inside the top-20 for the Saturday race.
His first race sadly didn’t go as planned. Contact on the opening lap caused some damage and he was forced to make a visit to the pits. However, he maintained a good pace and finished in 19th position with more improvement towards his speed.
With a best lap time that was 2.4 second behind the leaders, this was enough to secure another top-20 start for Sunday’s race based on the ordering of fastest lap times from Race 1.
Race 2 went much better for Marzorati, who won a fantastic three-way battle between him, Thomas Dombrowski and Max Lanza to finish 16th at the checkered flag.
“I believe the biggest challenge was having no previous circuit experience at Vallelunga,” said Marzorati on his Vallelunga weekend. “However, I was pleased that I was narrowing the gap between myself and those who had many years experience at Vallelunga and in the series.”
“My goals would always be to do my best and push for wins. However, to manage expectations I would want to be building a program that would mean pushing into the top-10 at first.”
With Brands Hatch coming next, Marzorati will be pushing hard to give the home fans a result to remember. He also hopes that he would be able to build on his 2024 campaign with a full-time effort in 2025.
“Naturally, with it being my home race, I would love to put on a show for the fans,” concludes Marzorati. “However I must keep building on the foundations that I gained at Vallelunga for a full campaign next year.”
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.