Strong results were earned by SpeedHouse Racing in the NASCAR GP Czech Republic after they persevered through numerous incidents at Autodrom Most.
SpeedHouse Racing had a weekend full of incidents in the NASCAR GP Czech Republic, but they never gave up and persevered to secure strong finishes in the final round of the 2024 EuroNASCAR regular season.
Problems began on the Saturday EuroNASCAR PRO race where Lucas Lasserre had a sudden mechanical trouble on lap 2. Lasserre tried to let others through, but Gianmarco Ercoli checked up with the Frenchman’s No. 33 Sud-Ouest Remorques Ford.
The contact resulted in Lasserre finishing 20th after he made an unscheduled stop for repairs, but the 46-year old driver bounced back on Sunday with his epic charge from 22nd on the grid to fourth.
“I knew Most would bring us rewards, and it was a shame we couldn’t pick up more points in Race 1,” said Lasserre in SpeedHouse’s post-race release.
“However, Race 2 more than made up for it, and we proved that SpeedHouse is here to compete for the top spots. With the season finale ahead, everything is still possible and we’re ready for it.”
Lasserre’s ENPRO teammate Ulysse Delsaux also had incidents that limited the results that the 2018 EuroNASCAR 2 champion could achieve at Autodrom Most.
Delsaux recovered from contact with Vladimiros Tziortzis to finish ninth in Race 1, but the 27-year old driver was taken out by the crash on the opening lap in Race 2.
“A weekend that didn’t end very well with a crash in Race 2, where I couldn’t avoid the other cars,” said Delsaux. “But we had worked very hard throughout the weekend to ensure a strong performance.”
“Despite that, I’m still ninth in the championship with every hope of climbing up in the standings. I remain motivated and focused as we head into the Playoffs, where the points are doubled and anything is possible.”
SpeedHouse’s EN2 drivers Florian Richard and Arianna Casoli experienced a similar story, with both drivers fighting their way through incidents in the two races.
Richard was involved in the start crash in Race 1 that tore away most of the right-side bodywork of the No. 33 Ford, although he continued on to finish 13th overall and third in the Rookie Trophy.
Richard was unable to repeat the feat in Race 2 after he got spun by Simone Giussani, but the 22-year old driver scored just enough points to exit Czechia as the overall Rookie Trophy leader.
“The first race did not go as planned with a collision at the start of the race,” said Richard. “We came home with 11th place overall [in the standings] as well as the first leadership position in the Rookie Trophy!”
Casoli avoided the incidents in Race 1 and showed great speed to secure a season-best 14th place, but her Race 2 was spoiled by Reza Sardeha. Sardeha made an ambitious overtake attempt that left both he and Casoli stranded in the gravel trap at Orlen Bridge.
Undeterred, Casoli rejoined the race after she got towed out. The decision paid off as the 50-year old driver survived for long enough to take third in the Legend Trophy, her first Legend podium in 2024.
“What a weekend!” said Casoli, who is now just one start away from the historic 100 starts milestone. “Most is a challenging track. It’s fast, fun to drive, and demands full concentration to reach the limit and finish strongly.”
“SpeedHouse gave me a very strong car, and I worked session by session with Lasserre to improve my driving. I focused on finding the strength to beat my previous performances.”
“In Race 2, an overly optimistic move by another driver sent us both into the gravel on the first lap. I managed to avoid major damage and get back on track. The SpeedHouse crew quickly fixed the car, allowing me to rejoin the race.”
“Never giving up is key. I was able to run both races with my best race pace yet, scoring good points to finish the regular season P18 overall. Now we have Oschersleben in three weeks. Playoff time with double points!”
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Last Updated: 28 December 2024