Reigning EuroNASCAR champion Vittorio Ghirelli is invited to NASCAR Canada’s Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières as a reward for becoming the mid-season championship leader.
Vittorio Ghirelli receives more than just the EuroNASCAR PRO championship lead after his runner-up finishes in American SpeedFest 12. As the leader at the summer break, the Italian won a ticket to compete in Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R) on 10 August.
This ticket is awarded by NASCAR International as part of NASCAR Euro Series’ renewed collaboration with NASCAR Canada Series.
As part of the collaboration, one driver from each series will race in the other championship as a wildcard. NASCAR Canada will send Raphaël Lessard in, while EuroNASCAR has selected Ghirelli as their representative.
“That’s amazing!” said Ghirelli when series commentator Andre Wiegold brought the news to the Italian. “Very nice weekend from how it’s going on Friday.”
“The car was destroyed and we got double P2, which is very good. Now we’re in the championship lead and we go to our strong tracks. Most, Oschersleben and Zolder, PK Carsport always fly there.”
“We fly everywhere, but those are our favorite tracks with the setup and everything. I’m really grateful to PK for their hard work. Really great for all these fans who showed up and I hope that we gave them a good show!”
The American SpeedFest 12 weekend also revealed an update on Raphaël Lessard’s scheduled EuroNASCAR wildcard appearance.
It was previously announced that Lessard will be joining EuroNASCAR for the NASCAR Oval GP at Raceway Venray.
However, NASCAR Oval GP has been cancelled due to Venray not being able to secure an FIA license in time for the event’s scheduled hosting date of 28-29 June.
This news placed Lessard’s wildcard status in jeopardy, something that ended up flying under the radar amongst all publications – including ourselves.
Eventually, a deal was found to keep Lessard’s wildcard plans intact. On 8 June 2025, EuroNASCAR announced that Lessard will join the series for the NASCAR GP Germany at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.
EuroNASCAR also used the opportunity to unveil Lessard’s wildcard ride. Lessard is set to drive the No. 75 Rousseau Metal Chevrolet Camaro, featuring an identical livery to the No. 50 Rousseau Metal Chevrolet that Ghirelli is set to be driving in GP3R.
“Canadian NASCAR driver Raphael Lessard will kick off his NASCAR Euro journey by joining the grid for the playoffs opening round at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Germany on September 20-21,” announced EuroNASCAR.
“As a key focal point of the transatlantic collaboration, Oschersleben will offer Lessard an exciting platform to showcase his talent on the European stage.”
“The exchange initiative not only highlights the sporting talent across continents but also reflects the shared values of the NASCAR family: Exciting racing, passionate communities, and international cooperation.”
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