EuroNASCAR PRO – Youngest and Oldest Drivers
The list of the youngest and oldest drivers in EuroNASCAR’s top division, EuroNASCAR PRO.
A total of 232 drivers have made at least one (1) entry in a race of NASCAR Euro Series’ top division EuroNASCAR PRO since the series’ first season under NASCAR’s official sanctioning in 2012.
A driver is considered to have entered a race if they attempted to compete in at least one official session, while a driver is considered to have started if the driver was to take the green flag at the start of a race.
Listed below are the youngest and oldest drivers to have officially started a race in the EuroNASCAR PRO division of the NASCAR Euro Series.
Only drivers whose birthday dates are known are eligible for this list. The all-time starts list excludes races that are not considered as part of the official championship calendar, such as the 2012 exhibition race at Tours and the two Trofeo Angelo Caffi tournaments.
NOTE : The list shown below are correct as of the end of the 2024 Valencia NASCAR Fest at Circuit Ricardo Tormo. Drivers shown in “bold” are drivers that have competed in at least one (1) EuroNASCAR PRO race of the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season.
For more information on the EuroNASCAR PRO drivers, see here.
Credits: Giles Thornton Racing
YOUNGEST DRIVERS – TOP 25
Giles Thornton is the youngest driver to have started a race in EuroNASCAR PRO. Thornton was 15 years and 90 days old when he competed in the first race of the 2013 Michelin/Tours Evenements 100 at Tours Speedway as a driver for Scorpus Racing.
He beat the previous record set by Nicolò Rocca, who started the first race of the 2013 Nogaro 200 at the age of 19 years and 107 days old.
The table below will be listing the 25 youngest drivers to have started a race in EuroNASCAR’s top division. Only the driver’s first start is listed.
| RANK | DRIVER | AGE AT FIRST START | FIRST START |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 🇺🇸 Giles Thornton | 15 years, 90 days | 2013 Michelin/Tours Evenements 100, Race 1 |
| 2. | 🇮🇹 Leonardo Colavita | 16 years, 3 days | 2021 Fracasso NASCAR GP Croatia, Race 1 |
| 3. | 🇮🇹 Mario Ercoli | 16 years, 24 days | 2023 EuroNASCAR Finals, Race 1 |
| 4. | 🇸🇮 Mark Škulj | 16 years, 188 days | 2020 Fracasso NASCAR GP Croatia, Race 1 |
| 5. | 🇫🇷 Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer | 16 years, 252 days | 2017 American Fan Fest, Race 1 |
| 6. | 🇫🇮 Luka Nurmi | 17 years, 187 days | 2021 American Festival NASCAR Finals, Race 1 |
| 7. | 🇦🇪 Aliyyah Koloc | 17 years, 317 days | 2022 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 8. | 🇫🇷 Ulysse Delsaux | 18 years, 183 days | 2016 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 9. | 🇮🇹 Riccardo Geltrude | 18 years, 219 days | 2016 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 10. | 🇧🇪 Simon Pilate | 18 years, 225 days | 2020 Fracasso NASCAR GP Croatia, Race 1 |
| 11. | 🇫🇷 Thomas Ferrando | 18 years, 234 days | 2016 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 12. | 🇳🇱 Liam Hezemans | 19 years, 42 days | 2022 American SpeedFest IX, Race 1 |
| 13. | 🇱🇹 Gustas Grinbergas | 19 years, 51 days | 2022 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 14. | 🇬🇧 Alex Sedgwick | 19 years, 56 days | 2018 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 15. | 🇮🇹 Nicolò Rocca | 19 years, 107 days | 2013 Nogaro 200, Race 1 |
| 16. | 🇫🇷 Paul Jouffreau | 19 years, 221 days | 2023 American Festival of Rome, Race 1 |
| 17. | 🇫🇷 Anthony Garbarino | 19 years, 292 days | 2012 Nogaro 200, Race 1 |
| 18. | 🇮🇹 Gianmarco Ercoli | 20 years, 18 days | 2015 Autospeedway American Style, Race 1 |
| 19. | 🇧🇪 Martin van Hove | 20 years, 117 days | 2012 Spa 200, Race 1 |
| 20. | 🇫🇷 Wilfried Boucenna | 20 years, 165 days | 2012 Nogaro 200, Race 1 |
| 21. | 🇬🇷 Thomas Krasonis | 20 years, 197 days | 2022 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 22. | 🇩🇪 Justin Kunz | 20 years, 277 days | 2018 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 23. | 🇨🇿 Martin Doubek | 20 years, 286 days | 2015 American Festival NASCAR Finals, Race 1 |
| 24. | 🇮🇹 Eddie Cheever III | 20 years, 310 days | 2014 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
| 25. | 🇳🇱 Loris Hezemans | 20 years, 323 days | 2018 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 1 |
Credits: NASCAR Euro Series / Stephane Azemard
OLDEST DRIVERS – TOP 25
Eric van der Vyver is currently the oldest driver to start a race in EuroNASCAR PRO. Van de Vyver was 63 years and 80 days old when he raced Alex Caffi Motorsport’s No. 1 Ford in the second race of the 2017 American Fan Fest at the Hockenheimring.
He beat the previous record set by Willy Gruber, who started the second American Festival NASCAR Finals race of 2016 at the age of 61 years and 309 days old.
The table below will be listing the 25 oldest drivers to have started a race in EuroNASCAR’s top division. Only the driver’s last start is listed.
| RANK | DRIVER | AGE AT LAST START | LAST START |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 🇫🇷 Eric van der Vyver | 63 years, 80 days | 2017 American Fan Fest, Race 2 |
| 2. | 🇦🇹 Willy Gruber | 61 years, 309 days | 2016 American Festival NASCAR Finals, Race 2 |
| 3. | 🇮🇹 Dario Caso | 61 years, 250 days | 2024 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 2 |
| 4. | 🇮🇹 Riccardo Romagnoli | 60 years, 278 days | 2024 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 2 |
| 5. | 🇬🇧 Colin White | 59 years, 236 days | 2016 Autospeedway American Style, Race 2 |
| 6. | 🇺🇸 Dale Quarterley | 57 years, 269 days | 2018 American Festival NASCAR Finals, Race 2 |
| 7. | 🇮🇹 Bernardo Manfrè | 57 years, 162 days | 2022 American SpeedFest IX, Race 2 |
| 8. | 🇭🇷 Niko Pulić | 57 years, 127 days | 2020 Fracasso NASCAR GP Croatia, Race 2 |
| 9. | 🇧🇪 Eric de Doncker | 57 years, 110 days | 2019 OMV MaxxMotion NASCAR Show, Race 2 |
| 10. | 🇨🇭 Mauro Trione | 57 years, 91 days | 2020 Valencia Super Speedweek, Race 4 |
| 11. | 🇫🇮 Ian Eric Wadén | 56 years, 194 days | 2022 American SpeedFest IX, Race 2 |
| 12. | 🇫🇷 Patrick Lemarié | 56 years, 68 days | 2024 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 2 |
| 13. | 🇮🇹 Marco Spinelli | 55 years, 310 days | 2014 Le Mans Finals, Race 2 |
| 14. | 🇫🇷 Didier Bec | 55 years, 256 days | 2018 American Fan Fest Semi Final, Race 2 |
| 15. | 🇮🇹 Alex Caffi | 55 years, 55 days | 2019 NASCAR GP of Italy, Race 2 |
| 16. | 🇺🇸 Rick Crawford | 54 years, 346 days | 2013 Michelin/Tours Evenements 100, Race 2 |
| 17. | 🇺🇸 Bobby Labonte | 54 years, 341 days | 2019 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 2 |
| 18. | 🇧🇪 Marc Goossens | 54 years, 136 days | 2024 Valencia NASCAR Fest, Race 2 |
| 19. | 🇩🇪 Ellen Lohr | 54 years, 93 days | 2019 American Car Fest |
| 20. | 🇮🇹 Nicola Larini | 53 years, 182 days | 2017 American NASCAR Weekend, Race 2 |
| 21. | 🇫🇷 Bruno Cosin | 53 years, 8 days | 2013 Le Mans Finals, Race 2 |
| 22. | 🇧🇪 Bert Longin | 52 years, 325 days | 2018 American Fan Fest Semi Final, Race 2 |
| 23. | 🇫🇷 Christophe Bouchut | 52 years, 279 days | 2019 OMV MaxxMotion NASCAR Show, Race 2 |
| 24. | 🇧🇷 William Ayer Jr. | 52 years, 220 days | 2018 American Festival NASCAR Finals, Race 2 |
| 25. | 🇩🇪 Matthias Hauer | 52 years, 160 days | 2018 American Festival NASCAR Finals, Race 2 |
Disclaimer: Information taken for this page are taken from data that are verified through Racing Reference, DriverDB, Speedsport Magazine and NASCAR Euro Series. Main photo is from NASCAR Euro Series / Stephane Azemard. Credits for all other photos are listed underneath each image.
Last Updated: 13 December 2024