With February coming to a close, we take a look at the drivers and teams that have officially announced their plans to compete in the 2023 EuroNASCAR championship so far.
Today, 28 February 2023, marked the end of the second month of the year. NASCAR Whelen Euro Series continues its annual off-season as more drivers and teams announced their plans to compete in the championship this year.
As time continues to get closer to the first round of the season at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, we will be taking a look at those that have made their EuroNASCAR plans for 2023 known, ordered by the date of their first official entrant’s announcement.
SpeedHouse
SpeedHouse was the first team to officially lock a spot in the Entry List for this year with Paul Jouffreau, who signed a contract extension with the team back on 23 November 2021 as part of his promotion to the EuroNASCAR 2 division. Jouffreau’s new contract with the team lasts for two years, guaranteeing the young Frenchman a spot in the No. 33 team for 2023.
Jouffreau will be joined by fellow countryman and Club Challenge graduate Néo Lambert, who announced his plans to compete in EuroNASCAR 2 on 28 October 2022 – the day of the 2022 EuroNASCAR Club Challenge’s season finale. Lambert’s ride is currently unknown.
PK Carsport
On the build-up for his return to the championship at Zolder last year, two-time ENPRO champion Anthony Kumpen announced on 5 October 2022 that he will be racing full-time this year for his first full season in motorsport after serving RACB’s four year long suspension.
It is expected that Kumpen will be replacing Alon Day in the No. 24 team for 2023. Given that PK only entered the No. 24 team for the full season last year, this meant that Day is currently without a ride for next year. That being said, it’s likely that the Israeli will be signing a contract extension with PK to defend his record breaking fourth EuroNASCAR title.
Team Bleekemolen
Michael Bleekemolen might be 73-years old, but the patriarch of the Bleekemolen family has no plans to stop racing just yet. Michael made those intentions clear when he revealed his plans to compete full-time in 2023 during the live broadcast of last year’s NASCAR GP Belgium. Michael will continue to race in EuroNASCAR 2, although his car for 2023 is currently unknown.
His son Sebastiaan is yet to officially announce his plans to stay in EuroNASCAR this year, although an article that Race Planet Bleekemolen posted on 29 January 2023 regarding Sebastiaan’s participation in the Israman triathlon has more or less confirmed the 44-year old’s plans to make his fourth full-season participation in EuroNASCAR.
Academy Motorsport
On 5 December 2022, Academy Motorsport announced that Vladimiros Tziortzis will be stepping up to the top EuroNASCAR PRO class after a three-year stay in the EuroNASCAR 2 division that yielded the Cypriot one race victory, 8 pole positions and 15 podium finishes.
Tziortzis, who established himself as one of EuroNASCAR 2’s “Big Three” in 2022, is set to replace Patrick Lemarié in Academy’s flagship No. 5 FJ team. Lemarié, who became EuroNASCAR PRO’s oldest race winner last year, has yet to announce his plans for 2023 so far.
Bremotion
German tuning firm Bremotion became the first new team to announce their participation in the 2023 EuroNASCAR season when they officially revealed their No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro on 29 December 2022. Bremotion will receive technical support from both Team Hezeberg and Hendriks Motorsport, the reigning EuroNASCAR Teams Champion.
Bremotion has yet to announce a driver to drive the No. 99 Camaro for this year, although euronascar.com reported that Tobias Dauenhauer is linked to the seat as a “candidate”. Dauenhauer last competed in last year’s Valencia round before sponsorship issues sadly forced the German to sit out the remainder of the 2022 season.
Double V Racing
Pierluigi Veronesi and Francesco Vignali’s Double V Racing confirmed a spot in the Entry List on 26 January 2023 when it was announced that Viktor Schiffer will be joining the team for a full season in the regularity-based EuroNASCAR Club Challenge division. The 24-year old Austrian had previously made his Club Challenge debut with Double V in last year’s season finale race at Rijeka.
“I’m going into the season highly motivated and already looking forward to the team spirit at Double V Racing,” said Schiffer to Leadlap. “At the same time, I would like to thank GWT and Denzel Eisenstadt for their support. My thanks also go to Robert Wagner from Motorsportaktiv and especially to my father for this unique opportunity.”
Max Mason
Australia’s Max Mason is the only driver to have announced their entry in 2023 without revealing which team they’re set to compete with.
Mason confirmed his EuroNASCAR plans on 16 February 2023 after he was selected as the recipient of this year’s Drivers Recruitment Program scholarship, which gave him the financial support needed to secure a seat in this year’s championship.
CAAL Racing
The Italian powerhouse team will be continuing their participation in EuroNASCAR for the 11th consecutive season when Max Lanza announced on 21 February 2023 that he will be staying in CAAL’s No. 88 team for his second season in the top class.
CAAL Racing continues to eschew their traditional yellow livery for the No. 88 team in 2023 as the team will be sporting a brand new look courtesy of Lanza’s two primary sponsors: Wakala and Avangarde Group.
Team Bulgaria
Team Bulgaria, the first NASCAR team to come from Hristo Stoichkov’s home country, became the latest team to announce their entry when they announced their scheduled participation on 24 February 2023 after hinting their plans through social media over the past few months.
The second new team to join EuroNASCAR this year, Team Bulgaria is planning to field the No. 90 Toyota Camry in collaboration with a veteran Italian team. The team’s mystery partner is currently unknown, although Not Only Motorsport is rumored to be the team that is set to work together with the Bulgarian outfit for this year.
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.
World of EuroNASCAR 