Unpredictable weather was beneficial for Gianmarco Ercoli and Thomas Toffel after they claimed their first 2025 Pole Award in a dramatic Qualifying at Brands Hatch.
United Kingdom is home to two things: American SpeedFest and British weather. Combine the two together, and you got one of the most unpredictable EuroNASCAR Qualifying in recent history.
With the track still damp from overnight rain, race control had to change the Qualifying format. The old Qualifying + Superpole system was reintroduced to give the field a fairer playing ground.
However, to keep the spirit of the current single-car format, everyone is only given five laps to set their Qualifying times.
This led to some bizarre results as the running order was jumbled from top to bottom. None of this was an issue for Gianmarco Ercoli and Thomas Toffel, who both secured Pole Position in EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR OPEN respectively.
Ercoli’s pole position marked the Italian’s first Qualifying Pole Award since the 2023 American Festival of Rome at Vallelunga. For Toffel, it was the Swiss’ maiden Qualifying Pole Award. Both drivers will therefore lead the field into the first set of races at Brands Hatch.
EuroNASCAR PRO Qualifying Recap
Brands Hatch’s asphalt was at its wettest during the start of EuroNASCAR PRO’s Qualifying session. Only Federico Monti dared to go out in the first half of the session, with everyone else choosing to wait before they started to set their lap times.
Track evolution was particularly immense. Lap times continue to tumble as the session progresses, leaving those who come out early on the backfoot.
Thomas Krasonis was one of the last cars to go out, and he was rewarded with first position in Qualifying. However, Superpole’s return meant that Krasonis had to go out again and the Greek couldn’t capitalize as he was only seventh fastest.
One driver who did capitalize is Gianmarco Ercoli. Alumitec Racing’s star driver was only fifth in Qualifying, but Superpole gave him the chance to turn up the heat.
And turn up the heat he did, because the 2023 series champion set a lap time of 48.528 to clinch his first pole position in two years.
“For the crown I wait until Sunday!” said Ercoli, who lowered his expectations. “The team did a great job and we’re back again at the top.”
“With this Qualifying format, it really changed up the grid. I’m happy to be back on pole again, this circuit always gives me emotions.”
Equally stunning is the performance delivered by the man starting alongside him: Vittorio Ghirelli. PK Carsport was able to rebuild their No. 24 Camaro in time for Qualifying, giving Ghirelli the chance to properly compete at the front.
The reigning champion finished third in Qualifying and second in Superpole, proving that the rebuilt No. 24 Camaro is as good as new.
Liam Hezemans completed the top-3 ahead of PRO Qualifying’s surprise package Jack Davidson. Davidson qualified an impressive fourth, giving the Scotsman a real chance for a podium finish at his home round.
Another surprise package comes in Bruno Mulders, who comes in fifth ahead of Paul Jouffreau. Jouffreau would later receive a five-place grid penalty for colliding with Garrett Lowe during Qualifying, dropping the Frenchman down to 11th for Race 1.
This penalty promoted Krasonis up to sixth place. It also promotes Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, Fabrizio Armetta, Claudio Remigio Cappelli and Thomas Toffel, who all round out the top-10 positions.
Lowe was the second car to come out after Monti, and he paid the price with only a 17th place result. Martin Doubek didn’t fare better either, qualifying at a measly 18th position behind the American.
EuroNASCAR PRO Qualifying Results | EuroNASCAR PRO Superpole Results
EuroNASCAR OPEN Qualifying Recap
Track condition was at its best in EuroNASCAR OPEN’s Qualifying, but chaos still followed the drivers in the second division.
Mike Wise, Vanessa “Happinessa” Neumann and Jordan O’Brien all ran off the track at Paddock Hill during the session. Vanessa’s excursion wound up creating a red flag period because she beached her No. 77 OnlyFans Camaro in the gravel trap.
Neither track condition or the stoppage halted Thomas Toffel’s progress in this session. The Swiss bounced back from his Vallelunga problems with a perfect Qualifying.
Toffel’s best lap time of 49.155 narrowly beat Doubek’s time by just 0.064 seconds. This small margin is enough to secure Toffel’s second career pole position, which was also his first from Qualifying and M Racing’s first as a team in EuroNASCAR.
“I wasn’t so confident during the PRO Quali because it was a little bit too wet,” said Toffel after the session. “Before the OPEN Quali, I have to do it like it’s full slicks and without something. I was 100% confident with what I did.”
Toffel’s pole position denied Thomas Krasonis from his fifth consecutive pole position. The Greek still qualified in third where he’ll start alongside Melvin de Groot, the leader in Legend Trophy.
Prior to the off track excursion, O’Brien set a lap time fast enough for second provisionally. This became fifth at the end of the 20-minute long session, securing the American first place in the Master Trophy ranks.
Italians Claudio Remigio Cappelli and Valentino Gambarotto followed O’Brien with Matthew Ellis in eighth confirming the speed that he showed in Practice.
Patrick Schober and Thomas Dombrowski chose to come out early in the session. Even with the improved track condition, this decision still bit them as they ended up in ninth and tenth respectively.
Bruno Mulders had also decided to come out early, relegating the Dutchman down to 12th in the final results. Michael Bleekemolen and Davide Frulio had spins in the session on their way to 16th and 19th place results.
EuroNASCAR OPEN Qualifying Results
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