Mike Wise gives an exclusive insight on how his EuroNASCAR OPEN debut at Brands Hatch came to reality and how it’ll shape his 2025 season campaign.
American SpeedFest 12 saw the debut of several drivers in NASCAR Euro Series’ two main divisions, EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR OPEN.
One of the debutants is American driver Mike Wise. Wise made his debut as part of Team Bleekemolen, racing alongside Jordan Wallace in the part-time No. 25 Ford Mustang entry.
Wise’s OPEN appearance marks a significant step up in his career. The American is embarking on an unique challenge for 2025, making his motorsport debut while also maintaining his status as one of world’s top wakeskating stars as part of the Polish national team.
The Texan competed in V8 Oval Series’ opener in March and has made several appearances in EuroNASCAR’s regularity-based division Rookie Challenge.
However, the SpeedFest presented him with his first proper racing outing in EuroNASCAR. It was a debut that was full of stories to be shared, both off and on the track.
After our Mike Wise Feature article following his EuroNASCAR debut at Valencia, World of EuroNASCAR was fortunate to receive a chance to interview Wise again after his successful OPEN outing at Brands Hatch.
Owing to the length of the interview, this Feature will be split into two parts. This first part will be focused on how Wise’s deal with Team Bleekemolen came to be and what would be the next step for the American in 2025.
The second part, which will be published soon on World of EuroNASCAR, will be focused on Wise’s race weekend experience at the American SpeedFest 12.
Part 1 | Part 2
Reza Maulana: In our previous interview, you said that you hope that you get sponsorship to race in EuroNASCAR OPEN next year. Were you surprised that you were able to gather a deal to race in the division this early on?
Mike Wise: “That is a good question! When I first decided that I wanted to drive race cars and stock cars in particular, I was under the assumption that all I needed to do was to drive really fast. Boy was I wrong!”
“There are so many expenses associated with motorsports that it’s critical to bring sponsors to help cover the team costs nowadays. You have travel, crew, transportation of the car, new tires, and many other costs that go into getting the car on the track.”
“Most people don’t know this because they only see the finished product on the weekend. So for the last few months, I would say that my time has been divided close to 70 – 80% of trying to find sponsors, doing meetings, organizing decals from the print shop, etc; and only 20 – 30% of getting in the simulator, going to a karting track, or doing other on-track related preparations.”
“Last time, I mentioned that I prefer oval racing in stock cars. Knowing this, Marko Stipp Motorsport offered me a seat to drive OPEN in Venray and I took that offer very seriously.”
“I messaged hundreds of companies and actually was surprised to learn that there was some interest from a handful of the companies I reached out to. In particular, Emerald Harvest Nutrients wanted to fully sponsor the car for Venray. So, it looked like I was actually going to make it happen.”
“Then a few days later, I was absolutely crushed to learn that the Venray GP was canceled and that the NASCAR Euro Series would not be racing there this year.”
“The only other potential date I had marked on my calendar to drive OPEN was Brands Hatch, but I was thinking to race it next year in 2026. While I was sulking in my sorrows, I got a surprise call from Jerome Galpin who offered me a last minute seat to drive the 25 car for Brands Hatch with Team Bleekemolen.”
“I jumped at the opportunity and was very fortunate to shift the Venray deal that had just fallen through over to Brands Hatch and voila! Just like that I was in for Brand’s Hatch and my unexpected debut in the OPEN division for EuroNASCAR.”
RM: Your previous outings have all been in a relatively non-competitive field because Rookie Challenge’s goal is to set lap times as close as possible to your chosen target time. How thrilling it must be that you can push and go as fast as possible in EuroNASCAR OPEN?
MW: “It’s true. The Rookie Challenge is an amazing opportunity to get into a EuroNASCAR and I really recommend the experience for anyone who is trying to get into stock car racing at the highest level in Europe.”
“In the RC however, I only push the car during the first session. In the two following sessions, my goal is to get the exact lap time over and over. Essentially, I am not pushing anymore at that point.”
“Moving up to the OPEN division, you have to completely forget about all that and just try to constantly find the limit of the car. It opens up a completely new set of challenges and goals for myself, but it is so exhilarating!”
RM: You have competed with three different teams in all three rounds so far: Marko Stipp Motorsport, Club Competition and Team Bleekemolen. Have there been issues with adaptability or did you gel with all three teams just fine?
MW: “For me it has not been an issue to be on three different teams in three different weeks. Every team has their own way of doing things, and their own style and passion. They do what works for them and of course this varies from team to team.”
“To be honest, I kind of like it. As a newcomer, it gives me the opportunity to meet new people in the sport and work with them closely.”
“Essentially, I’m making new contacts and friends for life. Each individual team experience has been invaluable to me and I wish them all success because they were all fun to work with.”
RM: Now that you’ve experienced both regularity and proper competition in EuroNASCAR, what are the lessons that you can take from your race debut at Brands Hatch?
MW: “The number one lesson I can take home from both the Rookie Challenge and the OPEN races is that I need lots and lots of practice. All of the other drivers have experience in driving other series and some of them are even series champions [in those other series].”
“On July 4th – 6th, I’m jumping in a US Legends Car and racing in Monza with the Legend Cars Italia series. My goal is to race as much as I can this season, across different series, to help me get faster in Euro NASCAR.”
RM: Is there an opportunity for you to race in EuroNASCAR OPEN again this season, or is your focus going to be on Rookie Challenge for the rest of the year?
MW: “I will still focus on the Rookie Challenge for Euro NASCAR this season and hopefully complete my goal of reaching the podium.”
“There is also a possibility that I will race in the OPEN division as well. So let’s keep our fingers crossed and tune in to my Instagram to stay updated with all my upcoming race announcements.”
Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.