Paul Jouffreau extends his contract with RDV Competition to confirm his continued pursuit for the EuroNASCAR PRO title in 2026.
French young talent Paul Jouffreau will continue his pursuit for a first EuroNASCAR PRO title in 2026 after he announced his contract extension with RDV Competition on 11 January.
Jouffreau, the 2023 EuroNASCAR OPEN champion, was crowned as back-to-back EuroNASCAR PRO runner-ups ever since he made the full step to the top class in 2024.
“It’s official, I’m returning to the NASCAR Euro Series in 2026!” said Jouffreau to nascar.eu. The Frenchman will continue to race the No. 3 Ford Mustang.
Jouffreau admitted that the incident with Thomas Toffel at the 2025 finale was “a tough pill to swallow”, but he also said that it“strengthened” his relationship with RDV Competition heading to the 2026 season.
“The letdown at Zolder was a tough pill to swallow,” said Jouffreau. “That incident left a deep mark, but it also strengthened the relationship I have with RDV Competition because we faced that disappointment together.”
“It took some time to bounce back, but today, I’m more motivated than ever and with a burning desire to prove that this title belongs to me.”
“Honestly, the 2025 season didn’t fully showcase what I can do, and perhaps not enough of my legendary humility.”
“On a more serious note, I’m fired up for this new season. I’m ready to work tirelessly, keep developing, and most importantly, battle right at the front.”
A similar sentiment was shared by RDV Competition’s team boss Franck Violas, who reiterated the feeling of disappointment and rebuilding that RDV and Jouffreau had after Zolder.
“We experienced a massive disappointment during the first race of the Finals at Zolder,” said Violas to nascar.eu.
“We were starting on the front row, right beside our main rival [Vittorio Ghirelli], and I can assure you we were primed for the fight of our lives.”
“Paul was second in the overall standings. The championship title was within our grasp. But everything evaporated on the first corner.”
“A competitor, coming out of nowhere, struck Paul’s car after contact he had with another driver who showed poor sportsmanship. While the latter received a significant penalty, it obviously couldn’t restore our position.”
“Initially, that setback was demoralizing for both Paul and me. However, in the end, it truly reinforced our connection.”
While Jouffreau said that his 2025 “didn’t fully showcase” what he can do, Violas had a more positive outlook to his team’s performance.
“2025 was competitive for my team, which is now even more high-performing,” added Violas. “It was hugely developmental for Paul, who never stops improving. A winning program is always prepared well in advance.”
“The level of competition has grown immensely, and I’m proud to consistently field a very competitive car, thanks to top drivers and sheer hard work.”
With this announcement, Jouffreau becomes the fifth EuroNASCAR PRO driver to be confirmed for 2026.
Martin Doubek, Thomas Krasonis, Vladimiros Tziortzis and Vinnie Meskelis will join Jouffreau in the grid at the upcoming season.
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