Gil Linster, Melvin de Groot and Ossi Pohjanharju are among those that are announced by the series as part of the 2026 EuroNASCAR OPEN season.
On the same day that NASCAR Euro Series announced six new and/or returning drivers to the 2026 EuroNASCAR V8GP grid, the series also announced five drivers to the EuroNASCAR OPEN division.
The announcements were led by the confirmation of two EuroNASCAR OPEN mainstays: Gil Linster and Melvin de Groot.
Linster was announced to be staying with the Hendriks Motorsport camp after he was revealed as the OPEN driver of the No. 50 Ford Mustang.
The Luxembourger ran with Hendriks’ allied team Rette Jones Racing in 2025. His 2025 was marred by an illness that prevented him from competing in Brands Hatch, resulting in Linster missing out on an overall top-10 finish in the standings.
De Groot would also stay with his main team Team Bleekemolen as the Dutchman was announced to have kept his seat in the Teams championship winning No. 69 Toyota Camry.
De Groot enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2025. He claimed his maiden victory in the appalling rain at Brands Hatch and nine further top-10 finishes helped de Groot to finish fifth in the standings.
The 47-year old’s consistency kept him in the title fight entering the 2025 Playoffs, his first proper title assault in EuroNASCAR. Unfortunately, a poor round in Germany – where he scored his sole non top-10 finishes – wrote him out just as it had begun.
Part-timer Giovanni Faraonio also was announced on 12 April 2026. Faraonio will continue his association with Fabrizio Armetta’s Club Competition, where he’s set to accompany new recruit Ulysse Delsaux for the season opener in Valencia.
The remaining announcements were made by Lux Motorsport, who revealed two newcomers to their No. 20 and No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro’s.
Finn Ossi Pohjanharju will make his series debut in the No. 20 Camaro after testing the EuroNASCAR cars in the Recruitment Test alongside fellow Finn Henri Timonen.
The No. 21 Camaro will be filled by Italian hillclimb veteran Francesco Leogrande, who aims to make his full-season debut after he made a one-off with SpeedHouse in last year’s Zolder finale.
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