Whelen Euro Nascar Report

Valencia 13 – 14 April 2019

Let us have some fun and build our own EuroNascar ready to race at the Circuito de Ricardo Tormo. First steel tubing to make the tubular chassis and safety cage, add to this a 5.7 Chevrolet V8 400 b.h.p. engine. Then add a four speed manual gearbox and back axle, fit the springs, Brembo brakes and wheels fitted with General Tires plus your choice of body work be it Ford, Chevrolet or Toyota and we are pretty much ready to go racing.

All 33 cars are made the same way and there is very little the teams’ mechanics can do to alter the car, it is all about the driver.

For 2019 the Whelen Euro Nascar series has a great line-up of drivers including Jacques Villenueve (1997 Formula One World Drivers Champion), Bobby Labonte (NASCAR Cup USA Champion), Ander Vilariño and Alon Day (both multi EuroNascar champions) Ellen Lohr (Ex-DTM) and many more exceptionally experienced race drivers.

The weekend format comprised of Euro Nascar qualifying for both the Elite 1 and Elite 2 drivers and also super pole on Saturday morning and two races during the day. On Sunday a further two races with the addition of support racing by the Spanish Renault Clio cup cars.

The weather for the weekend could not have been better and the paddock, pit lane and grid formations were full of fans wanting to experience being up close to the race cars and drivers.

All the races are rolling starts and the on-track action in those first few seconds from start line to first corner is unreal. 33 cars all producing their maximum speed trying to get to that first corner in the lead and we all know the consequences that can happen and did happen. A number of cars were left behind trailing damaged body work and on a couple of occasions the safety car had to be deployed to clear the track of cars and debris.

Unfortunately this inaugural weekend for Ellen Lohr driving car number 99 ended in her car being wrecked along with Mauro Trione car number 31. Both drivers escaped uninjured from their cars. Several other cars were damaged in the incident but due to the strength of the race cars they were able to continue racing.

I have said it before but EuroNascar has to be one of the purest forms of motor racing, big petrol engines, noisy, fast just what we want to see and hear.

In addition during the weekend I spoke to many drivers and mechanics. I was never turned away or told I could not take a photograph of car or driver, unlike some other motor racing series which shall remain nameless. Thank you all for your help in making my weekend even more enjoyable. Let’s keep that pedal to the metal!

Some additional good news for the Circuito de Ricardo Tormo, Valencia they have signed a further contract with EuroNascar to host the races for a further five years.

Check out some of my photos from this event by clicking HERE.

Tony