Valencia here we come! The first green flag of the 2016 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season will finally wave on April 23 at the Circuit De La Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain with the third edition of the hugely popular Valencia NASCAR Fest. The event drew over 25.000 fans to the 4,005-kilometer 14-turn in 2015 and is expected to be even bigger and better.
VALENCIA NASCAR FEST LINKS
SCHEDULE | RACE CENTRAL LIVE | ENTRY LIST | VIDEO TEASER | LIVE STREAMING | LIVE TIMING
Steady development
With all the 28 season entries assigned to 12 different teams from 6 countries, 17 nationalities represented on the grid in Valencia, a plethora of drivers aiming to be the European NASCAR Champion and a wave of young talents climbing the ranks, the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is undoubtedly one of the most popular, competitive and fastest-growing series in the Old Continent.
High-level competition, up-and-coming talents
The season will begin with a strong list of favorites aiming at the title and an unprecedented competitivity level in the field. A grand total of 10 drivers on the ELITE 1 entry list – Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Ford Mustang), Alon Day (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS), Nicolò Rocca (#56 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS), Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), Borja Garcia (#1 SPV Racing Ford Mustang), Mathias Lauda (#66 Df1 Racing Chevrolet SS), Brandon Gdovic (#46 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Double-T by MRT Nocentini Ford Mustang), Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang) and Florian Renauer (#5 Dexwet Renauer Team Ford Mustang) – won at least one NASCAR race in their career, and a strong group of NWES-raised young talents, including 2015 ELITE 2 Champion Ercoli, Ferrando and Ulysse Delsaux (#31 McDonald’s RDV Compétition Ford Mustang) are moving up the ranks, highlighting EuroNASCAR’s role as the best step for a promising driver to take towards a NASCAR career. The ELITE 2 pision will once again be the ideal environment for young rookies and experienced gentlemen to take their first steps in NASCAR. Ten drivers will compete for the Rookie Cup and seven for the Legend Trophy, while there will be four race winners on the grid: Thomas Ferrando, Salvador Tineo Arroyo (#54 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS), Stienes Longin (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) and Gabriele Gardel (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS).
Lauda & Hunt back on track
40 years after their parents’ legendary battle for the Formula 1 World Championship, Mathias Lauda and Freddie Hunt will write a new chapter of the motorsports history book by sharing the #66 DF1 Racing Chevrolet SS in NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. Lauda will race in the ELITE 1 pision, while Hunt will take on the ELITE 2 pision in his first NASCAR season, putting the icing on the 2016 NWES cake.
Tech talk: new car raises the excitement bar
One of the main talking points of the off-season has been the brand new NWES car. The latest evolution of NASCAR in Europe represents a huge step forward for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in terms of both performance and appeal. The new, bold and spectacular body kit, representing a Chevrolet SS or a Ford Mustang, also produces a consistent aerodynamic improvement that paired with mechanical developments, new Winmax brake pads and the new Dexwet High Performance engine filters will grant good performance gain. The teams will have an additional 3-hour private practice session in Valencia on Thursday, April 21 to fine tune their machines for the first race of the season.
A new home for the Semi Finals: Adria International Raceway
The 2016 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season will articulate once again on the successful formula of six events, with the last two counting as playoffs and awarding double points in title hunt. The Italian Semi Finals round will have a new home in the Adria International Raceway. The 2,702 Km Road Course, located in north-east of Italy few miles from world-famous Venice, will be the perfect stage for the first round of the battle for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series title. Additionally, drivers will be allowed to discard their worst regular season result before entering the playoffs.
Over 300.000€ in prize money for drivers and teams
Prize money for 2016 will increase to an all-time high of 300.000€ for drivers and teams, thus confirming NWES as one of the highest-paying series in Europe, thanks to the important contribution of all the sponsors supporting the championship: Whelen, Michelin, Knauf, Nexteer, McDonald’s, Dexwet, Silverline Tools, Race And Win, Mahle, Winmax, Cometic Gasket, Remus, GForce, Federal Mogul, Mechanix Wear, ZAK Products, JE Pistons, Lincoln Electric, Holley, Sherwin Williams, Quarter Master, Jostens, Racing Electronics, Stand 21.
Every driver will be able to find his dimension and compete for prizes both for the single races and the points standings.
Thanks to the Nexteer Road To Daytona program, the seven drivers winning titles, trophies and cups will be rewarded with a race in NASCAR in the United States:
-NWES Champion (ELITE 1)
-ELITE 2 pision Champion
-Junior “Jerome Sarran” Trophy (ELITE 1 drivers aged 25 or less)
-Challenger Trophy (non-professional ELITE 1 drivers)
-Legend Trophy (ELITE 2 driver aged 40 or more)
-Lady Cup (ELITE 2 female driver)
-Rookie Cup (ELITE 2 debutant)
Eligible teams will also take part in a prize program distributing a total of 60.000€ and thanks to partners like Silverline Tools, they will also be part of special initiatives designed to provide them with equipment and other benefits. Champion driver and Team Owner, as well as the ELITE 1 and ELITE 2 drivers scoring the most pole positions during the season, will be rewarded with luxury chronographs thanks to Race and Win Watches.
World Wide coverage
The Series’ popularity is growing exponentially all over the world. 18 (confirmed?) TV networks will broadcast the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series magazine all over the world in more than 180 countries. The races will be streamed live on a dedicated NASCAR channel on Fanschoice.tv, where they will be available also as On Demand content. NWES will also further extend his social media presence with even more immersive content generated from the track to enhance the fan’s experience wherever they are.
Race |
Valencia American Fest |
|---|---|
PLACE: |
Circuit De La Comunidad Valenciana Ricardo Tormo |
DATE: |
April 23-24, 2016 |
TRACK LAYOUT: |
2.517 miles (4.005 km) Road Course |
2015 WINNERS: |
ELITE 1: Eddie Cheever III, Ander Vilarino – ELITE 2: Gianmarco Ercoli, Thomas Ferrando |
TRACK CONTACT: |
|
TRACK TWITTER: |
@CircuitValencia |
EVENT HASHTAG: |
#NWES #NASCARFest |
NASCAR CONTACT: |
Anne Galpin, +33 6 76 04 11 89, [email protected] |
FAST FACTS
The Race: The first four races of the 2016 season take place in the contest of the third edition of the Valencia American Fest. This is the series’ fourth visit to the Spanish road course, which hosted the 2012 Semi Finals and since 2014 hosts the season opener.
The Procedure: The starting field for each Division will be set by an 8-minute qualifying session, followed by a 5-minute Superpole for the drivers posting the 12 fastest times in Q1. Each of the four races will be 64.80 Kilometers (16 laps) long and held under NASCAR rules, with double file restarts and an eventual Green-White-Checkered Finish attempt.
The Track: The Circuit Ricardo Tormo is located in Valencia, on the east cost of Spain. It was built in 1999 and currently hosts a round of the MOTOGP Championship ad Formula 1 test sessions. It is 2.517 miles long and counts 14 turns in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series layout. The natural conformation of the place allows a maximum of 180.000 spectators to see the whole track from the grandstands.
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