The right strategy and two perfect laps put the #7 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang on pole for the first 2021 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series races in both EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR 2 at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. 2019 NWES Champion Loris Hezemans clocked a phenomenal 1:41.156 lap around the 4-km track to grab the first Pole Award of the new season. Just 30 minutes later, his teammate Martin Doubek grabbed the Pole Position for his race by just 0.021 seconds.
Finding the right timing and putting one optimal lap together was the secret to success for both drivers who were observing the track conditions with the sun quickly warming up the asphalt. Both Hendriks Motorsport veterans only clocked five laps in Qualifying and saved their tires for a busy race weekend.
Hezemans phenomenal in EuroNASCAR PRO
“It was a little strategy play for sure,” said Hezemans. “We saw yesterday in Free Practice that the track got slower the more the temperatures went up. Ten minutes before Qualifying I said: ‘Let’s go out right at the beginning when the track is cool!’ It seems it worked out very well.”
EURONASCAR PRO RESULTS: PRACTICE | FINAL PRACTICE | QUALIFYING
Hezemans was 0.676 seconds faster than CAAL Racing’s Alon Day, who will start from the front row in Saturday’s EuroNASCAR PRO race. While the Dutchman was unbeatable, Day edged all the other competitors despite having only 15 minutes of special practice in the morning. The Israeli missed Free Practice on Friday due to the traveling restrictions caused by the difficult situation in his home country.
Another title contender, Day’s teammate Gianmarco Ercoli, ended up third with a 0.693-second gap from the Pole Award winner. The Italian, who turned 26-years-old on May 5th, led the Junior Trophy standings. DF1 Racing’s Nicolo Rocca was fourth, 0.711 seconds slower than Hezemans. The NWES veteran is in his second year with the Austrian team.
Vittorio Ghirelli from Italy rounded out the top-5 with a 1:42.169-lap at the wheel of his #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang. The 2020 EuroNASCAR 2 Champion made good progress in his first laps among the European NASCAR top drivers. Frenchman Thomas Ferrando followed in sixth ahead of Giorgio Maggi and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, who led the Challenger Trophy standings. The top-10 was closed by RDV Competition’s Frederic Gabillon and 42 Racing’s Luigi Ferrara.
Centimeters decide EuroNASCAR 2 Qualifying
In the EuroNASCAR 2 Qualifying, only a few thousands of a second decided the battle for the first Pole Award of the 2021 season. Doubek got the pole at the wheel of #7 Ford Mustang. The two-time 2020 race winner built on last season’s momentum and benefited from the right strategy call and a great Hendriks Motorsport car.
EURONASCAR 2 RESULTS: PRACTICE | FINAL PRACTICE | QUALIFYING
“I have a really good teammate and we found a really good setup”, said the Czech after winning the second Pole Award of his career. “I’m very happy to grab the first Pole Position right in the first Qualifying of the year. The track is really challenging and demanding, but we are confident that we can use the momentum for the upcoming race.”
But it was a close call: Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport’s Vladimiros Tziorztis was just 0.021 seconds slower than Doubek and his 1:42.339 lap. The Cypriot will start from the first row when the green flag flies for the first time in EuroNASCAR 2 on Saturday afternoon. 2019 EuroNASCAR 2 runner-up Tobias Dauenhauer ended up third, 0.565 seconds behind his teammate on pole.
Another promising talent, Francesco Garisto set the fourth fastest time in Qualifying. The 42 Racing driver clocked a 1:43.813 lap at Circuit Ricardo Tormo. With his new team Double V Racing, Pier Luigi Veronesi closed the top-5 after the 30-minute session, while CAAL Racing’s Advait Deodhar followed in sixth.
EuroNASCAR 2 returnee Justin Kunz was seventh ahead of his teammate Simon Pilate from Belgium. The fastest Legend Trophy driver was The Club Motorsport’s Fabrizio Armetta at the wheel of the #55 Chevrolet Camaro in ninth.
Completing the top-10, Alberto Panebianco was the fastest driver among the Rookie Trophy participants in the 2021 NWES season. Lady Trophy title candidate Arianna Casoli finished 18th, while Solaris Motorsport’s Alina Loibnegger was involved in a contact with Vict Racing’s Paolo Valeri that triggered a red flag.
EuroNASCAR PRO Round 1 will start at 13:45 CEST, while the first EuroNASCAR 2 race of the season will follow at 16:45 CEST. All races will be broadcasted live on EuroNASCAR’s social media channels – YouTube, Facebook, Twitch – and Motorsport.tv.
NWES PR
