Your basket is currently empty!
Category: NASCAR
-
Indian star Advait Deodhar 2nd in Challenger Trophy
Valencia (Spain) 7 May 2023: Valencia, 8 May 2023: Indian racing star Advait Deodhar secured a podium in the Challenger Trophy classification for bronze and silver drivers in the EuroNASCAR PRO, finishing second behind Riccardo Romagnoli. In the overall classification, the Euro-based Deodhar, finished P10 within points for a very impressive debut in the top class.
Kenko Miura came third and overall 11th. The Indian rounded out the top-10 positions. Provisionally, Lucas Lasserre exits the Spanish round of the championship as the championship leader with 71 points. Doubek is in second with 64 points with the aid of bonus points for most positions gained that he secured in Race 2, while Goossens sits in third with 63 points.
Advait Deodhar being interviewed by his manager Anish Gohil in Valencia. Advait Deodhar won the Elite Club championship in 2018 in his debut year and has been competing in EuroNASCAR since then. He took part in the NASCAR2 last year, made an impressive debut in elite Pro-Division at NASCAR Whelen European Series Round 1 here on Saturday.
One driver who stood out from the rest was Indian racing ace Advait Deodhar, who promoted himself to Elite Pro division this year, driving for Academy Motorsports team. Advait had virtually no practice time, going into the race weekend, which made his performance even more impressive.
The NASCAR Whelen European Series made its much-awaited return to Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, and it did not disappoint. The first round of the Elite Pro division saw some exhilarating racing and a mix of fortune for many drivers.
Deodhar salvages P16 in Race 1
Starting from P14 in Race 1 on Saturday, Advait had a decent start but was forced to go wide in Turn 1 and lost a few positions. However, he managed to gain back some places as the race progressed. His battle with Thomas in car number 46 was intense, and he eventually settled for P16.
“The qualifying time for Race 2 on Sunday was based on the quickest lap time from Race 1. Advait was determined to do better in Race 2, starting from P14 again. The start of the race was as expected, with drivers going all out to gain positions,” said Anish Gohil, his spotter.
“An incident in turn one forced half of the grid to go wide but Advait managed to move up to P12. With four laps remaining, another incident involving leading cars of Gimmy and Hezemans forced the safety car out again. Doing everything right at the restart, Advait managed to finish in P10, securing championship points of the season and a top 10 finish,” he added.
It was a step in the right direction for Advait, who will be looking to build on this performance going forward.
The next round of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series is in the UK at Brands Hatch, which is Advait’s home race. Also it a memorable venue for the Indian, as he secured his first career win in NASCAR at the same venue.
Academy Motorsports have shown great pace at the track, and Advait and the team are determined to perform well at NASCAR GP UK. Overall, the first round of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series was a fantastic event, with some great racing and performances from all drivers.
“Advait Deodhar’s debut in the Elite Pro division was a promising start, and we look forward to seeing him and Academy Motorsports in action again at Brands Hatch,” Gohil concluded.
In the overall classification, the Euro-based Deodhar, finished P10 within points. Kenko Miura came third and overall 11th. The Indian rounded out the top-10 positions. Provisionally, Lucas Lasserre exits the Spanish round of the championship as the championship leader with 71 points. Doubek is in second with 64 points with the aid of bonus points for most positions gained that he secured in Race 2, while Goossens sits in third with 63 points.
The Race report
The season opener of the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season ended with a big bang and it was Lucas Lasserre who won EuroNASCAR PRO Round 2 in a tremendous battle against Martin Doubek. The Speedhouse Racing driver grabbed his first victory since 2018 and gave Speedhouse the team’s second win in EuroNASCAR PRO since its debut in 2017. The Frenchman took advantage from a clash between Gianmarco Ercoli and Liam Hezemans late in the race to take the lead and capture the checkered flag.
The owner, engineer and driver coach of Speedhouse didn’t plan to jump into the #64 Ford Mustang in 2023, but with the cockpit free, the Biarritz resident decided to take the wheel at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Lasserre has been involved in the series since its foundation in 2009 and is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid. It took all his cleverness to put the #64 in Victory Lane: the Frenchman took the lead on restart – the second of the race – on lap 17, beating Vladimiros Tziortzis into turn 2 after the Cypriot had kept the lead in turn 1. Lasserre then defended first place and turned the NASCAR GP Spain into a huge party for Speedhouse.
On to Brands Hatch – June 17 and 18
The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will make its next stop on June 17-18 at Circuit Brands Hatch in the UK. Four action-packed races will highlight the 10th edition of the popular American SpeedFest at the Indy layout of the legendary race track close to London. Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and several TV services from all around the world.
Editor’s Note: With inputs from Official press release from EuroNASCAR /ANDRÉ WIEGOLD / REZA MAULANA / GIAN LUCA GUIGLIA
-
F1 legend Jenson Button to run 3 NASCAR Cup series races: Debut at COTA Mar26
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (March 9, 2023) – Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula One world champion whose versatility as a racecar driver extends well beyond his nearly two-decade F1 career, will continue to diversify his racing resume by running three NASCAR Cup Series races in 2023.
With support from Mobil 1, the world’s leading brand of synthetic motor oil, Button will make his Cup Series debut March 26 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. He will then compete in the inaugural Chicago Street Race on July 2 before culminating his three-race Cup Series slate Aug. 13 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
Rick Ware Racing (RWR) will field the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang that Button will drive in each Cup Series race. Marketing and promotional support is being facilitated by Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Mobil 1’s longtime NASCAR team partner. RWR and SHR collaborated in similar fashion last year for multiple races with a handful of drivers.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Jenson Button as he makes his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series and support him on his journey to making one of his racing dreams a reality,” said Rob Shearer, Director of Global Lubricants Marketing Services, on behalf of Mobil 1. “We’re driven by the love of driving and committed to helping more people get behind the wheel – wherever they may be. Through our partnership, we hope to continue to inspire and serve drivers everywhere – encouraging them to get more out of their drive and reconnect with the adventure of the open road.”
Button won 15 grands prix, including a dominant six-win campaign in 2009 that netted him the F1 title. Upon retiring from F1 in 2017, the British driver has taken on a variety of challenges. It began with sports cars in the Japanese Super GT Series’ GT500 class, where he won the 2018 championship. He then ran a five-race stint in the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship, a drive that included the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Button has even competed in off-road endurance racing, running the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000 in 2019.
Mobil 1 has been there for nearly all of it, with Button’s NASCAR endeavor another chapter in a partnership that began 20 years ago.
“I won the world championship with Mobil 1, and 14 of my 15 wins in Formula One were with Mobil 1, as well as winning the Super GT championship with them. We’ve had a really close relationship over the years and I can’t think of a better partner,” Button said.
“Mobil 1 has been a big part of making these NASCAR races happen for me, so I’m very thankful to them for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to working alongside the brand to get the best out of every race weekend.”
Through their shared love of driving and deep history in motorsports, Mobil 1 and Button will connect with the racing community in new and exciting ways – with a focus on delivering exclusive content and uniting driving enthusiasts through activations and experiences.
“Our love for racing at Mobil 1 runs deep, and we’re proud to compete and play a role in so many different series,” said Jei Gort, Global Motorsports and Sponsorships Manager, on behalf of Mobil 1. “This partnership with Jenson intersects two of racing’s most prominent series – NASCAR and F1 – and we’re very excited to be a part of his pursuit for success in NASCAR’s premier division. Through our collaboration, we aim to further celebrate the love of driving and elevate the passion for motorsports.”
Button is one of F1’s most tenured drivers with 306 career starts. His final F1 start was the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix when he subbed for Fernando Alonso, who skipped Monaco to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Button’s last fulltime F1 season was 2016.
“The reason I was able to stay in Formula One for so long was because I always felt I was learning. There was always something new in terms of technologies, or I could still improve my driving or engineering skills within Formula One. When I got to my 17th year in F1, I felt like I lost that hunger a little bit because it wasn’t new anymore. There wasn’t something new to learn,” Button said.
“Stepping away from F1 gave me the opportunity to try different series that excited me. I raced Super GT in Japan. I raced at Le Mans. I raced off-road because it was another skill to learn. You put yourself in a slightly vulnerable position because it’s not your complete skill set, and there’s still more to learn to be as good as the best. I love that challenge of driving new things. It’s slightly out of my comfort zone, and I found that out with off-road trucks.
“Obviously, racing a Cup car is very different than what I’m used to. It’s a lot heavier with a lot less power and, basically, no downforce. It’s got a sequential gearbox where you need to blip the throttle, so there’s lots of stuff to learn in a very short space of time.
“But I just get excited about that new challenge, and when I throw myself into something, I am 100 percent in. I’m not just doing it for fun in some one-off. I want to be competitive, and I know that to be competitive, it’s going to take a bit of time. That’s why doing these three races works very well this season.”
Button isn’t totally unfamiliar with a NASCAR Cup Series stock car. He is part of the Garage 56 driver lineup, which is taking a slightly modified Cup Series car to this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans June 10-11 at Circuit de la Sarthe.
“The first time I jumped into the Garage 56 car, it was like, ‘What have I done? This is so different,’ and that lasted about four laps. Then it was like, ‘Hang on, it’s still a racecar. It’s got four tires that touch the road. It’s a mechanical racecar, which is even better for learning.’ I’ve really enjoyed the challenge,” said Button, who has now tested the Garage 56 car at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and earlier this week at COTA.
“A Cup car has a lot less downforce and is a lot heavier, but the Garage 56 car has given me an idea of what it will be like along with a direction, which is really useful. I know in my first race I’m not expected to be
qualifying right at the front and I’m not expected to be fighting for a victory. I have a lot of respect for the drivers racing in the Cup Series. There’s so much talent there, whether it’s on ovals or road courses.
“Ten years ago, people used to say NASCAR guys can’t drive around a circuit, but I think they’ve proven that they can. Every time an ex-F1 driver gets in a stock car these days, they struggle initially. It takes a while for them to get up to speed, so I don’t expect to be right at the front, straight away. That’s why, for me, doing more than one race is really key so I can get the best out of myself and the best out of the car.”
When it comes to expectations, particularly at COTA where Button made five F1 starts, he has no predictions.
“The most important thing for me is to enjoy it,” Button said. “I want to feel comfortable in the car knowing that I can get as much out of the car in any situation as other people out on track. The result is the result and we’ll see what happens, but I want to get the confidence to brake as late as I’d like, to carry the speed through the high-speed corners, and to be able to race close – wheel-to-wheel with the pack.”
If there is one person who understands the transition Button will face going from open-wheel racecars to stock cars, it is Mobil 1 ambassador Tony Stewart. Before he became a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Stewart was the 1997 IndyCar Series champion. Stewart even has a bit of Formula One experience – he drove Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 championship-winning McLaren MP4-23 on June 14, 2011 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in a seat swap orchestrated by Mobil 1.
“It’s always a challenge to try a new racing discipline, and the best thing you can bring to a new opportunity like this is an open mind,” Stewart said. “Jenson has been doing that his entire career. Those F1 cars evolve every year, and Jenson always found a way to adapt. And when he got out of F1, he jumped into sports cars and won another championship. He’s even done off-road. There’s very little that he hasn’t experienced in a racecar. He’s new to NASCAR, but he’s not new to racing. This is going to be fun for all of us, and we’re very appreciative of Mobil 1 for making it happen.”
Button’s NASCAR Cup Series debut begins on Saturday, March 25 at COTA with practice and qualifying for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. The 68-lap race around the 3.426-mile, 20-turn road course gets underway at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 26 with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
-
Advait Deodhar to join new Italian team: EuroNASCAR2
London, 1 April 2022: With a new season of racing just around the corner, Advait Deodhar will join the Italian team- NOT ONLY MOTORSPORT in the EuroNASCAR 2 championship driving the #90 Chevrolet Camaro.
The Indian has one aim and that’s to go for the EuroNASCAR 2 title.Deodhar made his way into EuroNASCAR 2 through the regularity based Club Challenge and made his competitive racing breakthrough at Brands Hatch in the 2021 season. The 32-year-old from Mumbai (based in London) scored his maiden NASCAR win to become the first Indian to park his car in Victory Lane in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
File photo of Advait Deodhar who brought first laurels for India in a NASCAR Series with well-deserved win. 2022, the London-based Mumbaikar will be going all-out for the title. “I’m very happy to be back in EuroNASCAR. I have a lot of unfinished business from last year, unfortunately.” said Deodhar, who went through a difficult 2021. “It started off well but then I had a personal tragedy in my life and due to that, my head was not in the right space. I was expecting from the year to win the championship but unfortunately that didn’t happen. The plan was to step up to the next division this year, but I’ve got unfinished business in EuroNASCAR 2. I want to give it another shot and aim for the title and nothing less! I’m training very hard in the gym and with the simulator.
I’m moving to Not Only Motorsport for the season and am excited to see what this year has to offer. The team had a strong package in 2021, and the drivers always had a setup they were confident with.
The team is passionate and hungry to win and this is why I believe it’s the right move for me!”Not Only Motorsport is a relatively young team in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, having joined the Championship in 2020. However, team owner Luca Giovanelli is a successful race engineer who spent many years in the Ferrari GT division and has engineered 5 Le Mans class victories! In 2021, the Italian organization scored its maiden EuroNASCAR 2 win in Belgium in the #90 Chevrolet – the car Deodhar will take over in the 2022 season.
With all his experience, the Indian is poised to take Not Only Motorsport to the next level.
The 2022 NWES season will kick off on May 13-14 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.
All qualifying sessions and races will be broadcasted live on EuroNASCAR’s social media profiles – YouTube, Facebook, Twitch – and on Motorsport.tv.Advait Deodhar will be gunning for NASCAR glory once again in 2022! NASCAR friend, Norbert Walchehofer no more
DF1 Racing announced today the passing of Norbert Walchhofer. The team’s Head of Motorsport died at the age of 69 and left a huge hole in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series family. Walchhofer left his wife Gudrun Strouhal, with whom he joined EuroNASCAR in 2014 with their DF1 Racing team, becoming a constant presence in the NWES paddock for the last 8 years.
Norbert Walchehofer -
Advait Deodhar, the man on a mission, wants to redeem himself in 2022
By Advait Deodhar
Mumbai, 2 Nov 2021: I went into the weekend with a strong chance of finishing 3rd overall in the Championship. We were off to a great start, finishing Practice in P3. However, it went downhill straight after.
Qualifying : Due to a clutch issue, I didn’t manage to put in a lap with full power. I had to bring the car into the pits after 4 troubled laps.
Race 1 : After having to start down in 13th, I was rapidly making may way through the field with some overtaking moves i’m extremely proud of!
However, mid-way through the race, after overtaking (on the outside with two wheels on the grass) my main rival for P3 in the Championship, I engaged a wrong gear, threw the car into a dramatic spin and had to retire the car . I am still unsure if it was my fault or a mechanical issue for which the wrong gear was selected.Race 2 : I was off to another lightning start and made some brave overtaking moves. However, I had a clutch issue once again from lap 3 and had to retire the car.
End of the most difficult racing season I’ve ever had.
It’s been a year full of unfortunate events at the circuit and in my personal life.I had 5 DNFs out of 12 races in which 2 of them were at the final where each race is double points.
Mechanical issues and incidents on track were out of my control.There were some big positives though, with 2 pole positions, 1 win and 2 more podiums. Proof of what what could have been this year…!
Overall, it’s been a very difficult year which I can only learn from but also one which I hope to forget.
Big thanks to everyone that’s been part of it.
I’m a man on a mission and want my redemption next year!
With a strong package, I have no doubt we will be Championship
contenders in 2022. -
Yacht Rara Avis to sponsor Advait Deodhar’s final round
Vallelunga (Italy), 20 Oct 2021: The exploits of Ace Indian racer Advait Deodhar finally attracts a new associate sponsor for the final round of the Championship to be held here on October 30 and 31. The Mumbai-born London-based Yacthsman won a round and is currently in 5th position with an outside chance to win due to the double points in the final round.
“I’m delighted to confirm Yacht Rara Avis as associate sponsor for the final round of my 2021 EuroNascar championship. Through my work as a Yacht broker at TJB Superyachts, I have done a lot of charters with luxury-gulet RARA AVIS in Croatia,” Deodhar said.
The owner is an American muscle-car and Motorsport enthusiast and wanted to use Deodhar’s race car and the series as a platform to promote RARA AVIS further. “RARA AVIS is a 33-metre custom made luxury-gulet that’s based in Croatia and available for charter,” Deodhar added.
The yacht can accommodate 12 people in 6 cabins and has a very professional team onboard, to deliver a high standard of service. All charters onboard have been hugely successful and clients have nothing but praise for the yacht and crew. -
Roller-coaster drive for Advait Deodhar in penultimate round
Zolder, 10 October 2021: The only Indian in NASCAR races, Advait Deodhar had a roller-coaster of a weekend at the penultimate round of the Euro Nascar2 Championship at Circuit Zolder in Belgium on Saturday and Sunday.
Official Practice 1 : The Indian could not take part in the official practice due to a clutch problem.
Official Practice 2 : The Indian was running in P2 overall, but the session ended with a blown engine on his #56 Ford Mustang in the final minutes. “We are still not sure what caused it, but a piston rod punched a hole in the engine. The mechanics did a remarkable job at installing a new engine over night,” Deodhar said.
QUALIFYING – The Mumbai Yachtsman came 4th in the qualifying session. “It was a close qualifying and I managed to qualify on the second row of the grid for the first race of the weekend,” he added.
Race 1 : In Race 1 he came 4th. “I managed to have a few on-track battles and ended up bringing the car home in 4th, gaining valuable Championship points.”
Race 2 : However, in Race 2, he had to limp home in a heavily damaged car in P16. It was due to three dramatic on-track incidents. “I ended up with severe damage on the car and had to limp home in P16 in order to get points, rather than retiring the car,” he explained.
“I moved up to 4th in the Championship on Saturday and am now back down in 5th after Sunday’s result,” with double points for the last round, the championship is still open.
The final round takes place on the October 30 & 31at Circuit Vallelunga in Italy. “Still there is a lot left to be gained,” he grinned.
You can watch the race here.
-
Advait Deodhar finishes 5th in Race 1
Cavle, Near Rijeka (Croatia), 18 Sept 2021: Ace Indian driver Advait Deodhar finished 5th in Race of Round 7 in the NASCAR2 Whelen Euro Series here on Saturday.
But it was Martin Doubek, who got closer to the championship leader at Grobnik by winning EuroNASCAR 2 Round 7 in a tight battle against Vladimiros Tziortzis. A penalty for then race leader Tobias Dauenhauer had a crucial impact on the outcome of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series race at Automotodrom Grobnik.
For Doubek it was the third win of the season and the fifth of his career in EuroNASCAR 2. The Czech crossed the finish line just 0.465 seconds ahead of Vladimiros Tziortzis, who reached his goal of collecting big points in the first of two races at the NASCAR GP Croatia. The Cypriot attacked Doubek several times but never got past the Hendriks Motorsport driver.
“I don’t know what happened to Tobias but I think I would have caught him in two laps”, said Doubek, who is now only 28 points shy of championship leader Dauenhauer. “I got the lead and put the pedal down, but Vladimiros put a lot of pressure on me. It was a really stressful race for me. I did it and I collected the big points for me and my team, who did a great job. Now we are looking forward to tomorrow’s race!”
The two teammates will start side by side again tomorrow for Round 8, with Dauenhauer on pole and Doubek in second on the first row on the grid.
Justin Kunz rounded out the overall podium in third place and therefore collected the second EuroNASCAR 2 podium of his career. The German was battling with his DF1 Racing teammate Simon Pilate for third and got past the Belgian when he suffered a puncture late in the race. Not Only Motorsport’s Alberto Panebianco ended up fourth overall and topped the Rookie Trophy classification. It was already his second top-5 result in the 2021 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season.
Brands Hatch race winner Advait Deodhar was fifth under the checkered flag. The Indian gained one position after starting from sixth. He was followed by Tobias Dauenhauer, who served his penalty on lap 10. The sanction was due to unauthorized operations on the car on the grid and the German therefore got a drive through penalty in the race. The Hendriks Motorsport driver fell back to eighth and then fought his way back up the ranks.
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series newcomer Melvin de Groot not only surprised with a strong seventh place overall but also grabbed the win in the Legend Trophy for drivers aged 40 and more and the second place in the Rookie Trophy. The Dutchman, who’s racing for Team Bleekemolen, enjoyed every second of the competition and the pure power of the V8 beasts without any electronic driving aids.
He was followed by 42 Racing’s Francesco Garisto, DF1 Racing’s Gil Linster and CAAL Racing’s Max Lanza, who not only rounded out the top-10 but also took second in the Legend Trophy classification. Yevgen Sokolovskiy joined him on the podium in third with a twelfth place overall. Alina Loibnegger topped the Lady Trophy standings.
Making his EuroNASCAR 2 debut at the young age of 16, Leonardo Colavita ended up third on the Rookie Trophy podium by finishing eleventh. With 16 years and 3 days on his first day, Colavita got the new record of NWES’ all-time youngest driver – before him, it was Ben Creanor with the age of 16 years, 29 days.
Two strong title contenders both had very bad luck: Pierluigi Veronesi got off track on lap 3 and had to bring his Double V Racing car back to the pits. Naveh Talor parked his Not Only Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro on lap 10 with technical issues. Therefore, the Israeli didn’t score many points in the first EuroNASCAR 2 race at the Automotodrom Grobnik.
Both championships will return to action on Sunday: While EuroNASCAR 2 Round 8 begins at 10:10 am CEST, the second EuroNASCAR PRO race is scheduled for 2:25 pm CEST. All races will be broadcasted on EuroNASCAR’s social media channels – YouTube, Facebook, Twitch – as well as on the NWES App and Motorsport.tv.
Deodhar qualifies P6
Earlier, Deodhar secured P6 in the qualifying of the EuroNASCAR 2 even as the pole position for Round 7 went to Tobias Dauenhauer at the 4.168km Automotodrom Grobnik here on Saturday. Deodhar of CAAL Racing team clocked 1:31.047 in his #56 Ford Mustang. “P6 in qualifying today. Not ideal but it was my first time outing on this track in the dry as all practice sessions were in the wet. looking forward to the race,” said Deodhar after the qualies.
Tobias did a 1:29.830 lap in the closing stages of the 30-minute session to get the pole. It wasn’t easy though for the current points leader, as the Hendriks Motorsport team had to quickly work on a technical issue to the brakes of the #50 Mustang and Dauenhauer had only a few minutes to post his best time.
Vladimiros Tziortzis, at the wheel of the #1 Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport Mustang, was just 0.167 seconds slower than the German and held the lead for most of the session, which was interrupted by a red flag to recover the stopped car of Leonardo Colavita. Martin Doubek drove the #7 Hendriks Motorsport Mustang to third ahead of the DF1 Racing duo of Simon Pilate and Justin Kunz. The top-5 drivers were separated by just 1 second.
Advait Deodhar was the first CAAL Racing driver in sixth and edged the first Rookie Trophy contender Alberto Panebianco, driving the #89 Not Only Motorsport Camaro. Max Lanza took eighth place and the lead in the Legend Trophy just ahead of the #48 Marko Stipp Motorsport Camaro of Yevgen Sokolovskiy.
In his first outing on a dry track aboard the #69 Team Bleekemolen Mustang, Melvin de Groot rounded out the top-10.
All the races of the NASCAR GP Croatia from Automotodrom Grobnik will be streamed live from 13:35 CEST on the EuroNASCAR social media platforms – Youtube, Facebook and Twitch – as well as on the NWES app and on Motorsport.tv.
-
Advait Deodhar shunted out in the very first lap, retires
Most (Czech Republic), 28 August 2021: Ace Indian driver Advait Deodhar who won a silver in the Euro Whelen Series NASCAR2 races on Saturday was bumped out of the race on the very first lapl and was forced to the go to the back of the pack and ended a successful weekend in disappointment at the Autodrom Most here on Sunday.
“I started Race 2 on P3 and in the very first lap, I fired it down the inside of a corner, and was clearly alongside but unfortunately car # 27 (Pierluigi Veronesi of Italy) didn’t see me and just turned in. My # 56 suffered too much damage to continue… It was a real shame as the car had the pace and we were gunning for gold,” said the London-based Mumbaiker supported by TJS Yachts. Veronesi unwittingly forced both the cars virtually out of reckoning.
A Press Release adds:
Earlier, it was a perfect weekend for Tobias Dauenhauer: the German scored a dominant win in EuroNASCAR 2 Round 6 at the wheel of the #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang. The 23-year-old led all 14 laps of an action-packed race at Autodrom Most. After a perfect start Dauenhauer pulled away from his competitors while several hot battles in the midfield delighted the fans.
With his third win of the season, Dauenhauer extended his Championship lead and kept the red Whelen banner on the #50 Mustang. With three wins, six top-5 results and two poles, the German made a statement on his way to win the EuroNASCAR 2 Championship at the halfway point of the 2021 season. With three events to go, the Hendriks Motorsport driver still needs to stay focused as the other competitors are hungry to enter the battle for the title and anything can happen in the second part of the season.
“I’m very happy at the moment and it was just a perfect weekend”, smiled the Most double winner. “As a team we showed such a great performance the whole weekend long – in the dry and in the wet. The car was just perfect, the Hendriks Motorsport team did a phenomenal job. I just gave my best and I have no words left to say but that it was a perfect weekend.”
Francesco Garisto said before the race that he wanted to stay out of trouble and that proved to be the best strategy on his way to second place. The 42 Racing driver avoided chaos in a wild opening portion of the race to settle in second and finish on the podium for the first time in the 2021 NWES season.
“I didn’t expect to step on the podium in this race,” said after the race Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport’s Vladimiros Tziortzis, who was third under the checkered flag with another solid performance.
DF1 Racing’s Justin Kunz followed in fourth place after an exciting race for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series veteran. The German was right in the battle for fourth, when Tziortzis and Paolo Valeri got together. While Tziortzis and Kunz continued, Valeri spun and collected Naveh Talor and both were shuffled down the order, while Tziortzis took over third and Kunz fourth.
EuroNASCAR 2 returnee Gil Linster also avoided any contact when the Italian and the Israeli spun ahead of him to take over fifth and score a strong top-5 finish for DF1 Racing. Talor recovered and limited the damage by ending up sixth. DF1 Racing’s Ian Eric Waden crossed the finish line in seventh and won the Legend Trophy ahead of CAAL Racing’s Max Lanza.
Marko Stipp Motorsport driver Miguel Gomes not only scored his first ever top-10 but also won the Rookie Trophy for the first time and ended up third on the Legend Trophy podium. CAAL Racing driver Arianna Casoli rounded out the top-10 edging Alina Loibnegger, who spun on lap 6 but came back on her #12 Solaris Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro to finish eleventh.
Several top drivers were involved in incidents during the 14-lap race: Lanza lost almost half of his bodywork but made it to the finish. Local hero Martin Doubek had to retire due to a broken axle, while Pierluigi Veronesi and Advait Deodhar made contact that forced both to stop their cars early. Thomas Krasonis went from 20th to tenth in 4 laps but also had to park his car. Yevgen Sokolovskiy missed the braking point and collected Panebianco and almost his teammate Gomes. The Ukrainian also had to retire.
-
Stunning drive gets Advait Deodhar a silver: NASCAR2
Czech Republic, 28 August 2021: Indian racing maestro Advait Deodhar of CAAL Racing team looks to have found his wonted form and indulged himself in another stunning drive in wet conditions to take Silver after starting from a disadvantage of a P5, but had a good get away and kept his calm displaying his driving skills to take another podium and valuable points in the Round 5 of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Nascar2 class here on Saturday. He clocked 21min, 01.214sec for the 14 laps of 4.2 km Autodrom Most, just 7.2 sec behind leader Tobias Dauenhauer.
The London-based Indian’s journey from a Yachtsman to NASCAR racing brings pride to India on the eve of the National Sports Day, which celerates the legendary hockey wizard Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary. The ace Indian racing star jumped to third in the rankings with 159 points behind Tobias and Doubek Martin and has one gold, one silver among his four points finish in top-10. Advait dedicated his trophy to his brother Akshay Deodhar, a sportsman mad about F1 and MotoGP and used to take part in Regatta races of Yachting Association of India in Mumbai.
Unfortunately, I lost him last month,'' said the Mumbaikar talking to INDIAinF1.com after the race about his 36-year old elder brother.“Racing for you, my beautiful brother. This one is for you big bro. I could sense you by my side in the car,” Advait’s words after he put his TJB SuperYachts-sponsored Mustang #56 in second place for a silver. In this bereavement, all his fans are with him as he races along to bring more laurels for the country. Ace Indian rally co-driver Musa Sherif, who was nominated for Arjuna Award by the Indian Federatin this year, is the first to congratulate Advaith and by Motoport Seena, who circulated his live video links to thousands of motorsports fans in Bengaluru on Friday.After graduating as an Automobile Designer from Turin, Italy, Advait Deodhar took part in domestic races at MMRT Chennai winning the Formula LGB 4 National Championship as a rookie in 2012 and became the vice-champion of Formula Ford 1600 Indian National Championship in 2015. Inbetween, he won a round of the Toyota Etios Cup as a guest driver and also got a drive in the MRF Challenge in Bahrain among other races. Then he says, “I took a one-way ticket to London in 2015 to take my motorsport career forward,” the late-starter, at age 22, is a quick bloomer though, winning the European NASCAR Elite Club Championship in his debut year 2018. Last month, he got his first major career victory at the prestigeous NASCAR2 at the coveted Brands Hatch circuit.
Rain was falling before the start of EuroNASCAR 2 Round 5 so all drivers had rain tires mounted for the race. At the end of the 14 scheduled laps, Tobias Dauenhauer scored his second win of the season after he already visited Victory Lane at Brands Hatch. Making it two in a row, the German led from flag to flag at the wheel of his #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang and extended his Championship lead.
It was far from an easy race for Dauenhauer though. He went off track at the first chican, but managed to recover and keep the lead despite the incident. Afterwards, he opened the gap on Advait Deodhar, who settled in second after a wild start. Dauenhauer never allowed the other competitors to catch up on him and therefore he grabbed the win in dominant fashion.
Racing for you my beautiful brother, says Advait, who lost his brother Akshay last month. London based Mumbaikar, Advait Deodhar (2nd) gets a podium again and makes sure that Indian flag flies high on Saturday. A NASCAR Whelen Euro series image. “The conditions were pretty difficult out there and it was quite slippery”, said the EuroNASCAR 2 Championship leader. “I made a small mistake in the beginning but I managed to open the gap on the second placed car. I’m very happy and really want to thank the Hendriks team for such a great car. It was tons of fun and I’m really looking forward to racing again tomorrow.”
Deodhar was coming from fifth on the grid but took over second place in the very first lap. The Indian, who scored his first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series win at Brands Hatch, was put under pressure by local hero Martin Doubek, who was trying his best to take over second place. Deodhar defended his position and crossed the finish line in second, while Doubek completed the overall EuroNASCAR 2 podium.
DF1 Racing rookie Leevi Lintukantu had an amazing run at the wheel of the #23 Iceboys Chevrolet Camaro and stormed to victory in the Rookie Trophy classification in fourth. His teammate Simon Pilate rounded out the overall top-5 after falling through the order from 2nd on the grid. Francesco Garisto was sixth ahead of Max Lanza, who topped the Legend Trophy classification at the wheel of his #88 Caal Racing Camaro.
His fierce Legend Trophy competitor Yevgen Sokolovskiy finished right behind him in eighth claiming second place in the special classification. Paolo Valeri ended up ninth – and second in the Rookie Trophy standings as well as third in the Legend Trophy classification. Alberto Panebianco not only closed the top-10 but also completed the Rookie Trophy podium. Solaris Motorsport’s Alina Loibnegger edged Arianna Casoli in the battle for the Lady Trophy win.
Due to the difficult conditions, several drivers were involved in incidents at the 4.1 kilometer long track. On lap 1, DF1 Racing drivers Justin Kunz and Ian Eric Waden spun out. On lap 3, Naveh Talor, who started from 5th, collected heavy damage to his front bumper, while Vladimiros Tziortzis first spun and then had to retire early.
EuroNASCAR 2 will be back in action on Sunday: EuroNASCAR 2 Round 6 will start at 1:55 pm IST. All races will be broadcasted live on EuroNASCAR’s platforms – YouTube, NWES App, Facebook, Twitch – and Motorsport.tv.
-
Advait Deodhar in top-2 in both practice sessions
Autodrom Most (Czech Republic), 27 August 2021: 2020 runner-up Tobias Dauenhauer is leading the EuroNASCAR 2 Championship after scoring his first win of the season at Brands Hatch. The German Hendriks Motorsport driver sits 9 points ahead of Most’s local hero Martin Doubek, who dominated the season opener at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia with two wins. Will the German and the Czech be battling for the overall lead or will there be a surprise winner like Advait Deodhar in the UK?
The ace Indian driver of CAAL Racing team clocked the second fastest time in the Final Practice today putting in 13 laps, the highest than anyone else in FP2. He clocked 2:00.020 for the 4.212-km Autodrom Most here in his #56 Ford Mustang. Tobias Dauenhauer clocked the best time of 1:58.298, 1.722 better than Advait who did averagespeeds of over 126km better than all of the 13 of them except the leader. One can discard the surprise winner of July round at their own cost and all the Indians are behind him cheering in every available channel. Earlier, in FP1 Deodhar clocked 1min 53.046, just 0.240sec behind Lanza Massimiliano of Cheverolet Camaro Caal Racing team.
The Indian in a relaxed mood with Anish Gohil on Friday. Photos Stephane Azemard Wet track for Nascar2 FP2
While the best times were almost equally split between sessions 1 and 2 in EuroNASCAR PRO, the best lap times in EuroNASCAR 2 were driven in Free Practice 1. The second session was declared wet after moderate rainfall in the preceding EuroNASCAR PRO session. In the end, Max Lanza clocked the fastest lap of the day with a 1:52.806.
Brands Hatch race winner Advait Deodhar closed the day in second, 0.240 seconds shy of the Italian in first place. Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport’s Vladimiros Tziortzis followed in third, while Valencia double race winner Martin Doubek finished fourth. Tobias Dauenhauer, who topped the standings in Free Practice 2 on a soaked race track, completed the top-5.
Read Thursday’s Preview article below
Not Only Motorsport’s Alberto Panebianco was the fastest Rookie Trophy contender in sixth, while DF1 Tiger Justin Kunz was classified in seventh. Leevi Lintukantu was among the fastest rookies on the grid in eighth. Legend Trophy leader Yevgen Sokolovskiy, who’s piloting the #48 Marko Stipp Motorsport Camaro, ended up ninth ahead of Paolo Valeri.
One of those possible first time winners could be Vladimiros Tziortis at the wheel of the #1 Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport Ford Mustang. With three top-5 and four top-10 results so far, the Cypriot is only 15 points shy of the Championship leader. Brands Hatch winner Deodhar follows in fourth with a 20-point deficit. Double V Racing’s Pierluigi Veronesi is fifth, only 1 point behind the Indian in the CAAL Racing colors.
You can’t push me out, I will bounce back, Advait seems to be sending out a loud message with P2 in both practice sessions on Friday. Israel’s Naveh Talor is another dark horse for the NASCAR GP Czech Republic. The Not Only Motorsport driver shone with one top-5 and three top-10 results so far and is eager to score his first EuroNASCAR 2 win. Simon Pilate and Alberto Panebianco will make their Most debuts at the upcoming weekend, while Justin Kunz from Germany has scored one top-5 and two top-10’s at Most in the 2019 season. Youngster Francesco Garisto rounds out the top-10 of the overall standings.
The NASCAR GP Czech Republic at Autodrom Most takes place on August 28-29. Qualifying and all races will be broadcasted live on the EuroNASCAR social media platforms – YouTube, NWES App, Facebook and Twitch – as well as on Motorsport.tv.
IST Qulaifying time for NASCAR2 for Advait Deodhar: 1.30 pm IST
Saturday Race 1 of Round 5: 5.30pm IST
Sunday race: Round 6 race: 1.35 pm IST
