INDIA in F1

Tag: Euro NASCAR series

  • Indian star Advait Deodhar 2nd in Challenger Trophy

    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

  • Advait Deodhar shunted out in the very first lap, retires

    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.

  • Advait Deodhar takes another well-deserved podium: EuroNASCAR2

    Advait Deodhar takes another well-deserved podium: EuroNASCAR2

    Brands Hatch (Kent, England), 4 July 2021: Ace Indian racer Advait Deodhar of CAAL Racing notched up another well-deserved podium taking a third place in EuroNASCAR2 Race 2 (Round 4) at the 1.94 kilometre Indy Circuit on Sunday. Tobias Dauenhauer scored his first win of the season and took the points lead from his teammate Martin Doubek.

    You can watch Sunday’s Round 4 race here on Auto Track You Tube.

    The 31-year old, Deodhar, in a #56 Ford Mustang, created history at the Saturday’s American SpeedFest 8 by taking a stunning victory in Race 1 of Round 3 as he became the first Indian pole sitter and race winner in the EuroNASCAR series.

    The London-based Mumbaikar’s victory proved to be a historic one in many ways. His victory is not only a first for an Indian driver in the Euro Series but his win also stopped the 12-race win streak that Hendriks Motorsport in the EuroNASCAR 2 division which is the longest streak of the most consecutive wins for any team in Euro Series so far.

    Race Report: Dauenhauer made a great start on the outside from second and got past poleman Deodhar at Paddock Hill Bend. The 23-year-old pulled away from his chasers and sped to victory after 30 laps under green. It was the first win of the season for the driver of the #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang, who was handed the red Whelen banner for being the Championship leader.

    Deodhar, who lost the lead at the start, put up a stubborn defence against DF1 Racing’s Simon Pilate. The Belgian started from third and tried several times to get past Deodhar for second and managed to overtake on lap 27 for his best EuroNASCAR 2 result so far. Deodhar, the first Indian to win a EuroNASCAR race had to settle in third after a solid performance at the wheel of his #56 CAAL Racing machine in the 30-lap race. The Indian is supported by TJB SuperYachts and Strange Brew.

  • Advait Deodhar manages P7 in Race 2 on Sunday: EuroNascar2

    Advait Deodhar manages P7 in Race 2 on Sunday: EuroNascar2

    Valencia, 16 May 2021: Ace Indian driver Advait Deodhar, redeemed a forgettable round, with a well-earned P7 in the second race of the EuroNASCAR2 at the 4-km Circuit Ricardo Tormo on Sunday. Martin Doubek was unstoppable once again  and he won the Race 2 too. The driver of the #7 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang started from pole, led all 15 laps and scored his second consecutive win of the 2021 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season. The 26-year-old now leads the overall standings with 80 points on his account.

    Advait Deodhar, of CAAL Racing, in a #56 Ford Mustang, had a bad first race on Saturday where he struggled due to problems with the set-up of his car and had a mechanical retirement before he was classified in P17. However, even as the problems continued, he managed to finish P7 in the Round 2, the second race on Sunday. “I’m really struggling with the car right now and can’t quite understand why. However, I’m sure we’ll find a solution by the next round in the Czech Republic,” said the TJB Super Yachts sponsored racer after the race. Advait timed 26:34.121 for the 15 laps of Race 2 on Sunday. “We will come back stronger for the next round,” promised Advait.

    For Doubek it was the fourth EuroNASCAR 2 career win after the two he collected at Circuit Zolder in the 2020 NWES season and the one he grabbed on Saturday. The NWES veteran, who’s part of EuroNASCAR since the 2015 season, made a good start and pulled away from the field right in the first lap. After that he administered his advantage and Hoosier Racing Tires to be first under the checkered flag.

    “I’m very happy”, said an exhausted Doubek after the race. “The car is perfect since we hit the track on Friday for Free Practice. With Loris Hezemans, I can rely on a very quick teammate and the team is doing an exceptional job. We found a good setup that made it look so easy to get two wins here in Valencia.”

    Doubek’s teammate Tobias Dauenhauer from Germany ended up second after a fierce battle with Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport’s Vladimiros Tziortzis from Cyprus. The Hendriks Motorsport driver and 2019 EuroNASCAR 2 runner-up managed to keep the 24-year-old youngster at bay and when they crossed the checkered flag, 2.597 seconds separated the two. After bad luck hampered his Saturday’s race with a blown tire, Justin Kunz showed his potential by piloting the #22 DF1 Racing Camaro to fourth.

    Double V Racing team boss and driver Pierluigi Veronesi had a solid run in his #27 Mustang: the Italian completed the top-5. After struggling with braking issues on Saturday, Simon Pilate also fought his way back into the top-10 with a solid sixth place. The Belgian completed the race ahead of Advait Deodhar. Deodhar made a mistake in the first race that shuffled him down the order, but he managed to strike back by finishing seventh.

  • Advait Deodhar all set for the final week-end with an outside chance for the title

    Advait Deodhar all set for the final week-end with an outside chance for the title

    File photo of European Nascar series in progress. INDIAinF1

    Zolder (Belgium), 4 Oct 2019: Advait Deodhar is currently 4th overall, and just 2 points behind third-placed Vittorio Ghirelli the final round of the 2019 European NASCAR Championship begins in Zolder, Belgium. The first race is scheduled for 8.30 pm (IST) on Saturday.

    The fight for P3 in the Championship is going to be intense, with five drivers from P3 to P7, separated by less than 30 points.

    File photo of Advait Deodhar (left)

    Advait also has an outside chance to fight for the overall Championship as a maximum of 160 points are still on offer in the two races, but it is probably a difficult task for the Indian.

    However, he is looking for a good performance in the final round and is raring to go to get the best out of the week-end for a top-3 finish.

    In the earlier round in Hockenheim on Sept 23, Advait’s week-end did not go a planned. In Race 1, Advait bent his steering arm after an unavoidable crash in front of him as too was forced to collide with another two cars and ended up 10th. In Race 2, he bagan 10th but could onoy manage a P7.

    Saturday
    Qualifying : 9.30 am GMT
    14.00 India time.
    Race 1 : 16.00 GMT
    20.30 India time.
    Sunday
    Race 2 : 9.50 am GMT
    14.20 India time.

  • Advait Deodhar still in contention for top-3 finish after Hockenheim round

    Advait Deodhar still in contention for top-3 finish after Hockenheim round

    Advait Deodhar, right, at Hockenheim ring on Sunday. An INDIAinF1 image

    Hockenheim, 23 Sept. 2019: Indian racing driver Advait Deodhar is still in contention for top-3 finish in the 2019 Euro Nascar Championship despite his race-weekend ending on unexpected lines here at the Hockenheim ring for the penultimate round on Sunday.

    In Race 1, Advait bent his steering arm after an unavoidable crash in front of him as too was forced to collide with another two cars and ended up 10th. In Race 2, he bagan 10th but could onoy manage a P7.

    In Race 1, after a fantastic start, Advait was caught in an accident at the exit of the first corner; with no way to avoid the crash that took place in front of him. Then, he collided with Vittorio Ghirelli’s and Andre Castro’s cars. It was a bit of bad luck, but then he was lucky enough to have been able to continue albeit with a bent steering arm. After dropping down to 22nd, the Indian managed to fight his way back up and finished a commendable 10th despite the bent steering arm.

    Earlier, with a quick lap in the early bit of qualifying he made it into Superpole (top 12 shootout, similar to Q3 in F1) but beyond that he only managed to qualify 7th. After looking at the data, he is quite convinced that he could have put in a lap that was much better and possibly qualified in the top 4, but alas that did not happen.

    In Race 2,  starting 10th, Advait was focussed to finish in the top 5. “The car felt good in the warm up that morning and we definitely had the pace. However, 2 safety cars and an intense battle with Championship contender Nicholas Risitano kept me at a steady P7,” he quipped.

    “It could have definitely been a better weekend, but I’m glad to have been able to limit the damage to my Championship standing and still be in contention for P3 in the season, with an outside chance for P1 or P2,” he concluded.

    The final round in Zolder is October 6 and Advait is making all efforts to finish the 2019 European Nascar Championship in top-3.

  • Advait wins Whelen NASCAR Euro championship

    Advait wins Whelen NASCAR Euro championship

    Advait poses with Indian flag after his championship win. A INDIAinF1 photo by special arrangement

    London: Indian talent Advait Deodhar running number #27 for team BVR Motorsport Ford Mustang won the race to seal the Whelen NASCAR Euro championship in the finals at the legendary Circuit Zoldergot that started on Thursday.

    The Indian racer scored 171 points winning three rounds out of four to win the ELITE Club Division and won the race and the championship ahead of Sparowitz Clemens, 137 points. The 28-year-old the consistent driver throughout the season in the Elite Club, celebrated his victory surrounded by fans in downtown Zolder after receiving the big trophy. The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series parade brought over 30 cars in the heart of Heusden-Zolder as a traditional feature of the NWES Finals at the famous Belgian track.

    “It’s pretty awesome, it doesn’t hit me yet, so I need to pinch myself,” said the second ever ELITE Club champion. “It’s unbelievable as I was coming back to racing after a break of three years. It’s the first time for me in European racing and I am the champion! It’s a dream come true. Zolder is one of the coolest tracks in the schedule of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. It has the ups and downs and it’s a really challenging.”

    In 2019 Deodhar will take the next step as he plans to race the full ELITE 2 season with Dexwet-DF1 Racing. “I’m going to fight for the championship,” said the Indian. “Mark my words, I’m going to be in the top 3 in the ELITE 2 in 2019. Mark my words, I’m gonna make that happen. I’m back to racing and I’m not going to step back again. I race to win and that’s my goal next year.”