American SpeedFestin Brands Hatch
Speedhouse Racing enjoys the amazing atmosphere of the American SpeedFest X in Brands Hatch Tens of thousands of NASCAR fans watched the gladiators fight for the win
Speedhouse Racing stands for "Racing, Style and Good Times" and there is no better place to combine all these key values of Luca Lasserre's racing team than Brands Hatch. Home to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Grand Prix of the UK and the hugely popular American SpeedFest, the track once again provided some amazing racing, but also attracted tens of thousands of NASCAR fans to watch the action on the tricky 1.9 kilometer long Indy Circuit. All three Speedhouse Racing Ford Mustangs were on track and the six drivers enjoyed the unique atmosphere of Brands Hatch.
EuroNASCAR PRO
Team owner Lucas Lasserre was the championship leader after the NWES season opener at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia. The Frenchman pulled out all the stops to compete in the UK and try to defend the lead after his phenomenal win in Spain on Sunday. The weekend began with a small setback for the team owner and driver of the #64 Ford Mustang, as Lasserre qualified in twelfth place. The team immediately went to work to improve the car's setup and the 45-year-old was eager to bounce back.
In Saturday's race, Lasserre made up four positions in the 38-lap EuroNASCAR PRO Round 3 race to score another solid top-10 result for the 2023 season. Sunday's warm-up was crucial as the team found the car's sweet spot and made the right adjustments to allow Lasserre to attack at the front. From ninth on the grid, Lasserre worked his way up the field to take the checkered flag in fourth place. Due to Gianmarco Ercoli's double victory, the Frenchman is now second in the overall standings, just four points behind the Italian.
"We found this little thing between the warm-up and the second race," said Lasserre. "It was my car again, the one I'm used to. I had a good feeling and the pace in race two was just amazing. I passed eight other cars during the race as I was twelfth after the first lap. We did a really good job and scored important points for the championship. I lost a place in the championship but I'm still second and only four points behind. We're now focusing on Vallelunga and I'm sure my Italian riders will be burning to give their best.”
Ulysse Delsaux once again took the wheel of the #14 Ford Mustang and fought for important points in the battle for the Junior Trophy standings. The Frenchman and 2018 EuroNASCAR 2 Champion had some trouble in qualifying and could only secure 14th place on the grid. Giving up is not an option for the NWES veteran, who is following in the footsteps of his idols Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna, who all left their mark on the Brands Hatch Circuit. The 25-year-old made up two positions in the first race to finish twelfth and fourth in the Junior Trophy standings.
In Round 4, Delsaux started from 13th and showed a strong pace aboard his Ford Mustang. The Frenchman made up three positions to finish in the top-10 and take third place in the Junior Trophy standings. The Troyes-born driver is now tied for eighth place in the overall standings with Sebastiaan Bleekemolen. He is also second in the Junior Trophy standings for drivers aged 25 and under, just behind Giorgio Maggi.
"Brands Hatch is the best festival on the European NASCAR calendar and the track feels like a semi-oval because it's really technical for us drivers," said Delsaux. "I had a crazy second race with great battles, but the main goal was to finish the race and take home important points for the championship. I was happy with my pace and enjoyed fighting for positions with my team boss Lucas, Fred Gabillon and Marc Goossens. I would like to thank Lucas for helping me with my progress. Now I'm looking forward to returning to Vallelunga.”
After taking the unusual step from Club Challenge to EuroNASCAR PRO, Neo Lambert took another step in the right direction in his rookie NWES season. Driving the #40 Ford Mustang, the Frenchman qualified 15th right behind his teammate Delsaux and showed a promising pace. In the first race, he stayed to the right of his Speedhouse teammate's rear bumper and brought home a strong 13th place finish. His best lap of the race earned him a 14th starting position in the second race.
Once again, the Speedhouse drivers worked well together, but this time it was Lambert who crossed the finish line ahead of Delsaux. With a strong ninth-place finish, the promising talent scored his first top-10 finish in EuroNASCAR's premier championship. He also joined Vladimiros Tziortzis and Ulysse Delsaux on the Junior Trophy podium as the runner-up in the special EuroNASCAR PRO youth classification. Lambert will look to keep the momentum going as he now sits in 15th place in the overall standings.
"What a blast it was to drive around the Brands Hatch Circuit," said Lambert. "I had a great feeling in the car and some great battles on the track. It was crazy to see so many fans in the UK and chat to them during the phenomenal grid walks. After the second race I spent an hour with French students who were visiting us. I was happy with the results of the weekend and I made another step forward to catch up with the top-10. The pace was encouraging and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.”
EuroNASCAR 2
Sharing the #40 Ford Mustang with Lambert, Germany's Matthias Hauer once again took on the challenging corners of the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit. An integral part of the Speedhouse organization, the 57-year-old qualified 23rd. In the first race, Hauer made up five positions to take the checkered flag in 18th place and finish sixth in the Legend Trophy standings for drivers over 40 years of age. With a 16th-place finish on Sunday, Hauer moved another step closer to the podium in the special classification with a fifth-place finish.
"It was an amazing event, the British fans are just incredible and the track is also amazing with all the organizations doing a phenomenal job," said Hauer. "Thanks also to all the sponsors who make an event like this possible! We had a good discussion with Lucas about how to approach the race and I think we all did a good job bringing the cars home in one piece. It was amazing to have the US NASCAR delegation watching us race, it was a real honor for me. We had a strange start in the first race as a car broke down on the formation lap and we lost contact with the front group, but I'm still happy with the result. “
"On Sunday I started 15th but I was too defensive because of the wet conditions. Later I improved my pace and pushed the car to the limit, which was fun and a unique experience at Brands Hatch. Consistency was key and that's why I drove a bit under the radar, but I'm still fifth in the Legend Trophy standings. I was surprised by myself and I think with more consistent top-15 finishes I have a realistic chance of fighting for a top-3 spot in the Legend Trophy standings.”
Arianna Casoli started the race in the group that was caught by the slow driving Nick Schneider. The Italian never had a chance to catch the rest of the field in the first race and had to settle for 17th. A 20th place on Sunday rounded off a difficult race weekend for the Lady Trophy winner, but the Reggio Emilia native still has plenty of positives to take from the American SpeedFest X at the famous Brands Hatch Circuit.
"Brands Hatch is probably the most challenging event of the season," said the driver of the #14 Ford Mustang. "Anything can happen, like the typical and crazy weather changes in the UK. The track is like a rollercoaster and probably the most technical and physically demanding circuit of the season. It's crazy how many fans come out to watch us race. After eight years of American SpeedFests, it's still a special weekend that I get to share with a lot of friends. I have really seen kids grow up at the event and with school groups visiting, the next generation is already here!”
"The race weekend was quite difficult for me, it certainly wasn't one of the best. We had a great team thanks to the great work of the team. We found a strong set-up and that's something to build on. I wasn't able to find the right rhythm and adapt to the changing weather conditions. There were also too many problems with the starting procedures on the track. Nevertheless, we left Brands Hatch with good points for the championship and now I'm looking forward to my home race at Vallelunga," said Casoli, who is tied with Hauer in 17th place.
Coming from the Italian Smart E Cup and Mitjets series, Igor Sicuro made his NASCAR Whelen Euro Series debut with Speedhouse at Brands Hatch. The Italian showed a lot of potential by qualifying 16th in his first NWES race. He made up a lot of ground in the first 31-lap race to finish eleventh - third in the Rookie Trophy standings. On Sunday, Sicuro took the checkered flag in 15th place to round out a solid debut weekend in the world of EuroNASCAR.
"I couldn't ask for anything better for my EuroNASCAR debut," said the Italian. "Brands Hatch and the crowd are fantastic. I felt good in the car straight away and saw a chance to fight for the Rookie Trophy podium. In the first race I dropped back to 20th at the start and then stormed back to eleventh. I made it to the Rookie Trophy podium in my first race and that's great. A contact in the last corner of the second race sent me back to the back of the grid, so I could only finish 15th on Sunday. I want to thank the team for the support and Lucas for the great job. I'm looking forward to my home race at Vallelunga.
The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series returns to the popular Autodromo di Vallelunga on July 8-9. Qualifying and all races will be streamed live on EuroNASCAR's YouTube channel. Speedhouse Racing will be back in action with three cars and its six drivers. The entire team is ready to take to the track under the Italian sun and enjoy "Racing, Style and Good Times" in the team's hospitality.
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