The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series heads to the Autodromo di Vallelunga close to Italy’s capital city of Rome on July 8-9 for the fourth edition of the American Festival of Rome. One of the most popular events on the schedule, it promises another unique show with fantastic action on and off the track. With four races on the 4.085 kilometer track, Europe’s best NASCAR drivers will compete in the “Pure Racing” style of the best touring car series in the old continent. Buckle up as we provide you with all the important information about the 2023 NASCAR GP Italy.
The Autodromo di Vallelunga Piero Taruffi is located approximately 40 kilometers north of the Italian capital of Rome. Opened in 1951 as an oval dirt track, Vallelunga evolved over the years to a fantastic race track consisting of 13 challenging turns. Its first paved layout was designed by Formula 1 legend Piero Taruffi. The old oval is still part of the track with the banked turn 13 leading to the start-finish straight. With Rome so close by, the track is the perfect solution to mix a trip to the Italian capital with some great racing.
After the season opener at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia and rounds three and four at the Indy Circuit of Brands Hatch both championships will continue with rounds five and six. In EuroNASCAR PRO, CAAL Racing star Gianmarco Ercoli leads the championship after a perfect sweep in the UK. Valencia race winner Lucas Lasserre and two-time champion Anthony Kumpen round out the top-3, while Marc Goossens and Martin Doubek complete the top-5. In EuroNASCAR 2, Vladimiros Tziortzis made the perfect sweep in Spain and UK to lead by 21 points from 2022 runner-up Alberto Naska. The duo is followed by Paul Jouffreau, Gil Linster and Doubek. The Club Challenge will also be back in action for round two on Friday.
Basic information: NASCAR GP Italy 2023
Location: Campagnano di Roma, Italy
Track type: Road course
Track length: 4.085 kilometer
Number of turns: 13
On the calendar since: 2020
Weekend schedule (all times CEST)
Thursday, July 6
17:30 – 20:00 Parade in Campagnano di Roma
Friday, July 7
09:00 – 09:30 Session 1 (Club Challenge)
10:00 – 10:30 Session 2 (Club Challenge)
11:00 – 11:30 Session 3 (Club Challenge)
13:55 – 14:25 Free Practice 1 (EuroNASCAR PRO)
14:35 – 15:05 Free Practice 1 (EuroNASCAR 2)
16:25 – 16:55 Free Practice 2 (EuroNASCAR PRO)
17:05 – 17:35 Free Practice 2 (EuroNASCAR 2)
Saturday, July 8
10:00 – 10:15 Qualifying (EuroNASCAR PRO)
10:20 – 10:25 Superpole (EuroNASCAR PRO)
10:40 – 11:00 Qualifying (EuroNASCAR 2)
14:15 – 14:45 Race 1 EuroNASCAR PRO (18 laps, 75 kilometers)
17:00 – 17:40 Race 1 EuroNASCAR 2 (15 laps, 60 kilometers)
Sunday, July 9
09:00 – 09:10 Warmup (EuroNASCAR PRO & 2)
10:30 – 11:10 Race 2 EuroNASCAR 2 (15 laps, 60 kilometers)
14:30 – 15:15 Race 2 EuroNASCAR PRO (18 laps, 75 kilometers)
Where to buy tickets
The American Festival of Rome is hosted by the Autodromo di Vallelunga. Free tickets for the event are available on the race track’s official website: https://ticket.vallelunga.it/it/racing/americanfestivalofrome
TV times and live streaming
All sessions below will be broadcast live on https://www.youtube.com/EuroNASCAR.
Saturday, July 8
09:50 CEST Qualifying (EuroNASCAR PRO & 2)
13:20 CEST EuroNASCAR PRO Round 5
16:40 CEST EuroNASCAR 2 Round 5
Sunday, July 9
10:10 CEST EuroNASCAR 2 Round 6
13:35 CEST EuroNASCAR PRO Round 6
In addition, the races will be broadcast live on Motorsport.tv, the MotorvisionTV app and various TV services around the world. Race highlights will be available on the EuroNASCAR YouTube channel at the end of both race days, with extended highlights in English to follow on Thursday, July 13. Extended highlights will also be available in foreign languages on various TV channels in many countries.
Support series and attractions
Alongside the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, a total of four support series will round up the on-track program. The EuroLegends Cup is back on track alongside the Sprints Series, Fx2 / Fx3 – Trofeo Predators and Smart EQ fortwo E-Cup. On Thursday from 17:30 to 20:00, there will be a parade to the city center of Campagnano di Roma with the cars on public roads and all teams as well as drivers available for autographs, photos and nice talks. At the track, the fans will experience the “dolce vita” of Italy with amazing food and drinks as well as an American themed program for the whole family.
LINK TO RACE CENTER: https://www.nascar.eu/race-center/
Featured image by NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Klemen Sofric
