Vittorio Ghirelli will defend his NASCAR Euro Series PRO title in the 2025 season – His adventure in the European NASCAR championship is a true success story
- Vittorio Ghirelli is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid
- Since joining the series in 2019, he had a blast in the NASCAR Euro Series
- The 2024 PRO champion is still hungry to make a mark in NASCAR
Vittorio Ghirelli is a standout figure in European motorsports and made it to the top of the NASCAR Euro Series in 2024 when he won the PRO championship with PK Carsport. Born in Fasano, Italy, the 30-year-old has a wealth of experience in various categories of motorsport and has won numerous races and titles throughout his career. His longest streak in a championship is the NASCAR Euro Series, which he joined in 2019, and since then he has scored two overall victories in the EuroNASCAR world. Let’s take a look at a remarkable racing career.
We start with Ghirelli’s personality. The Italian is ice-cold, the iceman of the NASCAR Euro Series. With his sunglasses on, he’s always calm, professional, humble, but also totally dedicated to winning races and titles. “Cheers” is his catchphrase in every interview where he always puts the partners, fans and his team first because Ghirelli knows who made it possible for him to race at the highest level in motorsports. Ghirelli is a professional athlete who is perfectly prepared. He’s in perfect shape both physically and mentally, with a pure racing heart and a lot of passion for motorsports.
Ghirelli has raced all over the world in his career. After karting, he started a strong career in open wheelers. In 2010 he raced in GP3 – now Formula 3 – but also in Italian Formula 3, Formula 3 Brazil and Formula Renault in Europe. In 2013 he moved up to GP2 – now Formula 2 and the leading feeder series to Formula 1. That same year, the Fasano native won the AutoGP Series with two race wins and 11 podiums. The following season, the Italian crossed the pond to compete in the Indy Lights – now Indy NXT – for a shot at IndyCar.
In 2015, he switched to touring cars and GT racing, competing in the Renault Sport Trophy and the Italian GT Championship in an Audi GT3. After a hiatus in 2018, Ghirelli found his new home in the NASCAR Euro Series. He joined Racers Motorsport in the OPEN division, but signed with PK Carsport for the second half of the season. One race win in his NASCAR rookie season placed him third in the overall standings. He showed his potential and talent, and it was only a matter of time before he would rise to the top of the standings.
Just one year later, he entered the OPEN season with Hendriks Motorsports and the Italian became the dominant force: Ghirelli won five races and grabbed the NASCAR Euro Series OPEN trophy. This was also the reason why he stepped up to PRO in 2021 and immediately became a title contender against the best NASCAR drivers in Europe. He finished his first PRO season in fifth place overall, but his 2022 season with Not Only Motorsport was hampered by many technical problems with the car. He bounced back in 2023 with Team Bleekemolen, finishing third overall with a shot at the title in the final race at Circuit Zolder.
2024 was the breakthrough year for Ghirelli as he rejoined PK Carsport, his first love in NASCAR racing. With the Belgian team led by Anthony Kumpen, the now 30-year-old broke record after record. He won every Pole Award of the season and started from the pole position ten times. With seven wins in 13 races, Ghirelli was crowned the NASCAR Euro Series PRO champion and will defend his title with PK Carsport in 2025. The iceman of European NASCAR racing will be back on the grid and building a legacy in one of the most attractive touring car series in the world.
Ghirelli is a perfect example of high-profile drivers looking for the best opportunities to race in front of an average of 25,000 fans at each event. The NASCAR Euro Series also offers the best cost-benefit ratio in racing, while providing close door-to-door battles, huge media exposure and live streaming on YouTube and numerous TV networks around the world. Want to beat the best? You must accept the challenge and race against the reigning EuroNASCAR champion: Vittorio Ghirelli.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
