Thomas Krasonis and Paul Jouffreau separated by just one point after two PRO races at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia – The top young guns sit also on top of the overall standings
- Thomas Krasonis and Paul Jouffreau separate only one point
- The two also lead the overall PRO standings
- Liam Hezemans and Garrett Lowe trail in third and fourth
Two drivers, one trophy — and both just getting started. Paul Jouffreau and Thomas Krasonis shared the spotlight in Valencia as the 2025 EuroNASCAR PRO season kicked off with drama, determination, and career-defining results at Circuit Ricardo Tormo. With 19,000 fans watching from the grandstands, the two contenders for the Junior Trophy title emerged as early championship leaders in the NASCAR Euro Series top-tier category.
Jouffreau struck first on Saturday, securing his fifth career PRO victory and tenth Junior Trophy win. The Frenchman executed a textbook start and controlled the pace from the front. “The plan was to come out of the first turn in the lead and finish in the lead, and we did that,” he said after the race. Despite pressure from Krasonis, Jouffreau managed his tires with Sunday’s race in mind. A late-race penalty for Krasonis eased the pressure, but Jouffreau was quick to acknowledge his rival’s pace: “Congratulations to him, it was still a really good race.”
Sunday belonged to Thomas Krasonis. The Greek driver, long a fixture in the EuroNASCAR paddock, finally found himself in Victory Lane after six years of effort. In just 24 hours, Krasonis doubled his career win tally, claiming both his maiden PRO and second Junior Trophy victories. “Without my coach Alon Day, my team, my family, and friends — this wouldn’t be possible,” said an emotional Krasonis. “We broke every record here this weekend, and hopefully we can break many more.”
Krasonis now leads the overall and Junior Trophy standings, with Jouffreau just one point behind. The title fight is already shaping up to be intense as both drivers balance ambition with consistency.
Liam Hezemans sits third in the Junior standings and fifth overall after finishing fifth and sixth in Valencia. In Rette Jones Racing’s EuroNASCAR debut — a collaboration with Hendriks Motorsport — the Dutchman showed solid pace in practice but struggled to match the frontrunners in race conditions. Still, his reliability and experience have kept him well within striking distance heading into the next round.
A surprising new face also made waves in Valencia: American sim racing star Garrett Lowe made his real-world EuroNASCAR debut with Bremotion. Despite never having raced on the Spanish track, Lowe qualified an impressive sixth and finished just outside the top-5 on Saturday, followed by a seventh place result on Sunday. He now ranks seventh overall and fourth in the Junior Trophy standings — an eye-catching result for a real-world rookie and iRacing eNASCAR sim racer with limited track time.
His teammate Julien Rehberg, now in his second season, made the jump to PRO in 2025 and continues to show strong progression. Two top-10 finishes in Valencia put him fifth in the Junior Trophy and tenth overall. Rounding out the Junior class are Jack Davidson and Max Marzorti, who sit sixth and seventh respectively.
As the championship heads to the Autodromo di Vallelunga on May 17-18, the young guns are already rewriting the script. With the top contenders separated by just a handful of points, the stage is set for a thrilling continuation of the 2025 EuroNASCAR season. Qualifying and all races will be streamed live on the EuroNASCAR YouTube channel.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
