Marko Stipp Motorsport’s Sandro Tavartkiladze is the first-ever leader of the brand-new Master Trophy – The Georgian impressed in his EuroNASCAR debut with two strong sixth-place finishes in Valencia.
- Sandro Tavartkiladze leads the brand new Master Trophy
- The Marko Stipp Motorsport driver made his EuroNASCAR debut
- The Georgian finished sixth twice in Valencia
In the 2025 NASCAR Euro Series season, rookies and amateur drivers are competing in the newly introduced Master Trophy, a sub-category within the EuroNASCAR OPEN Championship. At the season opener at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Sandro Tavartkiladze of Marko Stipp Motorsport emerged as the first points leader with a consistent and composed performance. Driving the #48 Chevrolet Camaro, the Georgian newcomer finished sixth in both races, placing him tied for fifth overall with Melvin de Groot, just six points behind OPEN Championship leader Gil Linster.
“It was a really good race weekend,” said Tavartkiladze after Sunday’s race. “Yesterday I lost some positions at the start, today I gained a few. I’m getting more comfortable with the car and the race format. I was really close to the podium – just one second behind. Maybe next time, we can make it into the top 3. Finishing second twice in the Master Trophy is also really nice. We want to keep the momentum and continue like this.”
The two Master Trophy class wins went to Thomas Dombrowski of PK Carsport on Saturday and Bruno Mulders of Team Bleekemolen on Sunday. Mulders had a phenomenal EuroNASCAR debut, clocking the third-fastest lap on Saturday and finishing second overall on Sunday – a strong showing in just his second race in a 400-horsepower V8 touring car with no electronic driver aids. Despite his speed, Tavartkiladze leads the standings thanks to his consistency, holding a two-point advantage over Mulders. Dombrowski sits third, just one point further back.
Dominique Schaak completed the Master Trophy podium on Saturday, finishing third in class and tenth overall in the OPEN race. The German Bremotion driver is competing in his second full-time EuroNASCAR season. Alumitec Racing’s rookie Valentino Gambarotto rounds out the top 5 in the standings, just three points behind Schaak and tied with Speedhouse’s Florian Richard. Andres Beers (Academy / Alex Caffi Motorsport) follows in seventh, ahead of Lux Motorsport’s Mario Ercoli, who endured a tough start to the season but is looking to bounce back at his home race.
The 2025 NASCAR Euro Series continues on May 17–18 at the Autodromo di Vallelunga near Rome, Italy. The Master Trophy contenders will be back on track and are sure to add even more excitement to the battles within the races. Fans can follow the action live on the EuroNASCAR YouTube channel, with full coverage of qualifying and both races.
Feature image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
