At just 17 years old, Bruno Mulders is turning heads in the OPEN division with three podiums in six starts and impressive pace in his rookie PRO outings
- Bruno Mulders impresses in his NASCAR Euro Series rookie season
- The Dutchman started pulling double duty from Italy onward
- The 17-year-old is one of the most talented youngsters on the grid
At just 17 years of age, Bruno Mulders is turning heads in the NASCAR Euro Series. The Dutch teenager jumped into the deep end at Valencia, and since then, he’s been proving he’s got the speed, the skill and the heart to go far in Europe’s official NASCAR championship.
Driving for the experienced Team Bleekemolen, Mulders made his debut in the OPEN division and it took no time before he got noticed. In his very first weekend at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, he came home 12th in his first race, then stormed to a second-place finish on Sunday, grabbing his first podium in just his second ever car race. Yes, you read that right. Second car race ever. From that moment on, it was clear: this kid has something special.
“We keep on improving, keep on working with the entire team and it just keeps getting better,” said Mulders ahead of his third race weekend at Brands Hatch. “I’m doing my thing, I’m enjoying it a lot and it’s lovely here. It’s an iconic track, really amazing to drive with the elevation changes.”
After Valencia, Mulders kept the momentum rolling. At Vallelunga, he backed up his breakout weekend with another P2 and a P14 finish. Then came Brands Hatch, where Mulders battled changing weather and a stacked field. On Saturday, he carved his way through the pack in soaking wet conditions to grab P3 and his third podium of the season.
“Crazy, so much happened,” he said after the wet race. “But as Dutch guys, we like the rain obviously. Lovely conditions. It was all dry before, and then suddenly the race was wet. So it’s just feeling and trying to get on that edge and it’s just constantly drifting.”
Sunday’s race ended early with a DNF, but by then, the message was clear: Mulders is the real deal. Not only is he delivering in OPEN, he’s also stepped up to the PRO division. From Vallelunga’s Sunday onward, the 17-year-old pulled double duty on race weekends. He finished P12 in Sunday’s PRO race in Italy, then made headlines again at Brands Hatch with a stunning P7 on Saturday, qualifying ahead of team boss Sebastiaan Bleekemolen. “It’s just his third car event ever, so I’m really proud of him,” said Bleekemolen before the race in the UK. “He qualified ahead of me, and that’s great with so little experience.”
Despite the tough conditions and last-minute tire calls, Team Bleekemolen had a strong weekend at Brands Hatch—with Melvin de Groot scoring a win and Mulders coming home third in the same race.
“Bruno was tapped once and did a 360, but by overtaking six drivers he still came third,” said Bleekemolen. “His Sunday wasn’t successful, but on Saturday he came along really well. As a team we stayed out of trouble and did a great job.”
That kind of fight and resilience is exactly what the NASCAR Euro Series is built for. Young talents like Mulders aren’t just learning behind the scenes – they’re thrown into the action, wheel-to-wheel with veterans, and developing racecraft in real time. NASCAR in Europe has always been a breeding ground for raw talent, and Mulders is the latest name climbing the ranks. With three podiums in six OPEN starts, strong runs in the Master Trophy, and points on the board in PRO and the Junior Trophy, Mulders is writing his own story – and this is just chapter one.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
