Melvin de Groot established himself as one of the underdogs in the OPEN championship race – The Team Bleekemolen driver secured important points in the Czech Republic to keep him in the hunt
- Melvin de Groot is fighting for both the Legend Trophy and overall OPEN title
- Consistent results bring the Dutchman to the top
- The Team Bleekemolen driver aims to secure another win in the Playoffs
The 2025 NASCAR Euro Series OPEN championship battle has seen the rise of Melvin de Groot as a dark horse contender in the title race. De Groot has always been successful in the Legend Trophy special classification, but in 2025 the tall Dutchman took a big leap forward and marked himself as one of OPEN’s main protagonists. A maiden win at Brands Hatch in the UK solidified the Team Bleekemolen driver’s potential, and with solid results in the Czech Republic, de Groot will enter the Playoffs in Germany and Belgium with a good shot at the overall title.
Consistency is often the key to mount a strong title challenge, and de Groot has a proven record of metronomic top-10 finishes. The Dutchman has finished in seventh or higher throughout the 2025 season, including a run of five consecutive top-5 finishes in Spain, Italy and the UK. De Groot is also capable of maximizing his results in tough times, as demonstrated with his performance in Round 7 at the NASCAR GP Czech Republic.
After qualifying in fifth position, de Groot was forced to start from the pits due to a mechanical issue that occurred on the grid. Starting from the back would normally be a major disadvantage, but incidents at the first corner allowed the driver of the #69 Toyota Camry to gain plenty of positions in the opening lap. The Dutchman continued to run a steady pace afterwards, and was classified in seventh place in the final results. The Team Bleekemolen driver also claimed the Legend Trophy win, after Trophy rival Claudio Cappelli retired late following contact with Martin Doubek in the final lap.
“Something broke in the rear part of the car, so they told me to go back to the pit lane,” said de Groot after Round 7. “They were able to fix it, but the car felt quite different afterwards. I did a couple of laps to adjust, but it was a pity because I had a good starting position. Happily, given the accidents, chaos and oil on the track, I was able to move up the order even though my pace wasn’t great. I was hoping for more if we started in the front, but if you started at the back and finish in the top-7, it’s not a bad result.”
Another seventh place finish in Round 8 leaves de Groot third in the overall championship. Only 17 points separate the Dutchman from OPEN leader Thomas Krasonis, and with double points on the line in the Playoffs, there’s a big opportunity for de Groot to possibly win both the Legend Trophy – where he maintains a 55-points lead to Cappelli – and the overall OPEN title. Find out what happens next when NASCAR Euro Series returns to Motorsport Arena Oschersleben for the NASCAR GP Germany on 20-21 September, with all races and qualifying sessions from the Playoffs streaming live on the official EuroNASCAR YouTube channel and TV channels around the world.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
