Claudio Cappelli swept the Legend Trophy in the 2025 NASCAR GP Germany to close his deficit to Melvin de Groot – Only 25 points separated the fast Dutchman and Italian veterans heading to the Finals
- Claudio Cappelli dominated the Legend Trophy with two top-5 finishes and one overall podium
- A tough NASCAR GP Germany for Melvin de Groot allows Cappelli to close the gap
- Both drivers will duke it out in one final showdown at Circuit Zolder
Melvin de Groot and Claudio Cappelli have been the main protagonists in the OPEN division’s Legend Trophy special classification for the past three years and they’ve continued the trend in the 2025 NASCAR Euro Series season with their fantastic performances across five action-packed rounds. A successful NASCAR GP Germany for Cappelli, who scored two top-5 finishes and an overall podium finish in Playoffs 02, on a weekend that went difficult for de Groot meant that they set another showdown for the overall Legend Trophy victory in the Finals at Circuit Zolder.
De Groot has taken a big leap forward in 2025, contesting not just for the Legend Trophy honors but also for the overall championship as demonstrated with his spectacular win in the wet conditions at Brands Hatch. The Dutchman entered the Playoffs with a shot at both, but a difficult round in Oschersleben puts him with a 65 point deficit to Thomas Krasonis in the OPEN standings.
The driver of the #69 Team Bleekemolen Toyota Camry still has a 25 point advantage to Cappelli in the Legend Trophy rankings, but he’s well aware that any advantage is never a safe one in the Playoffs. De Groot was in a similar situation in 2023, where he lost the Legend Trophy honors to Cappelli in the Finals. Cappelli’s start to his 2025 campaign was difficult with retirements in Spain, UK and the Czech Republic, but with back-to-back top-5 finishes – including two overall podiums – in his last three races, the Academy / Alex Caffi Motorsport driver is ready to steal the show once again.
Sven van Laere continued to collect the points to be third in the Legend Trophy standings. Michael Bleekemolen is fourth with Kenko Miura in fifth, the Japanese driver completing the Legend Trophy podium in both Germany races. Roberto Benedetti, Gordon Barnes, Giovanni Faraonio and Fabrice Pantani completed the special classification for drivers aged 45 and above. Happinessa Racing grabbed the silverwares in the Lady Trophy at her first home NASCAR GP event.
Can de Groot defend the Legend Trophy lead that he had from the opening round at Valencia, or will Cappelli repeat his 2023 heroics with another comeback run at Circuit Zolder? The Italian swept the 2024 OPEN Finals in Belgium, but never count out the consistent Dutchman who always maximizes the opportunities that he had in his pocket. One thing for sure is that their battle is going to make for a spectacular 2025 Finals, scheduled for 11-12 October and will be broadcasted live from the official EuroNASCAR YouTube channel and TV channels around the world.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
