Jacob Parry answers CAAL Racing’s trust by winning Rookie Challenge on his debut – The Welshman leads Jens Beeusaert and Yann Cristovao after two thrilling sessions at Circuit Ricardo Tormo
- Jacob Parry claimed Rookie Challenge victory in his maiden appearance
- Parry mastered the challenge against veterans and rookies alike
- A record 17 drivers took part in Spain, the largest field size in the division’s history
The roar of the V8 engines can be heard once again as the 2026 NASCAR Euro Series officially kicks off with the NASCAR GP Spain in Circuit Ricardo Tormo. The action begins on Friday morning with the Rookie Challenge division, which saw a record entry list with 17 drivers from around the world vying for supremacy in the season opener. At the conclusion of two 30-minute sessions, Jacob Parry stood tall as the winner after the Welshman secured two consistent drives behind the wheel of CAAL Racing’s #73 Ford Mustang.
After taking part in one of the series Recruitment Tests, Parry was given the opportunity to contest the 2026 Rookie Challenge season with one of NASCAR Euro Series powerhouse teams: CAAL Racing. The Welshman immediately rewarded their signing by topping the first timed session. Parry then followed it up with a runner-up finish in the second session, leaving him with an insurmountable points tally of 75 points to become the early leader in the overall battle.
“It’s incredible, honestly!” said Parry in Victory Lane. “I came in just hoping to keep the car on track and not make any pressure for the team. To come away with a win is beyond what I can imagine! It’s nothing like I had experienced, the speed as you hit the straights is crazy. The power is insane, but it handles very well for a car with so much power.”
A three-way tie for second ensured that Rookie Challenge remains as tight as ever in 2026. Jens Beeusaert, Yann Cristovao and Sandro Kajaia all finished their Spain round with 72 points. When the tiebreaker is applied, Beeusaert and Cristovao were declared as the runner-up and third place finishers respectively as they have a better second session result compared to Kajaia. The Georgian might have missed out on the podium, but this early positive will serve as a great motivation for future rounds.
Robin Bleekemolen continued to gain important experience with her top-5 finish. Kelvin Hassell, Yann Schar, Maral Ghazarian, Andreas Kuchelbacher and Mike Wise completed the top-10 positions. Gianni Lasserre, Nuno Caetano, Henrik Peters, Nicole Davidson, Ofek Eliyahu, Andre Lortie and Maximilian Seth rounded out the 17 drivers that took part in the record breaking event in Valencia.
The excitement from Rookie Challenge is only the prelude for what’s to come from NASCAR GP Spain. Drivers from V8GP and OPEN will hit the track on Friday for two important practice sessions to prepare for the qualifying and races that will come on Saturday and Sunday. Make sure you keep up to NASCAR Euro Series’ official website and social media accounts for the latest updates and to watch the 2026 season, visit www.nascar.eu/watch for more details.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
