Coming from the back of the field, Garrett Lowe mastered a perfect chase to become Vittorio Ghirelli’s biggest threat in V8GP after two races
- Despite technical issues in Qualifying, Garrett Lowe performed at his best
- BS+BREMOTION is happy with the results of the American
- Only five points separate Lowe from Vittorio Ghirelli
There is a specific kind of frustration that settles over a racing paddock when a driver has a “bad” weekend and still almost wins the whole thing. That is exactly the shadow Garrett Lowe and the BS+BREMOTION squad cast over the 2026 NASCAR Euro Series V8GP division in the season opener in Spain.
After a weekend defined by engine misfires and a physical illness that would have grounded most pilots, Lowe walked away sitting second in the championship standings. For the rest of the grid, the message is chilling: If this is Lowe on a bad day, what happens when he has a good one?
The weekend began with a technical disaster. A persistent ignition ghost in the #99 Chevy’s V8 powerplant relegated Lowe to a 24th-place starting spot for Race 1. In a sprint race on the technical curves of Valencia, that is usually a death sentence for a podium hope.
But while the sun went down, the lights stayed on in the BS+BREMOTION garage. Team guru Frank Quabeck and his crew performed a midnight exorcism on the car’s electronics, giving Lowe a rocket ship for Saturday. Lowe responded by carving through the field like a hot knife through butter, dodging a massive lap-one pileup and picking off veterans with clinical aggression to finish seventh. It wasn’t just a recovery drive; it was a warning shot.
Sunday’s Race 2 was a test of pure iron. Lowe woke up battling a sickness – a nightmare scenario when you have to wrestle a heavy, high-torque beast for 18 laps in the Spanish heat. Starting in third, he didn’t just hold his ground; he pressured the defending champ.
As the laps ticked down, Lowe sat on Vittorio Ghirelli’s bumper, stalking the leader despite his fading physical strength and blistering rear tires. He ultimately crossed the line in 2nd, securing his first Junior Trophy win of the year and proving that he can out-muscle the elite even when he isn’t at 100%.
“Yeah, it was tough, man,” he said after the second race. “I think we had the best car, and it’s not often you’re racing against probably the best car in the field for the win. So I’m disappointed, I’m more mad at myself because I thought I could sit there and just pace off of him for about the last six laps and then go. And as soon as I went, I burned the rear tires off.”
That “win or bust” mentality is what separates title contenders from field-fillers. Lowe isn’t happy with a trophy; he wants the crown.
The series now heads to the high-speed Circuit Paul Ricard on May 23-24. With the mechanical “ghosts” seemingly busted and Lowe returning to full health, the #99 team is heading to Le Castellet with a massive chip on its shoulder. Ghirelli may have the lead for now, but he has a hungry American in a German-engineered monster looming large in his rear view mirror.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
