Happinessa achieved a personal best performance at the 2026 season opener in Valencia – The Rette Jones Racing by Hendriks driver secured an eighth-place finish and took the lead in the Lady Trophy standings
- Happinessa achieved her best result to date in a thrilling OPEN Round 1 held at Valencia
- The German resident of Madeira secured the eighth position in the overall classification
- The Rette Jones Racing by Hendriks driver successfully held onto her Lady Trophy lead on Sunday
The 2026 NASCAR Euro Series began with a dramatic first race at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, creating moments that will be remembered in the history books. A significant highlight was Happinessa’s impressive eighth-place finish in Saturday’s OPEN race. The German driver, based in Madeira, achieved a new personal best in her NASCAR career by storming through the field to secure a top-10 finish. With a 17th-place finish in Sunday’s race, the defending Lady Trophy winner maintained her class lead, sitting 11th overall and just one point ahead of Lady Trophy debutant Beitske Visser.
Happinessa achieved new highs in the NASCAR Euro Series with her stunning performance in the first race of the 2026 season. After joining Rette Jones Racing by Henrdriks in the winter to drive the #30 Ford Mustang, she impressively navigated the race chaos. Starting 20th, she initially crossed the finish line tenth, but post-race penalties elevated her to eighth place. Despite sustaining damage to her race car during the event, Happinessa remained composed and successfully brought the car home.
“Yeah! Well, I’m still super shaky,” she said after the race. “It was a very tough race. My car is just torn up – my rim is broken – so I was lucky to make it through this race. And yeah, now tenth place for me and I won the Ladies Trophy! It’s crazy!” It was only after the interview that she learned she had advanced an additional two positions, because of the penalties issued to Valentino Gambarotto and Giovanni Faraonio.
In Sunday’s race, while Visser secured a dominant victory in the Lady Trophy classification, Happinessa engaged in a fierce battle for second place in the class with another NASCAR Euro Series debutant: Mariam Davitidze. After a spin caused Happinessa to drop positions, Georgian newcomer Davitidze relentlessly pursued the German for many laps. However, the RJR driver expertly defended her position, ultimately crossing the finish line in 17th, maintaining a 0.924-second lead over her Lady Trophy rival.
“Well, it was a very tough race, to be honest,” Happinessa said. “I almost lost my car, so I escaped through the gravel, and my back end just slipped away. But I saved it. After the restart, I had a good battle with Mariam. It was good, but it was a tough race. I sweated so much, but I would say we all did a good job.”
Davitidze added: “This was really tough. I started in last place, but I managed to get to third place on the Lady Trophy podium and had a drag race with Happinessa to the finish. So I’m very happy and I’m looking forward to the next race.”
Happinessa has taken the lead in the Lady Trophy standings thanks to a personal best eighth-place finish on Saturday and a solid showing on Sunday. However, Visser is only one point behind the reigning class champion after battling through Saturday’s race with a power steering issue. With three quick female drivers competing in the OPEN championship this season, the upcoming NASCAR GP France at Le Castellet on May 23-24 is set to feature more thrilling battles among the ladies.
Before going to NASCAR GP France, Happinessa will compete at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in the V5 class. The German will not only fulfill a lifelong dream, but also share the same track with four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, who is going to be headlining the SP9 class at the fearsome Green Hell.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
