Paul Jouffreau celebrated a popular NASCAR GP France win in front of his passionated fans – The Frenchman led all 13 laps and sang the La Marseillaise on the podium ceremony, therefore bringing a perfect end for NASCAR’s homecoming
- Paul Jouffreau secured his first 2026 victory at home in Le Castellet
- The Frenchman bested Thomas Krasonis with a commanding drive from the front row
- Jordan O’Brien snatched the podium from Vittorio Ghirelli on the final lap
The tune and rhythm of Le Marseillaise, French’s national anthem, have been heard all over Circuit Paul Ricard for the crowning of a home winner in the NASCAR GP France. Paul Jouffreau drove perfectly in the #3 RDV Competition Ford Mustang and crossed the line after 13 dominant laps to secure his first win of 2026 in front of his dedicated fans, who hoisted the Blaye native and sang the national anthem alongside him during the podium ceremony. The celebration is well and truly alive and for Jouffreau, the victory was a huge boon for his V8GP title chances.
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Jouffreau experienced a tough start to his 2026 V8GP campaign. A technical retirement in Spain and a penalty for contact with Thomas Krasonis in Saturday’s Round 3 cost the Frenchman a lot of important points, but a front row start in Round 4 gave him the opportunity to bounce back. Jouffreau dueled with Krasonis on the opening lap and once he placed the #3 car in front, the 22-year old opened the gap and finished the thrilling conclusion to NASCAR GP France with a 2.552 second lead to the Greek.
“I cannot describe my feelings for now!” said Jouffreau in Victory Lane. “I was so focused yesterday, but I was a bit too confident. We talked with the guys, it was all on me and we worked on ourselves to improve. I’m so proud of them, the guys at RDV did an incredible job. They slept just seven hours tonight and they didn’t even sleep one hour the first night. They’re just amazing, they did all of the work for me and Florian [Richard, OPEN teammate] and I’m just grateful.”
Jouffreau also won the Junior Trophy for drivers aged 25 and under, with Krasonis also securing second place in the classification. The battle for the final overall podium position went to the wire: Jordan O’Brien left it until the last lap to make the decisive move on Vittorio Ghirelli. O’Brien therefore claimed a double podium finish in just his second V8GP weekend, a remarkable result for the American that’s working hard to secure a full season participation with Hendriks Motorsport.
Gianmarco Ercoli led home Alumitec Racing teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. to grab a crucial top-5 finish. Ercoli also grabbed the bonus points for most positions gained with a comeback drive: The driver of the #11 Ford Mustang started from 20th due to an early retirement in Round 3. Fabrizio Armetta was classified seventh after the Italian received a penalty for making contact while passing another driver. Davit Kajaia won the Challenger Trophy battle in eighth, putting the cherry on the top for the Georgian after he scored a career best sixth on Saturday.
Martin Doubek and Vladimiros Tziortzis rounded out the top-10 ahead of Vinnie Meskelis, who joined Jouffreau and Krasonis in the Junior Trophy podium. Giovanni Cartechini and Logan Bearden took home the silverwares in Challenger Trophy in 14th and 15th positions.
Ghirelli might have missed the podium on Round 4, but the PK Carsport star’s win in Round 3 keeps him in front of his rivals on the overall standings. With 147 points, Ghirelli maintained a 24 point lead to Lowe, with O’Brien only 3 more points behind the Junior Trophy overall leader. Jouffreau and Ercoli are level on points with 115 points, both now with a win a piece. Logan Bearden moved into the lead of the Challenger Trophy in seventh place overall, but his gap to Kajaia was reduced to just four points.
The weekend in France is now finished, but teams and drivers have to stay up on their feet because the next round is coming in two weeks time. NASCAR GP UK, the home of Brands Hatch’s American SpeedFest festival, will welcome the NASCAR Euro Series drivers on June 6-7 and promises to bring four spectacular races that will determine how the landscape is shaped before the summer break. Stay up to date with the latest updates from our official website and social media accounts and discover how to watch this must-watch NASCAR GP from www.nascar.eu/watch.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
