The remarkable level of parity in the NASCAR Euro Series was on full display at Circuit Paul Ricard, where four separate teams – PK Carsport, RDV Competition, THT by Race Art, and Alumitec Racing – each secured a victory
- Four teams won races in the NASCAR GP France at Le Castellet
- The NASCAR Euro Series proves its unmatched parity in the field
- Vittorio Ghirelli and Thomas Toffel defended their leads in V8GP and OPEN
The competitive landscape of the NASCAR GP France at Le Castellet was clearly defined by the numbers: four distinct organizations reached victory lane at Circuit Paul Ricard. PK Carsport triumphed with Vittorio Ghirelli and RDV Competition took a win with Paul Jouffreau in the V8GP category, while the OPEN division saw victories for THT by Race Art with Thomas Toffel and Alumitec Racing with Raphael Lessard. This parity was further emphasized in Sunday’s OPEN event, where each of the top-8 finishers represented a different team, showcasing the intense level of competition within the official European NASCAR series at this new venue.
In front of a massive crowd of 50,800 spectators at Le Castellet, four different drivers celebrated on the podium, yet the championship standings continued to be led by a single standout in each class. Vittorio Ghirelli retained his advantage in the V8GP standings, following a victory on Saturday and a fourth-place result on Sunday. The Italian driver now holds a total of 147 points, placing him 24 points ahead of Garrett Lowe – a gap that mirrors his car number. Lowe, driving the #99 BS+BREMOTION Chevrolet, also currently tops the Junior Trophy.
Rounding out the top-3 is Jordan O’Brien, nicknamed “Mr. Last Minute Deal”, who is competing on an event-by-event basis to land a permanent seat with Hendriks Motorsport. His impressive competitive record serves as a key asset in his ongoing efforts to secure the necessary funding for a full-season campaign. Paul Jouffreau, bolstered by a victory at his home race, joins 2023 title winner Gianmarco Ercoli to complete the top-5. The two drivers are currently tied in the standings, trailing the championship leader by 32 points.
In the OPEN category, Thomas Toffel extended his impressive run by clinching his third consecutive victory on Saturday, following his dominant display at the Valencia season opener in April. However, the Swiss driver’s winning streak concluded on Sunday after Raphael Lessard secured a long-awaited triumph in the Alumitec Ford Mustang. Despite consistently being among the quickest competitors throughout the first four OPEN races, Lessard only managed to put everything together for a trip to Victory Lane during the French round. This result propelled the Canadian to fourth in the overall rankings, while Toffel maintains his lead at the top of the standings with 153 points.
In the general classification, Gil Linster sits in second place, trailing leader Thomas Toffel by 18 points. After a difficult 1.5-year period, Vladimiros Tziortzis is showing a strong resurgence with Speedhouse, currently holding third place with a 22-point deficit to Toffel. Raphael Lessard follows closely in fourth, 23 points off the lead, while Legend Trophy frontrunner Claudio Cappelli completes the top five, trailing by 29 points.
The NASCAR Euro Series teams have a very short turnaround as the third event of the 2026 campaign looms. The championship heads to the United Kingdom on June 6-7 for the iconic American SpeedFest, held at the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit. These four upcoming races preceding the summer hiatus are set to deliver intense rivalries and high-stakes drama as competitors fight for one of Europe’s most prestigious motorsport honors: the official European NASCAR championship.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
