Thomas Krasonis made headlines by beating the NASCAR GP UK lap record that had stood tall since 2013 in V8GP Practice – Raphael Lessard also set OPEN’s lap record, bettering the previous benchmark set in 2023
- Thomas Krasonis created history with his performance in practice for NASCAR GP UK
- The Greek’s time of 48.285 was the fastest NASCAR lap ever recorded in Brands Hatch
- Raphael Lessard also broke the lap record in OPEN
The fastest pace in the history of NASCAR GP UK was set on the opening day for the 2026 American SpeedFest. Lap records in both V8GP and OPEN fell after Thomas Krasonis and Raphael Lessard drove amazingly during Friday’s practice sessions. Krasonis clocked in a time of 48.285, shattering the previous record that was set by former three-time NASCAR Euro Series V8GP champion Ander Vilarino all the way back in 2013! Lessard followed it up with his time of 48.463, breaking the previous OPEN record to confirm that the 2026 NASCAR GP UK is going to be a must-see event for all motorsport fans.
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V8GP: Thomas Krasonis, the Fastest NASCAR Driver in UK
In 2025, Thomas Krasonis made a sensation when he beat the all-time race lap record when he chased Martin Doubek in a thrilling OPEN race. The Greek proved in 2026 that this was not a fluke. With his practice heroics, the PK Carsport driver is now the fastest to have ever driven a pure racing NASCAR Euro Series machine at Brands Hatch. To cap off his great performance, Krasonis also topped the times for the Junior Trophy special classification.
He showed incredible speed in the #13 Chevrolet Camaro, but his rivals are just as fast: Nelson Piquet Jr. also went faster than the previous lap record of 48.390 with his own time of 48.335. The top-3 was completed by the current championship leader Vittorio Ghirelli, who was just 0.119 seconds shy of his Greek teammate. Paul Jouffreau – second in the Junior Trophy – and Gianmarco Ercoli rounded out the top-5.
Fabrizio Armetta rode to sixth ahead of Garrett Lowe, who finished inside the top-3 in the Junior Trophy with his seventh place finish. Doubek, Vinnie Meskelis and home crowd’s favorite Jack Davidson filled the remaining top-10 spots after two 30-minute sessions at the 1.928 kilometer circuit. Logan Bearden was the fastest among the elite amateurs in the Challenger Trophy, driving the #30 Rette Jones Racing by Hendriks Ford to 12th overall. Thomas Toffel and Davit Kajaia, top contenders of the special classification, trailed the American behind in 14th and 15th.
OPEN: Records Also Fall with Raphael Lessard
Thomas Krasonis’ heroics in the 2025 NASCAR GP UK on his way to the OPEN title victory was undeniably amazing, but his race lap record was still a few tenths shy of Alberto Naska’s all-time OPEN record of 48.665 from 2023. That changed in 2026: The highly touted youngster Raphael Lessard has managed to beat both records when he drove the #11 Alumitec Racing Ford Mustang to the top of the practice times. The Canadian was just over two tenths faster than the previous benchmark, putting him as the prime candidate for the victory in the two races that will attract an expected crowd of 50,000 fans to the historic Brands Hatch venue.
Toffel was the initial pace setter in the first session and remained confident after finishing second in the combined times. Thomas Dombrowski kept an eye on the Swiss from third with Hendriks Motorsport teammates Martin Doubek and Gil Linster completing the top-5. Sandro Tavartkiladze made early gains in the Master Trophy, becoming the fastest of the aspiring up-and-comers in sixth overall. Claudio Cappelli was on top of the Legend Trophy in seventh, maintaining the good run of form that the Italian had since the opening round in Spain.
Jens Beeusaert and Valentino Gambarotto followed Tavartkiladze in the Master Trophy ranks, ending their day in eighth and ninth respectively. Melvin de Groot, a Brands Hatch race winner in 2025, rounded out the top-10 positions as Cappelli’s closest Legend Trophy contender. De Groot welcomed a new teammate for the 2026 NASCAR GP UK: Robin Bleekemolen, who showed her fangs early on after she topped the Lady Trophy rankings on her OPEN debut as the replacement for her grandfather Michael. Mariam Davitidze and Happinessa completed the top-3 in the Lady Trophy while Francesco Leogrande was the third fastest in the Legend Trophy.
Despite the record breaking performances, practice for the NASCAR GP UK is simply a prelude on what’s to come for Saturday. Data gained from Friday meant that teams and drivers are prepared to push the boundaries even further, especially when the eyes of the British racing fans are watching from the grandstands. Worldwide fans are able to follow the action as the NASCAR Euro Series will broadcast qualifying at 09:50 CEST followed by the V8GP and OPEN races at 14:05 and 17:25 CEST, live from DAZN, NASCAR Euro TV, YouTube and TV partners all around the world. For more details of your local providers, you can find the information from our trusty guide at https://www.nascar.eu/watch/.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
