Valentino Gambarotto is one of the rising stars on the NASCAR Euro Series grid – The Italian with Cuban roots now strikes waves in a special community in Miami
- Valentino Gambarotto’s learning curve is still steep in his second year in NASCAR racing
- He connects many communities around the world with his Italian and Cuban heritage
- The Cuban community in Miami backs the ambitions of the young racer
To traditional race fans, the thundering rumble of a V8 engine is uniquely American. But on the tight, European road courses, a new generation of drivers is proving that high-horsepower racing speaks a universal language. At the center of this movement is Valentino Gambarotto, a breakout sophomore talent who is quickly turning heads in the NASCAR Euro Series while bridging a vast cultural divide that stretches from Italy to the heart of Miami’s Cuban community.
Gambarotto’s road to the front of the grid has been anything but conventional. Unlike peers who followed a strict open-wheel progression, his instincts were forged in the high-stakes, sideways world of competitive drifting.
“I started karting when I was just three years old and raced for the first time at four,” Gambarotto said. “Unfortunately, I had to stop when I was seven due to family reasons. Over the following years, I tried different motorsports and action sports, including downhill biking and motocross, but nothing gave me the same feeling as racing. When I was 13, my dad bought me a BMW E36 drift car, and that’s really where my competitive journey began. I entered my first drift race at 14, took my first win at 15, and by 16 I had won the championship in both the Pro and Pro2 categories. That same year, I also competed in the Ibiza Cup, winning seven of the ten races.”
That background in radical car control caught the attention of the heavy hitters in the garage area, opening up an unexpected path to the biggest name in motorsport.
“Then one day my dad called me and said he had some contacts who could help me get a chance in the NASCAR Euro Series,” said the 18-year old. “For me, NASCAR felt as distant as Formula 1 — something you dream about but never really expect to be part of. The possibility alone was unbelievable. I did a test with CAAL Racing, and they offered me the opportunity right away. From that moment, a whole new chapter of my career began.”
Transitioning from a nimble drift car to a heavy, high-horsepower racing machine with no electronic driver aids presents a steep learning curve for any rookie. Gambarotto’s debut season in 2025 was a masterclass in adaptation, finding himself thrown directly into the hornets’ nest of seasoned veterans and steadily improving from one event to the next.
“My first season was in 2025, making my debut at Valencia on the Circuit Ricardo Tormo,” the Italian said. “I still remember the excitement of that weekend, but also how challenging it was to keep up with the more experienced drivers. Everything was new, and I was still learning every aspect of the championship. Looking at 2026, the improvement has been huge. A good example is Valencia itself: in 2025 I qualified 17th, so far back that I could barely even see the start lights! This year, at Brands Hatch, I qualified seventh overall and second in my category. That shows how much progress we’ve made in a relatively short time. Every time I get in the car, my goal is simple: keep improving lap after lap and become a better driver.”
The 2026 campaign has already put Gambarotto’s resilience to the test, offering a brutal reminder of how quickly a promising points day can evaporate. The opening rounds were marred by mechanical gremlins, testing the team’s patience and forcing them into an early championship hole.
“Unfortunately, the 2026 season didn’t start the way we hoped,” the Abano Terme native said. “In Race 2 at Valencia, while leading my category, I suffered a mechanical issue that sent me off at Turn 1 and resulted in a DNF. Losing those points was a major blow to our championship campaign. The next round in France was even more frustrating. Due to engine problems on my teammate’s car and other technical challenges, I wasn’t able to complete a single lap all weekend. It was disappointing because it meant losing even more valuable championship points without having the chance to fight for them on track.”
Needing a strong rebound, Gambarotto and his CAAL Racing team rolled into the historic Brands Hatch Indy Circuit looking to flip the script. The young driver delivered, laying down blistering qualifying laps and showing veteran poise during fierce, fender-to-fender green-flag racing against more experienced rivals in the OPEN division.
“After those setbacks, Brands Hatch was exactly the response we needed,” said the driver of the #73 Ford Mustang. “I qualified seventh overall and finished Race 1 in sixth place overall and second in the Masters category. In Race 2, I again started seventh and finished seventh overall, securing another second-place finish in the Master Trophy. Both races were intense battles from start to finish, but we managed to bring home strong results and score some important points for the championship. So while the season has had its ups and downs so far, I think it has also shown how much I’ve grown as a driver. Even when things don’t go our way, the focus remains the same: keep pushing, keep learning, and make the most of every opportunity.”
While continues to climb the ladder on the track, his story is taking on a profound second meaning behind the scenes. Born to an Italian father and a Cuban mother, he carries a deep personal connection to an island nation where freedom is heavily restricted and motorsport infrastructure is virtually non-existent.
“My mom is Cuban and my dad is Italian, so I grew up with two very different cultures that have both shaped who I am today,” Gambarotto said. “Since I was a baby, my parents always took me to Cuba, and I’ve been connected to my Cuban roots for as long as I can remember. My first trip there was when I was only nine months old. Cuba has always had a special place in my heart. Some of my best childhood memories come from spending time there with family and friends. At the same time, I’ve also seen how difficult life can be for many people on the island. For decades, Cubans have lived under a dictatorship, and many families, including people close to me, have been forced to leave in search of better opportunities and a better future.”
The reality of that struggle hits close to home, as a significant portion of his family now resides across the Atlantic in Florida.
“Because of that, many of my relatives and friends now live in the United States, especially in Miami, where there is a large Cuban community,” added Gambarotto. “Seeing how different their lives became after leaving Cuba has had a big impact on me and helped me understand how fortunate we are to have certain freedoms and opportunities.”
That cross-continental connection triggered a sudden, massive wave of mainstream interest. When his family began sharing his achievements within the diaspora, it caught the attention of major Hispanic media outlets, including a high-profile broadcast interview on Telemundo 51 in Miami. For a sport trying to expand its demographic reach, a young contender with a direct pipeline to the vibrant South Florida market is pure gold.
“A few months ago, my mom started sharing my racing story within the Cuban community,” Gambarotto recalls. “Thanks to people like Aldo Ruiz, I discovered how proud many Cubans were to see someone with Cuban roots pursuing a career in motorsport and representing that heritage internationally. That led to other opportunities, including an interview with journalist Yoghe Adrian from Telemundo 51 in Miami. The response was incredible, and I received so much support from Cubans around the world.”
“Seeing that connection and feeling that encouragement has been something really special for me. I hope that one day Cuba can have a brighter future and that I’ll be able to return to my family’s home there and relive some of the memories that made my childhood so unforgettable. Whenever I see messages from Cuban fans, it reminds me that racing is about much more than results. It’s about inspiring people, representing where you come from, and making your family and community proud.”
With raw tire-management skills honed in drifting, a fast car underneath him, the mentorship of legendary team owner Luca Canneori and a passionate, global fanbase that’s growing by the day, Gambarotto is no longer just dreaming about the big leagues – he is actively building his own. Success in the NASCAR Euro Series, where he already established himself as a leading contender for the Master Trophy, will help the Italian with proud Cuban heritage to put both of his home nations in the spotlight.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
