Maxim Van Laere encourages upcoming drivers to test their mettle in the NASCAR Euro Series Rookie Challenge to kickstart their motorsports careers – After moving up to the ultra-competitive OPEN championship, the young gun is currently leading the Master Trophy standings
- Maxim Van Laere praises the NASCAR Euro Series Rookie Challenge
- The regularity-based time-attack format proved to be the ultimate preparation for grid racing
- The Belgian prodigy commands the Master Trophy standings heading into the summer break
“It was definitely a big step forward from the Rookie Challenge to the OPEN championship, especially when it came to racing and battling closely in such a competitive field of 26 experienced drivers,” said Maxim Van Laere, reflecting on his first three events in the fierce NASCAR Euro Series OPEN division.
The Belgian took his first steps in a roaring, 400-horsepower V8 beast during the 2025 Rookie Challenge – the series’ regularity-based time-attack division. That foundational season perfectly prepared the 17-year-old to climb the ladder, allowing him to score stellar results and lead the Master Trophy for the top aspiring talent of the championship.
“I would recommend the Rookie Challenge to every young driver coming from karting, as it helped me a lot to become competitive right from the start of the OPEN Series,” van Laere said, crediting his early track time hunting for consistent lap times during his rookie campaign.
For the 2026 season, the son of veteran gentleman driver Sven van Laere buckled into a Speedhouse-prepared machine. He immediately turned heads, converting the experience gained in his development year into instant front-running pace in the most unpredictable division of European NASCAR racing.
Van Laere kicked off his sophomore year at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, execution-style, claiming a seventh-place overall finish and the Master Trophy class victory. Three subsequent top-10 finishes across stops in France and the United Kingdom catapulted the youngster to eighth in the overall standings and first among the talented contenders. He currently holds a 20-point advantage over Dominique Schaak heading into the summer break. The regular-season finale at Autodrom Most on August 29–30 will determine the seeding before van Laere enters the high-stakes, double-points playoffs at Vallelunga and Circuit Zolder.
“If someone had told me before the start of the season that I would be in this position halfway through the championship, I would have signed for it immediately,” the Hasselt native admitted. “Of course, being in this position only makes me even more determined to stay there until the end of the season and hopefully celebrate as the Master Trophy winner at my home NASCAR GP in Belgium.”
While the V8 engines fall silent during the summer months, van Laere plans to recharge his batteries without losing his competitive edge. “We have planned a family diving holiday in July, during which my dad and I will undoubtedly have plenty of discussions about the remainder of the EuroNASCAR season, as always. Besides diving, I will continue to focus on my physical training and spend time on my simulator, especially with the new iRacing EuroNASCAR V8GP car.”
Beyond the pure racing track action, competing in the NASCAR Euro Series offers a premier touring car environment wrapped in a unique, family-driven culture. The paddock remains fully open to fans, and competitors share a strong camaraderie when they aren’t trading paint on the circuit – the perfect environment for a newcomer like van Laere to foster his driving talents.
“I’m very happy and grateful for the warm welcome I received from all the drivers, both on and off the track. It didn’t take long for me to feel part of the NASCAR Euro Series family, and I’m starting to understand more and more why my dad has always been such a big fan of the series.”
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
