Rookie Challenge contender Jacob Parry is proud to represent Wales in the NASCAR Euro Series – Parry looks up to Tom Pryce as his inspiration and wants to honor his legacy
- Rising star Jacob Parry established himself as one to watch in Rookie Challenge
- Parry grew up in Ruthin, the home town of Welsh racing legend Tom Pryce
- The Welshman will honor Pryce’s legacy with a tribute helmet
Several new names have risen to the top of Rookie Challenge after the first two rounds of the season in Spain and France. Jacob Parry, who proudly carries his Welsh nationality to the world of European NASCAR, is among those who fans have kept an eye on following his debut win in the division at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
Parry joined NASCAR Euro Series’ time attack division with CAAL Racing following his participation in the 2026 NASCAR Recruitment Test. Through a combination of his innate skills and the guidance of CAAL Racing’s team managers Luca and Corrado Canneori, who boasts championship winning credentials on their CV, Parry was able to immediately master the art of driving a NASCAR machine. He was unfazed by the lack of driving aids and the V8 engines’ immense power delivery, allowing the Welshman to rapidly improve from one round to the next.
His development and adaptability to one of international motorsport’s toughest learning curves echoed the nascent of Wales’ finest racing talent: Tom Pryce, who rose up from the lower echelons to Formula One in just five years. Parry idolized Pryce for not just their shared heritage and passion for motorsport, but also due to his own personal upbringings.
“I grew up in the same small town as Tom Pryce in Ruthin,” Parry said. “As the only Welsh driver to lead a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, he has always been a huge inspiration to me. Growing up knowing someone from such a small town reached the very top of motorsport made me believe that those dreams were possible. Being able to represent Ruthin and Wales in international motorsport means a great deal to me, and this helmet is my way of helping to keep Tom’s legacy alive and introduce it to a new generation of fans.”
The connection between Parry and Pryce was further reinforced during the NASCAR GP UK. The Rookie Challenge division might not be racing at Brands Hatch, but Parry was present to unveil a special helmet that he plans to use starting from the next round in the Czech Republic.
“It’s a tribute helmet inspired by Tom Pryce that I had made to honor his legacy,” Parry said about the helmet, which is white with five black vertical stripes – the design of Pryce’s own helmet. “I brought it to Brands Hatch to photograph it at such a significant circuit in Tom’s career where he won the Race of Champions. I also recently took it to the Tom Pryce Award ceremony at the local school connected with his legacy, where I helped present the awards.”
Parry’s brilliance sets him on the path to become one of Rookie Challenge’s primary protagonists. He currently sits third in the overall standings, but he’s not going to let this early season success influence his preparation. The Welshman understands that there’s still so much to learn from the NASCAR Euro Series and will approach the second half of the season with the same mindset that has led him to the Victory Lane.
“It’s definitely a confidence boost to know that we’ve shown we can fight at the front, but I don’t think it changes my approach,” explained Parry. “The Rookie Challenge is unique because it’s all about consistency and precision, and there are so many factors that can influence the result over a weekend. If anything, it motivates me even more because I know we’re capable of being competitive.”
“My goal is simply to keep improving every round, learn from each event and put together the best performance possible. If we do that consistently, then hopefully we’ll be in the fight for the championship at the end of the season. Of course there’s always a little more expectation after having a strong start, but I see that as a positive rather than pressure. It’s something I’ve earned, and now it’s about proving that Valencia wasn’t a one off and continuing to build throughout the season.”
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
