NASCAR Euro Series bridges the gap to the other NASCAR championships with numerous great incentives – The drivers exchange program provides an example of NASCAR Euro Series’ commitment to provide its drivers with the chance to race in the Americas
- NASCAR Euro Series offers its drivers with great opportunities in the Americas
- European stars will get a chance to compete at every level of NASCAR
- The drivers exchange program helps to bridge the gap between NASCAR’s championships
The NASCAR Euro Series doesn’t just provide its competitors with the best pure racing action in Europe, it also gives them the platform to build a working relationship with other NASCAR championships. Series organizers TEAM FJ worked hard over the years to give the stars of V8GP and OPEN an opportunity to spread their wings across the globe with numerous incentives.
More than 40 drivers have raced across all levels of NASCAR racing and one example of the incentive can be found in the drivers exchange program. The drivers exchange program received the spotlight in 2026 with reigning V8GP champion’s Vittorio Ghirelli return to the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres on 7-9 August as a reward for winning the 2025 championship. Ghirelli’s GP3R comeback represented not only the next step in NASCAR Euro Series’ partnership with its fellow championships, it also proves the series’ commitment to send its drivers to compete with North America’s finest talents.
The commitment was created as soon as the NASCAR Euro Series was integrated to the NASCAR ladder in 2012. Former Le Mans winner Eric Helary, who was crowned as series champion in 2011, was invited to compete in the ARCA Menards Series East – NASCAR K&N Pro Series East as it’s known back then – race at New Hampshire. Sharing the track with future NASCAR champions Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez, Helary became the first out of a long line of drivers that has received the golden ticket provided by TEAM FJ to its stars.
The horizons were expanded in 2013: as a reward for winning the V8GP championship, NASCAR sent an official invitation for Ander Vilarino to take part in the UNOH Battle at the Beach at the world famous Daytona International Speedway. Vilarino was then joined by Frederic Gabillon in the 2014 ARCA East race at Watkins Glen, marking a historic occasion as two NASCAR Euro Series drivers took part in the same NASCAR race in North America for the first time.
A major breakthrough was achieved in 2015 when NASCAR Euro Series saw its first representation in NASCAR’s three national series. Belgian champion Anthony Kumpen joined the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series grid for three races, earning him the right to race at the big banks of Daytona the following year. 2016 also saw Alon Day took part in two NASCAR O’Reilly races and on his debut at Mid-Ohio, the Israelie pulled off a miracle: Rainy conditions gave Day the chance to bring his MBM Motorsports machine to the front, proving NASCAR Euro Series competitors’ adaptability in the most challenging of conditions.
Day went on to make history as the first NASCAR Euro Series driver to race in all three national NASCAR championships. Following his O’Reilly miracle at Mid-Ohio, Day joined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series later in the year and then the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma in 2017 to complete the trifecta. With Day’s appearance in the Cup Series, NASCAR Euro Series proved that its unique incentive is capable of reaching all levels of NASCAR racing, including the highest one in the ladder.
But the hard work doesn’t stop there, because 2018 saw the first exchange between two drivers from NASCAR’s colorful International division. Gabillon’s exchange with one of NASCAR Canada Series’ most respected veterans Jean-Francois Dumoulin at Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, one of North America’s most prestigious street racing events, is a memory that the Frenchman remembers fondly.
“The GP3R is really a separate race, even for Canadians,” Gabillon recalls. “It’s their Monaco with a track in the middle of the city, bumpy with very close walls and changes of pace between fast and tight. The atmosphere in town is great with a team truck parade on Friday night on the main avenue. It’s a little more American than in Europe, but it remains on a human scale.”
2019 witnessed another historic exchange with NASCAR Mexico star Ruben Garcia Jr. and eventual V8GP champion Loris Hezemans giving a taste of their respective championships at Valencia and Mexico City. When NASCAR Brasil Series began its official NASCAR sanctioning in 2023, Team FJ opened talks with its organizers to find the opportunity to bring one of the European contenders to South America and a year later, that chance was provided when Arianna Casoli, one of European NASCAR’s most respected female drivers, competed in NASCAR Brasil’s first oval event at Curvelo.
The exchange with Canadian stars was revived after a seven-year hiatus in 2025 when Ghirelli and Raphael Lessard completed their legs at Trois-Rivieres and Oschersleben respectively. For those who received the opportunity to race in the NASCAR Canada Series, the GP3R is the perfect venue for European drivers to test their mettle against North America’s best competitors. Boasting a lot of history that dates back to its establishment in 1967, a victory at the streets of Quebec, Canada is legacy defining, one that will etch your name in the echelons of legendary names that have won the event in the past.
“For me, GP3R is one of the iconic events on the NASCAR Canada calendar,” Ghirelli said. “It has so much history and prestige, and it’s a race every driver wants to win. The combination of a legendary street circuit, thousands of passionate fans and the unique atmosphere makes it stand out from many other events. Winning or even standing on the podium here means a lot because you know you’ve performed at one of the most respected races in North American motorsport. It’s definitely one of the highlights of the season.”
“GP3R is a fast and technical street circuit, so there’s absolutely no room for mistakes. The walls are very close, which means you have to be fully committed every lap. The braking zones are demanding, and finding the right rhythm is essential because every corner leads into another challenge. What makes it so enjoyable is exactly that combination of precision, speed and confidence. When you put together a perfect lap, it’s incredibly rewarding.”
With Rousseau Metal and Festidrag.tv once again providing support for Ghirelli’s second rodeo at GP3R, the Italian is proving that the NASCAR Euro Series opened the opportunity for everyone involved to increase their global footnote.
“It’s really great to see Vittorio redo the race this year, with last year’s experience it will help him to be more efficient,” sums Gabillon. “It must be understood that it is very complicated to arrive in a championship that is the highest level in Canada. There are many drivers who have won the championship at least once and to succeed in having their rhythms would already be a feat.”
“Jerome Galpin and the entire NASCAR Euro Series organization have been working for a long time to create bridges between the different countries organizing NASCAR. Each champion in the NASCAR Euro Series has been able to make an international round and again this year Vittorio will add a brick to this increasingly solid bridge between the championships.”
Featured image by Getty Images for NASCAR
