Vittorio Ghirelli defended his V8GP championship lead at the regular season finale at Autodrom Most – Thomas Toffel is still on top of the OPEN standings

• Vittorio Ghirelli is the V8GP championship leader after the regular season finale
• Thomas Toffel extended his OPEN division lead at Autodrom Most
• Next up are the double-point Playoffs at Vallelunga and Zolder

After the dust settled at Autodrom Most, the standings were locked in for the start of the 2026 NASCAR Euro Series Playoffs. In the V8GP division, reigning two-time champion Vittorio Ghirelli heads into the double-points race weekends in Italy and Belgium as the points leader. After dropping his Sunday retirement result from Czechia, the Italian carries a 24-point cushion over Jordan O’Brien into the post-season. Meanwhile, in the OPEN division, Thomas Toffel retains the top spot after shedding his worst regular season result, entering the Playoffs with a 16-point gap over Thomas Dombrowski.

V8GP: Ghirelli dominates the season

Vittorio Ghirelli heads into the final two events of the 2026 V8GP Championship with a massive target on his back. The Fasano native has captured three victories so far, showcasing stellar consistency behind the wheel of his #24 PK Carsport Chevrolet. In his bid to become the first three-peat champion in NASCAR Euro Series history, Ghirelli must fend off fierce pressure from breakout first-time V8GP winner Jordan O’Brien with Hendriks Motorsport, who trails by 24 points in second. Meanwhile, two-time OPEN champion Martin Doubek surged up the standings thanks to the drop-score format – which carries only the best seven of eight regular-season results into the Playoffs – leaving the Czech driver and O’Brien teammate third following his home race, 37 points off the lead.

Tied on points with Doubek is American “Hybrid Racer” Garrett Lowe. The BS+BREMOTION driver stormed onto Sunday’s podium to cement his status as a legitimate title contender. The 24-year-old also tops the Junior Trophy classification ahead of his nearest challengers: Paul Jouffreau (fifth overall, 8 points back) and Thomas Krasonis (sixth overall, 15 points back). Fellow Junior Trophy contenders Jack Davidson and Vinnie Meskelis occupy seventh and eighth. Former Formula 1 driver, Formula E World Champion, and U.S. NASCAR racer Nelson Piquet Jr. and Challenger Trophy leader Logan Bearden round out the top-10 that are only separated by 64 points.

OPEN: Will Toffel win his first NASCAR title?

Thomas Toffel enters the OPEN Playoffs holding a 16-point advantage over Thomas Dombrowski, who vaulted into second place in the standings following a third-place finish on Saturday in Most. Both Toffel (piloting the #34 THT by Race Art Technology Chevrolet) and Dombrowski (#24 PK Carsport Camaro) are hunting the first major NASCAR championship of their careers. Hendriks Motorsport’s Gil Linster sits close behind in third, just 19 points off the top spot. As one of the most seasoned drivers on the OPEN grid, the Luxembourger could hold the upper hand if he converts his experience into raw pace across the final double-points weekends in Italy and Belgium, aiming to capture an elusive maiden title of his own.

Raphael Lessard delivered a masterclass at Autodrom Most by sweeping both OPEN races, vaulting him up to fourth in the championship standings. The Canadian standout now faces a 32-point deficit to mount a serious title charge, sitting just a single point ahead of Vladimiros Tziortzis in fifth. Legend Trophy frontrunner Claudio Cappelli holds sixth overall, carrying a 17-point cushion over his chief rival, Melvin de Groot. Meanwhile, Maxim van Laere commands the Master Trophy classification in eighth overall, ahead of Martin Doubek and Sandro Tavartkiladze. Sitting in 11th overall – and third in the Master Trophy ranks – is Dominique Schaak, who is primed to crack the top-10 as the high-stakes, double-points post-season gets underway. With ten drivers within 76 points, everything’s possible.

What’s Next: The NASCAR GP Italy

The 2026 NASCAR Euro Series season continues on September 19–20 at Italy’s high-speed Autodromo di Vallelunga. Located just outside Rome, the circuit will host the opening two Playoff races for both championships. With double points on the line, a single misstep could prove catastrophic in the standings, while a podium finish could completely reshape the title picture ahead of the 2026 Finals at Circuit Zolder in Belgium on October 17–18. Preparations are already underway, leaving zero room for error once the post-season kicks off.

Every race of the NASCAR Euro Series is broadcast for free on DAZN, as well as on the official EuroNASCAR YouTube channel in select regions. Visit www.nascar.eu/watch to find the full broadcast line-up across international TV networks. The Playoffs are here, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and only one question remains: Who will be crowned the 2026 NASCAR Euro Series champion?

Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner