Thomas Krasonis took over the lead in the Junior Trophy for drivers aged 25 and under in the NASCAR Euro Series V8GP division – Davit Kajaia is on course to defend his Challenger Trophy title for elite amateurs
- Thomas Krasonis leapfrogs Garrett Lowe in the Junior Trophy standings
- Davit Kajaia extends his advantage in the Challenger Trophy
- The special classification titles will be decided at the Finals in Belgium
The 2026 NASCAR Euro Series Playoffs kicked off with a bang at the Autodromo di Vallelunga in Italy. Thomas Krasonis bagged crucial points with a pair of podium finishes, catapulting him into third in the overall standings and straight to the top of the Junior Trophy for drivers aged 25 and under. The Greek standout overtook Garrett Lowe, who now sits sixth overall just five points adrift of the class leader. Meanwhile, in the Challenger Trophy for elite amateur drivers, Davit Kajaia padded his points cushion over Brad Ranson and Giovanni Cartechnini.
It was a grueling weekend in the Roman heat for PK Carsport’s Krasonis behind the wheel of the #13 Chevrolet. In Saturday’s race, he stalked Nelson Piquet Jr. nose-to-tail, separated by mere centimeters. Running in hot wake air pushed the fluids in his Chevrolet past boiling point, sending cockpit temperatures soaring far beyond a sauna. Krasonis dug deep to bring the car home in third, but the sheer physical toll forced him to sit down during his post-race interview.
“Towards the middle of the race, I made a mistake – my fault,” Krasonis admitted. “I missed a gear and Nelson got past me. After that, I tried to stay with him, but the hot air sent the car’s temperatures through the roof. The water temp was to the moon, the oil temp was to the moon. I felt like I was boiling in there. The team was pushing so hard, and I’m sorry to them and the fans watching – I really tried to deliver a win and fell just short. But taking home a big haul of points is massive. It was an exhausting race and not exactly how I wanted it to play out, but getting on the podium means we can’t complain.”
Lowe, on the other hand, struggled to find the sweet spot and chassis balance at Vallelunga, finishing sixth and ninth across the two rounds. The American ace wheeling the #99 BS+BREMOTION Chevrolet had led the Junior Trophy standings for most of the season, but he now has just two races left to strike back and dethrone Krasonis. Looming 14 points behind Lowe is two-time defending Junior Trophy winner Paul Jouffreau, ready to strike from the shadows. Jack Davidson and Vinnie Meskelis complete the top-5 in 11th and 13th overall, while Julien Rehberg – who missed the NASCAR GP Italy – rounds out the Junior Trophy field in 22nd.
In the Challenger Trophy, Kajaia holds the top spot in 15th overall after the Kolkhi GRT driver scored important class points on Sunday. Thomas Toffel initially looked poised to overhaul the Georgian after a strong Saturday run, but the Swiss contender did not start Sunday’s V8GP race, opening the door for Kajaia to stretch his margin to 36 points over Ranson. Cartechnini trails in third, 40 markers back. Regular-season points leader Logan Bearden lost ground after prioritizing the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Bristol, dropping the American to 20th overall behind Toffel. Andre Lortie, Brenna Schubert, Mike Wise, Kenko Miura, Michael Bleekemolen, and Alex Caffi round out the competitive Challenger Trophy roster.
Next up: the NASCAR Euro Series Finals at Circuit Zolder on October 16–17. The championship battles for both the Junior and Challenger Trophy titles are wide open, and with double points on the line in the woods of Limburg, every single position matters. Catch all the action live on DAZN or through your local international broadcast partner. Visit www.nascar.eu/watch to find viewing options in your region.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
