The NASCAR Euro Series Finals will conclude the 2026 season with four double-points races at Circuit Zolder – The new European NASCAR champions will be crowned

• The 2026 NASCAR Euro Series Playoffs will conclude with the Finals at Circuit Zolder
• All titles and Trophies will be decided at the Finals
• Four exciting double-point races set the stage for plenty of fierce battles and on-track action

The NASCAR Euro Series is going to write the final chapter in its exciting 2026 season with the Finals at Circuit Zolder on 17-18 October! Four races for V8GP and OPEN and two highly demanding Rookie Challenge timed sessions are scheduled for the action-packed weekend at the 4,002 kilometer circuit located in the woods of Limburg. In addition, the coveted Trophies and the Endurance Teams Championship are also still up for grabs. The best drivers of each division will be crowned as the new champions and overall winners once the last checkered flag of the season was dropped at the end of the round in Belgium.

Circuit Zolder has provided fans with endless thrillers and drama since it became the long-time host of the Finals in 2015. The legendary venue is known for its high-speed straights, tricky chicanes, demanding corners, and overtaking opportunities. Combining these factors together resulted in the ultimate pure racing challenge for teams and drivers and with double points being awarded for all divisions, the pressure is on for the gladiators to push their machines to the limit while still avoiding any mistake that could dramatically shake up the championship standings. Get ready for the never ending spectacle in the chase for the prestigious TiJey championship trophy!

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V8GP: Vittorio Ghirelli Chasing History

Vittorio Ghirelli is entering the Finals with a history-making opportunity on the line. With a lead of 31 points of his nearest rival Nelson Piquet Jr., the Italian is on the verge of becoming the first NASCAR Euro Series driver to secure a three-peat of championship titles. With his tally of strong results and the full support of Belgium’s local team PK Carsport, who has won a grand total of six V8GP titles in its history, the reigning two-time champion is going to be the driver to beat in Zolder.

The journey to the top will not be easy, however: Piquet Jr. is carrying momentum from his sweep of victories at the NASCAR GP Italy. The Alumitec Racing driver is a fierce chaser and brings with him a resume of global experience that can give him the edge over his Italian rival. Both the Brazilian and “Mr. Last Minute Deal” Jordan O’Brien will have a chance to win the V8GP title in their first full-season in the top division of European NASCAR. O’Brien experienced a difficult weekend in Italy that put him 42 points behind Ghirelli, but the American is still very much in the hunt and has the support of proven champion winning team Hendriks Motorsport to bring him back to contention.

Thomas Krasonis is tied in points with O’Brien, but he will have his attention split in the Finals. The Greek is not only going to fight for the overall title, he’s also working to fend off the intense pressure from “Hybrid Racer” Garrett Lowe, who’s only five points behind in the Junior Trophy chase. Paul Jouffreau also trailed the 2025 OPEN champion by only 19 points, ensuring that the special classification battle will go down to the wire.

Title outsiders Martin Doubek, Gianmarco Ercoli, Vladimiros Tziortzis and Fabrizio Armetta lurk in the shadows, ready to pounce on any mistakes made by the top competitors. A year after his comeback drive to snatch the Challenger Trophy title at the dying moments, Davit Kajaia returns to the Finals as the odds-on favorites to win back-to-back titles in the classification for elite amateurs. Despite having a lead of 36 points, the Georgian knows that any lead is not safe and one misstep is all it takes for Brad Ranson, Giovanni Cartechini and Thomas Toffel to be on the trails left behind by the Kolkhi GRT stalwart.

OPEN: Destiny in the Hands of the Leaders

Thomas Toffel and Raphael Lessard’s epic battle for the OPEN crown is going to be decided with the last two double-points races of the season. Only 12 points separates the two drivers that have dominated the division and the stakes are clear: If Lessard wins both races, he will be able to beat Toffel to the title no matter what the Swiss does. Therefore, all the eyes will be placed on Toffel as he tries to find his way back to the Victory Lane. A first win for the THT by Race Art Technology driver since the second round in France will boost his bid to retain the lead that he had since the season opener in Spain.

Both contenders need to not only focus on beating each other, but also to keep an eye on their consistent chasers Thomas Dombrowski, Gil Linster and Vladimiros Tziortzis. The Frenchman, the Luxembourger and the Cypriot once again proves that consistency is key to become a title contender in European NASCAR and if they can clinch their first wins of the season at Zolder, they can swing the momentum in their favor instead. Claudio Cappelli in sixth is leading the Legend Trophy and with his main rival Melvin de Groot set to be absent in the Finals, the Italian is on the verge of reclaiming the Trophy crown that he had previously won in 2024.

Sandro Tavartkiladze’s run of six consecutive Master Trophy wins resulted in the Georgian claiming the Trophy lead in the previous round in Italy. The Team Bleekemolen driver is the favorite to win, but he holds a slim margin: 71 points is all that separates Tavartkiladze from his six chasers in the Master Trophy standings. Another close battle will be contested in the Lady Trophy, where Beitske Visser, Happinessa and Mariam Davitidze will duke it out for the honor of the best female driver in the most competitive division of European NASCAR.

Endurance Teams: PK Carsport Still on Top

The Endurance Teams Championship will not be decided until the final car completes their final kilometer of the season. With a format that emphasizes teamwork and coordination between the two drivers that shared the car together, it will be up to the stars to make sure that their car completes the most laps in the least amount of time. Leading the charge at the front is the Belgian powerhouse PK Carsport, who survived their first Playoffs test with flying colors.

A runner-up finish for the #24 team at the NASCAR GP Italy gave them a 19 points lead from the #50 Hendriks Motorsport team. The Dutch team has won the Teams title a record four times and it wants to add a fifth with their first crown in the Endurance Teams format. Alumitec Racing’s #11 team keeps the competition close in third, just 21 points behind the #24 and #50 machines. BS+BREMOTION’s #99 squad and Speedhouse’s #6 outfit complete the top-5. Only 28 and 33 points separated them to PK Carsport’s #24 team and with double points on the line, they can still mount a comeback to win the coveted crown for the pure racing teams.

Rookie Challenge: Yann Cristovao with the Advantage

A maiden win for Yann Cristovao in Italy resulted in the Frenchman becoming the sole overall leader of Rookie Challenger. Cristovao holds a narrow lead of 12 points to Sandro Kajaia, with two-time round winner Jacob Parry 39 points behind the Speedhouse driver in the standings. Advantage is now firmly in Cristovao’s hands, but he had to manage his consistency even more as double points will now be in play. Whoever makes the least amount of mistakes in the two timed sessions on Friday will be crowned as the new overall winner in the time attack division.

V8GP

• Two home drivers to root for – Marc Goossens and Sven van Laere aim to use their local experience to score top results at their home race
• Logan Bearden returns – The American returns to the #30 Rette Jones Racing by Hendriks Ford with a goal of ending his impressive rookie campaign on a high note
• Pim van Riet debuts – Experienced touring car racer Pim van Riet joins the #72 Team Bleekemolen machine for his first experience at the V8 powered beasts

OPEN

• Home favorites fighting for Master Trophy – Jens Beeusaert and Maxim van Laere will do their best to bring home the Master Trophy title right in front of their home fans
• Maximilian Seth steps in to OPEN – German racer Maximilian Seth makes his first deep dive to the OPEN division after building up his experience in the Rookie Challenge division
• Legendary father-son reunites – With Melvin de Groot’s absence, Michael Bleekemolen steps in to the #69 Team Bleekemolen team to compete alongside his son Sebastiaan

Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner