Thomas Toffel has been one of the most pleasant surprises at the start of the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season. The Swiss driver, who is competing in his second EuroNASCAR season, vastly improved his performances over the winter with his Race Art Technology team. The driver of the #34 Chevrolet is doing double duty and has posted solid results in both divisions. The momentum is on his side as the points standings show: Toffel leads the EuroNASCAR PRO Challenger Trophy for elite amateurs in tenth place of the overall championship standings.
After a busy winter testing schedule at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, the 33-year-old left the NWES paddock in awe at the 2024 season opener. In Valencia, Toffel finished seventh twice in EuroNASCAR PRO to take the lead in the Challenger Trophy. In Vallelunga, the Race Art Technology star struggled on Saturday, but an eleventh-place finish on Sunday saw him regain the championship lead. He leads by eight points from Max Lanza, who is another top contender for the overall victory in the special classification.
Lanza has had a good start to the season and his consistency has been key to minimizing the gap to Toffel after four races in 2024. The CAAL Racing pilot finished 19th and 15th at his home race in Vallelunga, where he threw a big party in the paddock with family, friends and fans. His compatriot Dario Caso follows in third place, 20 points adrift of championship leader Toffel. The Italian did not enjoy the best home round possible with an early retirement in Round 3, but he remains one of the top contenders for the special classification and has already bagged two podiums from the opener in Valencia.
The Vict Motorsport driver is level on points with Club Motorsport’s Riccardo Romagnoli. Romagnoli’s performance was particularly immaculate in Italy, with the main highlight being his victory on Saturday that he clinched even after receiving two penalties for track limits violations. Kenko Miura, Davide Dallara and Paolo Valeri round out the Challenger Trophy standings. In Vallelunga, Dallara made his return to the series after nearly two years while Valeri took part in his first EuroNASCAR PRO race in front of his home fans.
The 2024 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season continues at the Indy Circuit of Brands Hatch in the UK on 8-9 May. Four races will highlight the 2024 edition of the popular American SpeedFest. Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel and on numerous TV channels around the world. Don’t miss the action when NASCAR’s official European series visits the UK.
NWES PR
