The biggest revelation of the 2018 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season, Hendriks Motorsport is ready for the assault to the European NASCAR title with two cars and a reinforced lineup of young and ambitious drivers. 2018 Junior Trophy winner Loris Hezemans will aim at the NWES crown at the wheel of the #50 Ford Mustang and rookie Giorgio Maggi will share the car in the ELITE 2 Division, while Martin Doubek will take wheel of the #7 Mustang in both divisions.
Winning as a rookie in the ELITE 1 Division is a demonstration of great talent and 21-year-old Loris Hezemans not only won his first NASCAR race at the Hockenheim Semi Finals, but also contended for the title until the Finals. The Dutchman finished 4th in points with 1 win, 7 top-5s and 8 top-10s and the first place in the Junior Trophy. After an impressive performance in his American debut at New Smyrna Speedway in February, Hezemans is ready to climb another step in his NASCAR career and contend for the NWES title.
“Everything was new to us the past year”, said Hezemans. “If you then still have a chance to win the overall title in the final weekend, it’s safe to say we didn’t do a bad job as a team. For 2019 the focus will be on being consistent, scoring points every race weekend with the ELITE 1 championship title as the goal. That will be particularly important to be able to make the step to racing in America, which is my ultimate goal. That is why we did several races during Speedweeks at New Smyrna last February to get more tracktime and above all learn how they race there. Looking back at that week, I can only be proud with even a third place in the main race. Valencia can’t come soon enough for me.”
New within the team for 2019 will be Giorgio Maggi. Coming from ADAC GT Masters, the 21-year-old Swiss will make his debut in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series with the Hendriks Motorsport team this year. Giorgio will compete in ELITE 2 in the #50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang.
“In the past I drove together with Bert Longin in the ELMS championship and the previous year I spoke to Loris Hezemans during a GT-series test”, tells the young Swiss. “They were both very enthusiastic about the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. . A category without electronic aids in which the driver can make the real difference. During the Recruitment Day at Franciacorta last December I drove the car for the first time and I was enthusiastic from the start. It’s a tremendous car that brings me a lot of joy to drive. I’m looking forward to working together with the Hendriks Motorsport team and Loris.”
The #7 Ford Mustang will go to Martin Doubek. Despite is young age, the 24-year-old Czech driver is a veteran of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and will enter his fifth season in NWES after finishing 13th in ELITE 1 in 2018 with 2 top-5s and 5 top-10s.
“I’m very happy to announce that i will be driving both ELITE 1 and ELITE 2 in 2019,” said Doubek. “I want to make a big step forward this year and fight for podiums. I hope that competing in both divisions is going to help me with that. I also want to put more focus on qualifying this year. Last year I had to start some races from the middle of the pack and it’s difficult to get a good result when you start that far away from the front. And of course i’m really looking forward to Round 4 of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series which is driven in my home country Czech Republic. I really want to get a good result for my fans and make my fellow countrymen proud”.
The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will be back in action on April 13-14 with the 2019 season opener at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo of Valencia, Spain.
NASCAR Euro Series PR
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