Claudio Remigio Cappelli and Alfredo De Matteo will both make their return to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series to share the #16 MK1-Race Art Technology Shadow DNM8 in the upcoming 2022 EuroNASCAR season.
Cappelli made his debut in the European NASCAR series back in 2019, racing at Franciacorta. Competing in the EuroNASCAR 2 championship, the Italian grabbed the win in the Legend Trophy in what was just his second NWES start. A passionate fan of the American car culture, Cappelli boasts experiences in endurance racing – Fun Cup and 24h Series – and historic car racing.
“I love everything with a V8 and I have a strong passion for the American way of intending cars. So after having a taste of NASCAR in 2019, it’s time to compete full-time. I love the EuroNASCAR car and I want to thank MK1-Race art Technology for supporting me. The team is growing quickly and being part of it gives me further motivation to do well,” said Cappelli. “I don’t have any special expectations for this season. The competition is extremely strong, I will race against the best NASCAR drivers in Europe and I want to learn from them. When you get beaten by the best and you keep your eyes open, you can learn a lot. I’ll do my best to repay all the team’s efforts. I can’t wait to get started!”
After making his NASCAR debut in the NWES Finals at Vallelunga in 2021, De Matteo will be back with MK1-Race Art Technology to launch the assault to the Rookie Trophy and the EuroNASCAR 2 championship.
At Vallelunga, De Matteo started down on the grid due to a difficult qualifying session, but finished 8th overall in both races and climbed on the Rookie Trophy podium on Sunday.
“I found a very good feeling with the car and the team in the two tests we did. I still have to adapt to this type of car, but it’s very funny. We’ll have to see where we stand on race day. When you test you have some benchmarks but it’s the race that really tells you where you are,” said the 28-year-old Italian. “The top drivers are very strong and it will be extremely important to start in the first rows of the grid, especially with so many cars in the field. I always find some additional pace in the race, but qualifying will be the real key. I really thank the team for their confidence in me”.
MK1-Race Art Technology is undergoing a testing program to prepare for the May 14-15 NASCAR GP Spain. The 2022 season opener will take place at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo and all races will be streamed live on the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series social media profiles – Youtube, Facebook and Twitch – as well as on Motorsport.tv.
NWES PR
