Marko Stipp Motorsport has filled the first of two cars for the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season with a driver who is a NWES veteran despite his young age: Thomas Krasonis. The Greek will drive for the German team led by Marko Stipp in EuroNASCAR PRO and fight for a top-10 finish. Coming from Florida, where the youngster from Athens made his oval racing debut at New Smyrna Speedway, the 21-year-old is ready to take the next step in the official European NASCAR series and conquer the top spots together with Marko Stipp Motorsport.
The first-ever Greek in EuroNASCAR plans to improve from race to race and fight for the top spots in the most competitive NASCAR Whelen Euro Series championship. With four top-10 finishes so far in EuroNASCAR 2, Krasonis is preparing to make another improvement at the wheel of a pure V8 beast with 400 hp, H-pattern shifting and no electronic aids. Marko Stipp’s German organization knows how to bring home solid results since 2017. A race win, countless top-10 finishes, and plenty of trophy wins are the team’s foundation.
“I want to be in the top-10 in the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series with Marko Stipp Motorsport and take the next step in my career,” said Krasonis. “I am already looking forward to the race at Brands Hatch, my favorite event on the schedule thanks to the tens of thousands of fans. I’m going to pursue my goals and I think I’m always passionate and committed when it comes to racing. I’m also focused on the important details and always work under pressure.”
A basketball fan, he got his start in racing as a child in karting. He moved on to touring cars before joining the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2019. His father shares his passion for racing as an amateur kart racer, but Thomas Krasonis is the first family member to make a career in racing. When he first sat in a kart at the age of “seven or eight”, he immediately fell in love with racing. His idol is Ayrton Senna.
Recently, Marko Stipp Motorsport also confirmed the return of two-time Club Challenge Champion Gordon Barnes. The British driver will compete for his third consecutive title in the EuroNASCAR regularity test, which includes three 30-minute sessions on Friday at select NWES events. Barnes, who won the title in 2021 and 2022, is tied for the all-time lead with Frenchman Alain Mosqueron, who topped the standings in 2019 and 2020.
“A third title would be amazing,” Barnes stated. “There has been a lot of strong competition the last few years so each title has been hard fought. To get a third would be amazing, especially to do it three in a row. I’ve set a pretty high bar already over the last two years with winning three events in a row, trying to match that is going to be a big challenge.”
The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season kicks off May 6-7 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. All qualifying and race events will be streamed live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and various television services around the world. Keep an eye on Krasonis in the Marko Stipp Motorsport Chevrolet in EuroNASCAR PRO. Will he climb the Mount Olympus of NASCAR racing in Europe?
NWES PR
