With celebrations for the tenth anniversary of the hugely popular American SpeedFest about to begin at Brands Hatch, UK, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series organizer Team FJ and MotorSport Vision (MSV) announced today a five-year contract extension that will make Brands Hatch the home of NASCAR in the UK through 2028.
A staple on the European NASCAR calendar since 2013, the American SpeedFest quickly rose to prominence to become arguably the most popular event of the NWES season. Over the years, the event’s popularity grew to the point of attracting over 46.000 fans in 2022.
“Brands Hatch has always been one of the highlights of the NWES calendar. We work perfectly together with MSV and especially with David Willey and his team. In the past ten years, the American SpeedFest became a huge popular success and it was a natural choice to extend our agreement and keep bringing the excitement of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series to Brands Hatch and the amazing British fans. We are really happy and proud to continue evolving the event and make it even bigger and better,” said NWES President and CEO Jerome Galpin.
David Willey, MotorSport Vision Group Motorsport Event Manager, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that Brands Hatch will continue to feature on the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series calendar for the foreseeable future. Working together, we’ve built something special, not just for British NASCAR fans, but also families and those with a wider interest in American motoring, culture and food and drink. This year’s 10th anniversary event is already shaping up to be the best edition yet and we’re looking forward to being the official home of NASCAR in the UK for the next half decade.”
The 1.938 km Brands Hatch Indy Circuit hosted the soon-to-become NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for the first time in 2011, but it was in 2013 when the American SpeedFest was born. A unique tribute to American culture, the event hosts every year four exciting door-to-door EuroNASCAR races and an ever-growing festival around the track, featuring American cars, music, food and a plethora of attractions for the whole family.
On the track, Brands Hatch hosted several milestone races and always delivered memorable action with its roller-coaster layout. Ander Vilarino was the first driver to win a NASCAR race at the British venue in 2012, and his sweep in 2013 allowed the Spaniard to grab six consecutive wins that season. Eddie Cheever III became the first Italian to win in EuroNASCAR’s top division here in 2014.
2000 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte made his European debut on the Indy Circuit in 2017 and in 2018 Gianmarco Ercoli became the first EuroNASCAR 2 champion to win a race in EuroNASCAR PRO. The following year, Lasse Soerensen made history in the EuroNASCAR 2 race when he won from the 27th and last position on the grid.
Most recently in 2022, title contenders Alon Day and Gianmarco Ercoli ignited a season-long rivalry with a crash at Brands Hatch. Day and Alexander Graff shared the wins in EuroNASCAR PRO, which in the process made Graff the first Swedish driver to win a race in EuroNASCAR. Liam Hezemans and Alberto Naska won the two EuroNASCAR 2 races, both in thrilling overtime finishes.
Four-time EuroNASCAR Champion Alon Day and three-time EuroNASCAR champion Ander Vilarino share the spot on top of the all-time winners list at Brands Hatch with five victories each. Day also had the honour of being the driver with the most podium finishes at Brands Hatch, sharing it with Frederic Gabillon with ten podium finishes on the historic circuit.
With American SpeedFest XV already marked on the calendar in 2028, the Brands Hatch event promises to remain the can’t-miss event for NASCAR fans in Europe. The 2023 NASCAR GP UK will be broadcasted live on the EuroNASCAR Youtube channel, on Motorsport.tv and on several TV platforms all over the world starting on Saturday, June 17.
NWES PR
