The fourth edition of the American Festival of Rome at the Autodromo di Vallelunga was a huge success. 25,000 fans visited the track over the weekend to enjoy four exciting NASCAR Whelen Euro Series races, support series, plenty of paddock activities and feel part of a unique NASCAR event. So many passionate Italian fans flooded the paddock it’s no surprise that they took up most of the top-5 highlights of the weekend at Campagnano di Roma.
Fifth place: Millions of impressions on social media
More than 870.000 impressions, over 60.000 engagements, thousands of photos, hundreds of clips and countless happy faces on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: EuroNASCAR fans loved the American Festival of Rome and shared their experience on social media. Over 800.000 minutes of live coverage consumed on the official network underlined that EuroNASCAR has become one of the most popular touring car series in Europe. Extended highlights of the races will be available on the EuroNASCAR YouTube channel and several TV partners on Thursday, July 13.
Fourth place: Parade to Campagnano di Roma
A tradition in Zolder and Most, also now in Italy: Vallelunga added a parade to the program of the American Festival of Rome in 2023, taking the EuroNASCAR race cars on public roads and in the middle of the city center. The V8-powered cars were escorted to Campagnano di Roma, where thousands of fans welcomed the drivers and teams with a big party. The drivers signed autographs, took pictures with the fans and shared their passion for racing. Many children had the opportunity to take a seat in a race car for the first time in their life.
Third place: Goosebumps and choreography during national anthems
Fans are always a prominent part of the EuroNASCAR events. Thousands of them in the grandstands sang the American and Italian national anthems before each NWES race over the weekend, making for a unique experience for everyone at the track. But they also cooperated with the track to create a splendid choreography. Helding colored papers in the air, the fans turned the main straightaway into two giant flags: U.S. and Italian! On Saturday, Alina Loibnegger’s sister and spotter Melinda Loibnegger had the honor of singing the US National Anthem, while on Sunday it was Italian singer Giorgia Mancini to perform.
Second place: Summer camp kids visit EuroNASCAR
More than 450 kids of all ages visited the track to learn all about EuroNASCAR. Organized by the Autodromo di Vallelunga in cooperation with the regional authorities and the National Olympic Committee, many buses set out to bring the children to the track. The kids met their heroes during a presentation at the Vallelunga Congress Center and were able to ask the drivers their questions. At the fences, in the pits and on the grandstands, the kids watched the Club Challenge and Friday’s Free Practice and also learned about safe driving on the road and on track.
First place: 25.000 fans visit the track
Since the inception of the NASCAR GP of Italy at the Autodromo di Vallelunga, the American Festival of Rome has grown every year. Despite a heat wave with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, 25,000 fans visited the iconic track in the North of Rome to experience the unique atmosphere of a EuroNASCAR event. The amazing crowd not only filled every seat in the main grandstand, but also made the paddock a very busy place with thousands of enthusiasts celebrating the race winners on the podium in the fan zone.
The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will return to the Autodrom Most on August 26-27. The NASCAR GP Czech Republic will mark the start of the second half of the season, which will be crucial for the championship battles in EuroNASCAR PRO and 2. Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and several TV services around the world.
NWES PR
