Race Art Technology has confirmed the drivers of the #34 Chevrolet Camaro for the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season. Thomas Toffel will return to the Swiss team to do double duty, competing in both championships – EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR 2. The Swiss made the switch from bike to car racing in 2023, and quickly found his footing in the 400 hp V8 beast without any electronic driving aids. Edouard Fatio will compete for the Club Challenge title in EuroNASCAR’s regularity test.
2023 was Toffel’s rookie season, but the Swiss from Fribourg climbed the learning curve quickly in his Chevrolet Camaro. The 32-year-old maximized his track time by competing in both NWES championships and swiftly adapted from motorcycle to auto racing. In his first ever EuroNASCAR 2 race, Toffel immediately finished in the top-10 and second on the Rookie Trophy podium. He also stormed into the Rookie Trophy top-3 in Italy, but his season highlight was a perfect sweep in the special classification for newcomers at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. He finished the 2023 EuroNASCAR 2 season 14th in points, third among the Rookies and celebrated an overall EuroNASCAR 2 podium finish in Germany.
In EuroNASCAR PRO, Toffel was among the contenders for the Challenger Trophy – the special elite amateur classification in NWES’ top tier championship. The Swiss grabbed his first Challenger Trophy podium on Saturday at the tricky Indy Circuit of Brands Hatch and beat his rivals to score his first Trophy win in the first race at the Autodrom Most, where he finished eighth, grabbing also his first EuroNASCAR PRO top-10 result. He followed that up with three more class wins in Germany and Belgium to finish second in the 2023 Challenger Trophy standings, capping off a solid season for the Swiss rookie. Toffel showed his potential and ability to adapt quickly to auto racing, and now he wants to build on the foundation he created in his debut season.
“I really love the atmosphere in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, the pure cars without any electronic driving aids and also the high level of the championships,” said Toffel, who works in real estate. “I want to keep the momentum we gained in 2023 and fight for a top-5 finish in EuroNASCAR 2 and a top-12 finish in EuroNASCAR PRO. Obviously, I want to win the Challenger Trophy. My second place in EuroNASCAR 2 at Oschersleben was my highlight so far, but I’m hungry for more of those great memories.” Race Art Technology built a testing program in 2024 to give Toffel the opportunity to get the best possible race car for the upcoming season. The #34 Camaro also received a brand new livery.
In addition to Toffel, Fatio will drive the Chevrolet in EuroNASCAR’s Club Challenge sessions. The Swiss from Porsel is a close friend of Toffel’s and wants to do well in the regularity test. Like his compatriot, Fatio made his NWES debut in 2023 and competed in all five Club Challenge events. “Every moment with our team is just wonderful,” said the 54-year-old, who owns SIMATOK Simulators and also works for a company that manufactures all kinds of elevators. “The championship is very well organized, with pure racing cars that I really like: big engines, H-pattern shifts and no electronic driving aids. I’m also there to analyze the data with Thomas and give him advice. We use the Club Challenge so I know what it’s like to drive the car.”
The 2024 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series kicks off April 13-14 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Both Toffel and Fatio will travel to the track to compete in the season opener under the Spanish sun. All races will be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, as well as on several television networks from all around the world.
NWES PR
