NWES Vallelunga Free Practice: Gianmarco Ercoli and Ulysse Delsaux top the ranks 08.07.2022: The Italian and the Frenchman both clocked their fastest laps in the second session 60 minutes of Free Practice for each of the two NASCAR Whelen Euro Series championships are in the books. 2020 Autodromo di Vallelunga race winner Gianmarco Ercol

The Italian and the Frenchman both clocked their fastest laps in the second session




60 minutes of Free Practice for each of the two NASCAR Whelen Euro Series championships are in the books. 2020 Autodromo di Vallelunga race winner Gianmarco Ercoli topped the standings in EuroNASCAR PRO, while former champion Ulysse Delsaux was fastest in EuroNASCAR 2.



The Italian clocked a time of 1:41.606 in the second session and therefore beat session 1 leader Frederic Gabillon by just 0.152 seconds. Delsaux was 0.088 seconds faster than Vladimiros Tziortzis, who was on top of the standings in Free Practice 1.





EuroNASCAR PRO: Will Ercoli strike back?



Ercoli has good memories of his home track after he won the second race at Autodromo di Vallelunga in the 2020 season. The Italian did 20 laps across both sessions and stormed to the top ahead of Frederic Gabillon. The Frenchman in the #3 RDV Competition Chevrolet Camaro looks poised to continue a progression that gave him his first top-5 of the season last time out in Brands Hatch.



By finishing third, Giorgio Maggi was the fastest Junior Trophy competitor. The Race Art Technology driver, who collected his second EuroNASCAR PRO podium on the Sunday race at the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit, was ahead of NASCAR GP UK race winner Alexander Graff and three-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion Alon Day, who closed the top-5. The PK Carsport driver was followed by Vittorio Ghirelli and Patrick Lemarie in sixth and seventh.



Championship leader Nicolo Rocca is poised to continue his amazing streak of 17 consecutive top-10 finishes so far. The CAAL Racing driver ended up eighth, 0.710 seconds shy of Ercoli. Sebastiaan Bleekemolen finished ninth, while reigning EuroNASCAR 2 champion Martin Doubek completed the top-10.



Liam Hezemans and Thomas Ferrando were second and third in the Junior Trophy classification by climbing to eleventh and twelfth. Fastest Challenger Trophy driver – the special ranking for silver and bronze drivers – was Max Lanza in 13th, who is back on track after missing Brands Hatch due to a medical condition.





EuroNASCAR 2: Delsaux beats Tziortzis



Experience may be the key to success at the four kilometer long Autodromo di Vallelunga: Two drivers who already turned plenty of laps at the Rome-track were on top of the combined standings on Friday: 2018 EuroNASCAR 2 champion Delsaux was ahead of Valencia race winner Tziortzis, while Rookie Trophy topper and championship leader Alberto Naska had to settle for third 0.319 seconds shy of the leader.



After scoring his maiden EuroNASCAR 2 win in Brands Hatch, Hezemans is looking for another solid result at a for him unknown track. The Dutchman finished fourth while title defender Doubek ended up fifth. Not Only Motorsport’s Alberto Panebianco was sixth on his home soil followed by Tuomas Pontinen, the third fastest rookie behind Naska and Hazemans.



Yevgen Sokolovskiy was the fastest competitor in the Legend Trophy for drivers aged 40 and more in eighth place, while Christian Malcharek and Legend Trophy dominator Melvin de Groot closed the top-10. Luli Del Castello was on top of the Lady Trophy standings in 14th just ahead of Aliyyah Koloc. Alina Loibnegger was third while Arianna Casoli ended up fourth in the special classification.



Don’t miss the action of the NASCAR GP Italy at the Autodromo di Vallelunga on Saturday and Sunday. Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on the NWES YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and plenty of TV services from all around the world.




Gian Luca Guiglia, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Klemen Sofric