#NASCAR Tearing Up A Few Of Europe's Finest Tracks

"Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)" (gaborvajda)
04/09/2014 at 05:37 • Filed to: nascar, le mans, europe

For real: European sportscars have raced at NASCAR's holiest temple since... forever, conclusively stock cars have set a foot at Watkins Glen and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, it yet again tackles famous European venues, not for the first time, but for the first full season.

The NASCAR Whelen Series has been around for quite a few seasons now, but it hasn't been a year since they got NASCAR's full support and a title sponsor, which makes 2014 the first full season of official NASCAR racing in Europe. The purpose of the series is to bring some American "redneck" flavour to the (otherwise oversaturated) European market, where - in case if you were wondering - not everyone is fond of the champagne-sipping, bowtie-wearing, French-accented high-class racing atmosphere F1 and its likes have to offer.

They also do it in a cheeky way, taking the show to such track as e.g. the Nürburgring and the Le Mans Bugatti circuit (pictured above), making it straight the final showdown of the season. The venues are all but one road courses, except the semi-purpose-built Tours Speedway, which is a large parking lot converted to a short oval track with one of the turns made into a 9-degree banking in 2013.

As far as the cars are concerned, they are still silhouette cars representing models not available in Europe, quite similar to their Sprint Cup relatives under the skin, with a great deal more of agility and less engine power.

The series is kicking off this weekend in Valencia, visiting six venues in total, running two races at each track.

Watching stock cars racing down at e.g. the famous Le Mans pitlane with thunderous V8 noise and NASCAR logos plastered over them
makes a perfect Ricky Bobby vs. Jean Girard rivalry rolled into one and stretched to a full season, which officially makes it the weirdest and thus one of the coolest competitions on the planet.

All images are licenced as Creative Commons

DISCUSSION (8)

Aaron James > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/09/2014 at 06:28

Why is it still ok to call people rednecks when virtually all other Slurs are frowned upon? Why must the slur redneck always be used in every article on this site that mentions NASCAR.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Aaron James
04/09/2014 at 06:35

It's like the thing with "slope" the other week in Top Gear. I never knew it was a slur. I do not believe "redneck" is thought to be such a harsh slur in Europe, since everyone knows about it through mass media, the term is stuffed in films, music, you name it. Note the inverted commas I was using.

Aaron James > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/09/2014 at 06:45

I had no idea about the "slope" reference until I started reading about it either. I think your right as far as redneck goes. It's used more and more often over here in the US as a derogatory term, of course not everyone will agree with me and maybe it's not as bad as I think. I appreciate the response, it's obvious you didn't mean it in that sense.

t_s > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/09/2014 at 07:15

I want to see A-list Nascar drivers in their cars on European circuits. Imagine the full Sprint Cup field barelling through Eau Rouge on Lap 1, or negotiating the Acque Minerali at Monza.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > t_s
04/09/2014 at 07:16

[watch this space]

...

Monaco?

Suuuubaru > Aaron James
04/13/2014 at 21:14

I can't explain why, but somehow backwoods-y type people sort of embrace the term as descriptive rather than derrogatory. Heck, I live in New York state, which is quite a long way from the South, and in the rural areas people still have "redneck" stickers proudly plastered on the back window of their trucks.

simon_C > t_s
04/14/2014 at 08:51

I might actually be inclined to watch that. Like American V8 supercars, just wayyyy lower tech.

Bricks > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/14/2014 at 09:14

all the rednecks I know take pride in the redness of thier neck