On Sunday, February 15th Anthony Kumpen will cash his prize for winning the 2014 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series title by entering the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener at New Smyrna Speedway, located few miles south of Daytona, at the wheel of the number 99 NWES Toyota Camry fielded by 5-time Champion team Bill McAnally Racing.

The Belgian driver will contest his first career NASCAR race in the USA as part of a program that will obviously include a quest for the second consecutive European NASCAR Title, but also some other NASCAR events in the USA during the NWES summer break.

“It’s really exciting, I can’t wait for it! My first NASCAR race in the US will not be easy, for sure, because I need to gain some experience on ovals, but I want to be prepared. That’s why we are trying to log as many miles as we can and learn as much as possible before the race. We are taking it step by step,” said Kumpen. “I want to do it in the best possible way and with Jerome Galpin we are working to see what other races I could do later in the year. The focus will definitely be on being again the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Champion, but when we’re not racing in Europe, I want to do as much as possible in the US”.

After testing at New Smyrna Speedway following his crowning at the NASCAR Night Of Champions Touring Awards ceremony in December 2014, Kumpen continued his preparation for the race with a test on December 30th at Raceway Venray, the half-mile speedway that will make its debut in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series calendar in May.

Bert Longin, Kumpen’s NWES teammate at PK Carsport and sixth in the ELITE 1 Division standings in 2014, will also be at New Smyrna to race in the Late Model Division in the NASCAR Whelen All American Series during the World Series Of Asphalt Stock Car Racing from February 13 to 21.