Borja Garcia (#1 Ford Autolix Competition Ford Mustang) overtook pole sitter Ander Vilarino (#2 TFT-Banco Santander Chevrolet SS) with a bold move in the first lap of the Nurburgring 200 ELITE 1 Saturday race and went on to score his first ever NASCAR Whelen Euro Series win in his 9th career start. The Valencia-native sat an impressive pace at the front and maintained a small but solid lead on Vilarino, who despite setting the fastest lap of the race never managed to put enough pressure on the rival and had to settle for second in the three-way battle for the first position that also involved Frederic Gabillon (#12 Still Racing Chevrolet Camaro), third under the checkered flag after 18 laps.
2013 championship runner-up Frederic Gabillon (#12 Still Racing Chevrolet Camaro) found his way to Victory Lane for the first time this season by taking the lead on lap 3 of the ELITE 1 Sunday Race and driving away from his rivals to score his fifth career NASCAR win. He is the sixth different driver to win a NASCAR Whelen Euro Series ELITE 1 race in 2014. The Frenchman took advantage of a contact between Ander Vilarino (#2 TFT-Banco Santander Chevrolet SS) and Borja Garcia (#1 Ford Autolix Competition Ford Mustang) that sent the championship leader spinning into the barriers and ended his race, while Garcia was able to settle for second position. Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) was initially involved in the four-way battle for the lead and ended up on the third step of the podium, scoring important points and retaking the lead in the championship.
A great save in a late restart and a breathtaking sprint to the finish line granted French rookie Thomas Ferrando (#22 Overdrive-Buffalo Chevrolet Camaro) his first career NASCAR win at the end of a memorable ELITE 2 Saturday Race at the Nurburgring. The 16-year old Young Drivers Program member had a bad start from the pole and lost three positions at the first corner, but fought back quickly to take the lead from Salvador Tineo Arroyo (#4 Ford Autolix Competition Ford Mustang) at the chicane with a spectacular pass. On a safety car restart Ferrando received a little nudge under braking at the first corner but made a great sliding save and kept the lead to cross the finish line first, while behind him Tineo Arroyo had the better hand on Maxime Dumarey (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) thanks to a beautiful penultimate lap pass.
Ferrando completed his fantastic weekend with a second consecutive ELITE 2 division win in Sunday Race by outracing a fierce group of fellow rookies in a spectacular and fair battle that delighted the large German crowd. The Frenchman and crossed the finish line ahead of Tineo Arroyo, who won the duel with Dumarey with a splendid last lap pass in the second weekend of his NASCAR career.
The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will be back in action on September 20/21 in Italy, at the Autodromo dell’Umbria di Magione, for the first round of the playoffs.
