Nicolò Rocca (#51 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and Victor Guerin (#82 Brazil Racing Chevrolet SS) won the two exciting NASCAR knockout exhibition races that highlighted the weekend at the Motor Show in Bologna, Italy. The enthusiastic Italian crowd of the Motorsport Arena enjoyed two days of nail-biting knockout races and also cheered MotoGP Pramac Racing driver Danilo Petrucci, who took the wheel of a stock-car for the first time for a show run.

On Saturday Nicolò Rocca defeated Victor Guerin in a hard fought final in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series debut at the Motor Show. The Brazilian had a slightly better start in the first run, but had to surrender to the Italian, that won 2-0. Rocca also posted the fastest lap of the day with an impressive lap in 24.55 seconds. Gianmarco Ercoli (#31 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) was third, followed by Roberto Benedetti (#25 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS). Guillaume Deflandre (#83 NWES Junior Team), Gianluca Quaderno (#68 GDL Racing Ford Mustang) and Maurizio Possumato (#6 GDL Racing Ford Mustang) were eliminated in the quarter finals.

Niccolo Rocca (Photo: Fabio Grandi)

On Sunday it was Guerin’s turn to go to Victory Lane. The Brazilian had the better hand on Ercoli in the final, after defeating Deflandre in the semifinals. Rocca ended up third after a piece of the barriers delimitating the track got stuck under his car and forced him to stop during the semifinal against his teammate Ercoli. He then defeated 16-year-old NWES Drivers Program member Deflandre whose performances quickly improved lap after lap in Bologna. Gian Maria Gabbiani (#31 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS), Edo Varini (#68 GDL Racing Ford Mustang), Maurizio Possumato (#6 GDL Racing Ford Mustang) also participated in the competition.