NASCAR GP Spain 2023: Debut for Thomas Krasonis with Marko Stipp Motorsport

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The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series begins this weekend at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, and Thomas Krasonis will start his second season in the EuroNASCAR Pro category, with Marko Stipp Motorsport.

It’s been a long time coming for this return in the racing bucket for Thomas. After a very positive test session in Germany a couple of weeks ago, the Marko Stipp Motorsport driver is ready to tackle the first round of the 2023 season, in Valencia.

It’s a track Thomas knows very well, having raced there previously in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

This will be the second season in the Elite 1 category of the series for Krasonis.

”Testing went well, as we prepared for the new season and learnt some new things on the car,” said Thomas. ”Now, I feel ready to face this new, exciting challenge of driving on the top category of the championship, and score some big points inside the top 10.”

The 4.005 km circuit in the southeast of Spain offers a good mix of slow, tight corners, and more fast kinks that pose a challenge for the drivers, especially when driving these beasts that the NASCAR cars are.

The schedule of the weekend is as follows:

Saturday, May 6
Qualifying: 9:50 CEST
Race 1: 13:30

Sunday, May 7
Race 2: 14:05 CEST

You can watch all the action HERE, and  follow Thomas Krasonis on Facebook and Twitter.

Thomas Krasonis joins Marko Stipp Motorsport to compete in EuroNASCAR PRO

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Marko Stipp Motorsport has filled the first of two cars for the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season with a driver who is a NWES veteran despite his young age: Thomas Krasonis.

The Greek will drive for the German team led by Marko Stipp in EuroNASCAR PRO and fight for a top-10 finish. Coming from Florida, where the youngster from Athens made his oval racing debut at New Smyrna Speedway, the 21-year-old is ready to take the next step in the official European NASCAR series and conquer the top spots together with Marko Stipp Motorsport.

The first-ever Greek in EuroNASCAR plans to improve from race to race and fight for the top spots in the most competitive NASCAR Whelen Euro Series championship. With four top-10 finishes so far in EuroNASCAR 2, Krasonis is preparing to make another improvement at the wheel of a pure V8 beast with 400 hp, H-pattern shifting and no electronic aids. Marko Stipp’s German organization knows how to bring home solid results since 2017. A race win, countless top-10 finishes, and plenty of trophy wins are the team’s foundation.

“I want to be in the top-10 in the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series with Marko Stipp Motorsport and take the next step in my career,” said Krasonis. “I am already looking forward to the race at Brands Hatch, my favorite event on the schedule thanks to the tens of thousands of fans. I’m going to pursue my goals and I think I’m always passionate and committed when it comes to racing. I’m also focused on the important details and always work under pressure.”

A basketball fan, he got his start in racing as a child in karting. He moved on to touring cars before joining the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2019. His father shares his passion for racing as an amateur kart racer, but Thomas Krasonis is the first family member to make a career in racing. When he first sat in a kart at the age of “seven or eight”, he immediately fell in love with racing. His idol is Ayrton Senna.

Recently, Marko Stipp Motorsport also confirmed the return of two-time Club Challenge Champion Gordon Barnes. The British driver will compete for his third consecutive title in the EuroNASCAR regularity test, which includes three 30-minute sessions on Friday at select NWES events. Barnes, who won the title in 2021 and 2022, is tied for the all-time lead with Frenchman Alain Mosqueron, who topped the standings in 2019 and 2020.

“A third title would be amazing,” Barnes stated. “There has been a lot of strong competition the last few years so each title has been hard fought. To get a third would be amazing, especially to do it three in a row. I’ve set a pretty high bar already over the last two years with winning three events in a row, trying to match that is going to be a big challenge.”

The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season kicks off May 6-7 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. All qualifying and race events will be streamed live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and various television services around the world. Keep an eye on Krasonis in the Marko Stipp Motorsport Chevrolet in EuroNASCAR PRO. Will he climb the Mount Olympus of NASCAR racing in Europe?

Photo Credits: NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Bart Dehaese

Thomas Krasonis to race in the US and the NASCAR series from 2023

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Dear friends,

After 12 years of racing in Europe, I’m delighted to announce the next step in my career.

My performance and the results I had after 3 years in the EuroNASCAR series have given me the opportunity to make the next step in my career, crossing the Atlantic Ocean and becoming the first Greek driver to race at the pro category of the USA NASCAR series.

WHELEN EURO SERIES chose me and one more European driver to promote us and give us the chance to compete against the biggest names of the sport for the next few years. From 2023 onward, I will be racing in the US, with the ultimate goal being my participation in the senior category of NASCAR, called NASCAR CUP SERIES. Early November I will be doing my first test in American soil, in Florida, in order to be ready to compete in the first three races in February 2023.

During the first year, I will be competing in specific races in the ARCA and NASCAR TRUCK SERIES, which are sub-divisions of the main NASCAR championship, in order to get familiar with racing in the oval.

I would like to thank once more certain people who I respect and I think have played a massive role in my development as a person and as a driver. First of all, I would like to thank Charis Bourothanasopoulos and Stamatis Katsimis, because they have been by my side and have helped me with their knowledge and expertise in racing, helping me reach the racing level I am at today. Furthermore, I would like to thank Stamatis Lenis and his team, because they have helped my physical condition these years I have been abroad, applying what I learnt from them during our gym sessions.

I would like to also thank Giannis-Marios Papadopoulos and the crew at COSMOTE TV who have helped me since day 1, promoting and showcasing my racing endeavours, starting from 2016.

Finally, I would like to thank all those unspoken supporters and my family who are always by my side and help me from the moment I started this journey.

I am very excited that the effort I put all these years have paid dividents, and I am extremely proud that I am going to be the first representative of the Greek motorsport community in the US.

Thank you for your support and I promise you that I will continue climbing up the ladder until I reach my final destination.

Next stop: Florida.

Interview: Thomas Krasonis’ interview at Autodrom Most (video)

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Enjoy the interview Thomas Krasonis gave before Race 2 at the Czech GP of the 2022 EuroNASCAR season.

Watch what he had to say:

Photo Credits: NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Bart Dehaese

NASCAR GP Spain – Race 2: Top 15 finish with 12 overtakes for Thomas Krasonis

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Thomas Krasonis came back from P26 to finish inside the top 15 on Race 2 of the NASCAR GP Spain in Valencia.

It was a race of attrition and redemption for Thomas Krasonis.

After his comeback in Race 1 on Saturday, Thomas started Sunday’s race from P26, having set the 26th fastest lap time during the first race.

In the 18 laps that followed, the #1 Academy MotorSport driver did all he could and more to climb back in the top 20, and then into the top 15 of the standings.

The two Safety Car periods helped him on his cause, as he battled his way up to P14 at the finish line.

This means he gained 20 positions between the two races at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo during this first NASCAR GP of the season.

The race results are as follows:

Photo Credits: NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Bart Dehaese

Academy Motorsport/Alex Caffi Motorsport announces Lemarie, Krasonis, Monti

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Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport is building towards its sophomore season in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series by announcing the first three drivers of its lineup. Patrick Lemarie will join the team in 2022, Thomas Krasonis will step into the EuroNASCAR PRO championship and Team Owner Federico Monti will enter EuroNASCAR 2 full-time.

After a positive weekend with the team in Zolder last year, in which Lemarie earned his best result of the season with the sixth place in the Saturday race, the Paris-native signed to drive for the Italian-Monegasque organization, bringing his huge experience to the project.

“I needed a new challenge after Zolder last year. I really enjoyed working with Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport, they gave me the opportunity to race this year with them with a very clear goal: win races. I feel like a 20 year old driver and I am expecting a very strong racing year with Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport,” said Lemarie, who returned behind the wheel in NWES in 2020 after a long absence.

Thomas Krasonis will move to the EuroNASCAR PRO championship in 2022. The 20-year-old Greek finished 13th in points in EuroNASCAR 2 with two top-10s last year driving the #2 Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport EuroNASCAR FJ.

”It is really a great opportunity that Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport is giving me. I wish to be as competitive as possible in this new challenge. I feel honored to represent the team at this level. I will work really hard to have a very strong season with important results,” said Krasonis.

With two Club Challenge seasons and several EuroNASCAR PRO starts under his belt, Team Owner Federico Monti will chase the Club Challenge title again in 2022 and also enter the EuroNASCAR 2 championship.

”Preparing for a new season requires an intense commitment, we are defining our programs working together with Alex Caffi who is always willing to share his incredible experience. We are really impatient at this point to announce the complete team and to start our test sessions,” concluded Monti.

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will start on April 9-10 at the iconic Hockenheimring, in Germany. All races will be streamed live on the EuroNASCAR social media profiles – Youtube, Facebook and Twitch – as well as on Motorsport.tv.

Press release from Gian Luca Guiglia – Photo credits: NASCAR Whelen Euro Series

EuroNASCAR Italy – Race 2: A final full of overtakes!

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Thomas Krasonis signs off this year’s EuroNASCAR championship with a solid P10 position at Vallelunga.

Having started from P16 for the second race of the weekend at Autodromo Vallelunga, Thomas had set a clear goal of passing as many cars as possible, to get a good points’ haul and improve his championship position.

And he did just that, right from the start.

He had a much cleaner and tactical race than Saturday, and managed to climb up 4 places by lap 10, sitting in P12.

Around that time, Tobias Dauenhauer did a mistake and went off track, and when he got back on it, he lost a lot of time, allowing Thomas to catch and pass him in a matter of seconds.

Lanza was attacking Thomas for the next couple of laps, pressuring the Greek driver into making a mistake. However, in a twist of irony, Lanza was the one who made an error, meaning Thomas was able to finish P11.

After the race, a penalty from one of the drivers who passed the checkered flag in front of him promoted him onto P10, for a solid top 10 result.

That was the end of a long season in the EuroNASCAR championship, which started on May 15 and finished 5 months later.

Thomas finishes in P13 in the final standings.

Last but not least, congratulations to Martin Dubek for the EuroNASCAR 2 title. Well deserved!

EuroNASCAR Italy – Race 1: P12 on a rollercoaster race for Thomas Krasonis

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Thomas Krasonis got P12 in Race 1 at Autodromo Vallelunga, in an up-and-down 60 km run with lots of overtakes and a Safety Car period.

This year’s EuroNASCAR championship ends at Vallelugna, outside Rome, and the goal was and is the same: a finishing position at the top 10.

Thomas started Race 1 from P16, and what was about to happen for the next 15 laps was an amazing rollercoaster of events.

He climbed up to P15 after the first couple of laps, and after that, he lost some ground battling it out with the other drivers. That meant he lost 3 positions, going back to P18 for the better part of the race.

However, with 5 laps remaining, #56 lost the control of his car, unable to continue, meaning that the Safety Car had to go out and set the pace while the track was cleared of the stationed car.

Thomas took advantage of the situation and got back to P15, just before the SC was deployed.

After it left the track, and with just 2 laps remaining, he managed to grab 3 more positions to finish in P12, securing a +6-finishing position on the results.

In a grid that is so competitive, with everyone trying to get every inch of advantage they can, this result is one to hold on.

Photo Credits: NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Klemen Sofric

NASCAR GP Italy Preview – The grand finale!

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It’s been a long season, and it’s coming to its end at this weekend’s double race at Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi.

After a long EuroNASCAR season, Thomas Krasonis and Academy MotorSport will conclude the 2021 championship at the Vallelunga circuit.

Situated near Rome, the 4,085 km-track is a unique challenge for the big NASCAR cars – especially on the last 5 turns, on the most technical and slow part of the circuit.

Thomas sat down with us to talk about the last race of the season and his championship so far.

How well do you know the Vallelunga circuit?

‘I have raced at Vallelunga in the past, and recently I tested there with my car, so I can say that I know it pretty well. I feel comfortable driving in it.’

How do you evaluate your season so far?

‘I believe I could have a better position in the standings othen than P13, since I have finished in 3 races less than most other drivers. Nevertheless, I am happy that I am at a competitive level, and I gather experience for 2022.’

Finally, what would you like to improve upon after Zolder?

‘I would like to have better pace at Vallelunga, so I can have the chance to get a strong result, since it’s the last race of the season and I want to give it everything. I will approach this race with ease and I will try to be as close to the guys at the front as possible.’

The schedule for the race weekend (Local Italian Time):

Saturday, October 30

Qualifying – 10:25

Race 1 – 16:35

Sunday, October 31

Race 2 – 10:30

EuroNASCAR Belgium – Race 2: Points for Thomas Krasonis at Zolder

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Thomas Krasonis finished once again in the points at Race 2 of the NASCAR GP Belgium.

Thomas Krasonis leaves Circuit Zolder with a double point finishing result.

He started Sunday’s Race 2 from P18 and managed to repeat the feat from Saturday’s Race 1, and climb up the order as he went.

Two Safety Car periods disrupted the flow of the race, but Thomas never lost his focus and continued to push, as all the drivers are fighting towards the end of this exciting campaign.

In 15-lap race, he managed to get 5 positions and finish in P12, securing once again some valuable points to achieve his goal, which is to finish the season in the top 10 of the overall standings.

Next up is the NASCAR GP Italy, the final round of the season, at Autodromo di Vallelunga.

Credits: NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Bart Dehaese