David Perisset, Romain Thiévin and Jérôme Galpin, the head of EXOTICS RACING by FJ.
EXOTICS RACING by FJ Creation of a European team to race in NASCAR!
BLOIS, France - Since the Euro-NASCAR was created in 2009, its role is to train European
drivers and those from all over the world to race in NASCAR in the United States. Another crucial
step in this direction has been taken with the creation the Exotics Racing by FJ team based in
Las Vegas whose programme will be devoted to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. The overall level
of competition is very high in it, and the series is the ideal launch pad to the national series for
drivers and teams alike.
EXOTICS RACING by FJ is the result of an association between the owners of Exotics Racing
(supercar driving school), Romain Thiévin and David Perisset (drivers, winner of the 2012 Euro-
NASCAR Teams championship) and Team FJ, creator and organizer of the Euro-Racecar NASCAR
Touring Series run by Jérôme and Anne Galpin. The two parties have bought the Fadden Racing team
and have set up shop in Nevada at the legendary Las Vegas Motorspeedway where the Exotics Racing
circuit and the famous workshops of another American icon, the late Carroll Shelby, are located! Three
Chevrolet Impala SSs (two for ovals and one for road courses) are waiting to take to the track to launch
this exciting adventure. The cars are high-quality vehicles having won many races, in particular the
Toyota All-Star Showdown in Irwindale (California) in 2009 driven by Joey Logano.
“Anne and I have always dreamed of setting up a team like this,’ explains Jérôme Galpin. “It was all part
of our project when we founded the Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series. What we were interested in
was developing a real training ground to enable drivers from Europe, and from all over the world, to
have their first taste of NASCAR in Europe and then orient them towards the USA with the long-term aim
of bringing a European driver to the topmost level. The setting up of Exotics Racing by FJ is a step in
this direction. We met Romain Thiévin and David Perisset through our series as Romain finished second
in 2011 and 2012 and he and David won the Teams’ championship in 2012. We became friends and
when we spoke about this project with them they were ready to take the plunge. What we have in
common is a love of the USA in general and NASCAR in particular, and this association is a logical
follow-on for us as organizers of the Euro-NASCAR, and them as owners of a fantastic circuit and
driving school in Las Vegas.”
Although Exotics Racing by FJ brings its own technical skills it can count on people whose NASCAR
experience needs no introduction. “Since 2009 we’ve been working with Mike Olsen of Fadden Racing,”
continues Galpin. “He’s scored great results and he knows all the aspects of NASCAR inside out (2-time
NASCAR K&N Pro Series Champion, winner of the Toyota All-Star Showdown, driver in NASCAR
Nationwide who has also started a NASCAR Sprint Cup race). We’re going to take advantage of his
technical team to which we’ll add the one from the Team FJ squad. We won’t feel lost in this area as
we’ve created cars that have very similar characteristics. In the same idea to create a training ground,
but this time for our teams, we want to establish an American-European community to give them the
opportunity to discover NASCAR in the United States by creating more interaction between everybody.”
First of all, the season’s programme will be axed around the UNOH Battle At The Beach with Ander
Vilarino as a reward for his 2012 Euro-NASCAR title. This will be followed by four or five races in the
NASCAR K&N Pro Series, which have already been confirmed with Thiévin at the wheel. EXOTICS
RACING by FJ is in discussion with European drivers to race in other events in the series.
EURO
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ULTIMATE RACING 2012
Romain Thiévin is delighted about being involved in the advent of European drivers in the United States,
in particular in NASCAR. “During the NASCAR Sprint Cup prize giving ceremony in Las Vegas Mike
Helton, the NASCAR President, underlined the importance of the three international series (Europe,
Canada and Mexico), and said that he would like one of the drivers in one of these categories to be a
victory contender in the Sprint Cup in the next five to ten years. They’re keeping a close eye on what’s
happening. Exotics Racing is already a partner of Tristan Vautier’s, the reigning Indy Lights Champion,
who will make his IndyCar debut in 2013. We’d like to help European drivers to make a break through
here. Thanks to Jérôme and Anne Galpin’s contacts they were the only ones to know how the pyramid
works and to be trusted by NASCAR to enable us to launch such a project and create a bridge between
Europe and the USA.”
While he is the team’s lead driver he has much bigger ambitions. “I’m nearing the end of my career and
I’ve got no aspirations to be the no. one driver in the team. I’m going to be lucky enough to take part in
some fabulous races, including Sonoma, in a curtain-raiser to the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but it’s more of a
transition to get our team up and running. Our aim is to give a European driver the opportunity to fulfill
this role in the future to showcase our know-how.”
In parallel to the race team EXOTICS RACING by FJ also has two Super Late model cars. Thus, thanks
to the incredible Las Vegas Motorspeedway infrastructures (7 circuits including the Exotics Racing road
course), it’s possible to ask drivers from all over the world to come and find their feet in the Super Late
Models or in Chevrolet Impala SSs in the K&N Pro Series.
ABOUT EXOTICS RACING
Since it was opened in 2009 Exotics Racing has become the biggest supercar driving school in the
world. It is only 20 minutes from the famous Las Vegas Strip and is open seven days a week and gives
more than 35 000 clients the opportunity to drive its 30 supercars on its new 2.3-km circuit specially
designed for this type of activity. Thirteen cars are available, and for the reasonable price of $199 for 5
laps the client can choose from among 13 machines including Ferrari F458 Italias, Lamborghini
Gallardos, Porsche Turbo Ss, McLaren MP4-12Cs, Mercedes-Benz SLS, V10 Audi R8s, Nissan GTRs,
Aston Martins and a couple of the fearsome Lamborghini Aventadors! The clients, who come from all
over the world to drive these incredible cars, are helped by professional monitors who instruct them on
how to drive on the track. All the Exotics Racing driving courses include, technical briefing, a lap to get
to know the circuit in a Porsche Cayenne, laps at the wheel of an exotic car and a diploma. Track
baptisms in drifting, high-speed motoring as a passenger with a professional driver and on-board videos
are also available as options.
- For more informations : www.exoticsracing.com
ABOUT EURO-RACECAR NASCAR TOURING SERIES
Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series was founded in 2008 by TeamFJ, based in Blois (France) and
specialized since 1991 in sports cars and motor sport. It became the Racercar Series in 2009, and the
championship was part of the Racecar Euro Series in 2011 under the FIA’s wing. It has been renamed
Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series in 2012 thanks to a long-term partnership signed with the
NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). The 2013 season is made up of 24 sprint
races in the Open and Elite divisions on six circuits: Nogaro (F), Dijon (F), Brands Hatch (UK), Tours
Speedway (F), Monza (I) and Le Mans (F) plus a 6-hour race counting for the Endurance Challenge at
Motorland Aragon (E). In Team FJ’s aim to offer spectators more sport and more fun, it innovated in 7-8
July 2012 by organizing the first NASCAR Touring Series race on an oval track in Europe. A temporary
600-m circuit was built in the downtown of Tours (Indre et Loire), France) in the Exhibition Centre. The
second event will take place on 6-7 July 2013.
Information : www.racecarseries.com