Le Mans Finals - ELITE 2 Sunday Race
Dumarey Clinches Title
Gabriele Gardel Wins In Debut, Dumarey Controls And Triumphs
The 2014 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season closed with an extactic Maxime Dumarey (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) celebrating his ELITE 2 Division Champion thanks to a cautious performance in a race that he ended in fifth place and was made difficult by the heavy rain falling on the Circuit Bugatti in Le Mans. First to take the checkered flag was his debutant teammate Gabriele Gardel (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), who got his maiden win in what was just his second NASCAR outing. It was a real triumph for the PK Carsport team. The belgian squad won the ELITE 1 Division Championship with Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), the ELITE 2 Division Championship with Dumarey and consequently the Team Championship with the #24 Chevrolet SS.
Picture - Credits: NASCAR Whelen Euro Series / Stephane Azemard
“I am very happy for the championship an to win it in my first year in a NASCAR series makes it even more special. I want to thank everybody in my team, my crew chief, the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series organization and all the sponsors,” said Dumarey. “My race was good enough to win the title. I made some mistake but in the end the most important thing was to win the championship.”
The other title contender, 16-year-old Thomas Ferrando (#22 Overdrive Chevrolet Camaro) was forced on lap 4 to an unscheduled pit stop due to a problem with the right rear tire that ended his championship hopes.
Denis Dupont (#32 RCP - Marc VDS Toyota Camry) led the early stages of the race thanks to a good start from the pole and was closely followed like a shadow by Gardel.
A restart after a safety car period – necessary to remove from the gravel the car of Ulysse Delsaux (#10 RDV Compétition - McDonald's Chevrolet SS) – decided the outcome of the ELITE 2 Sunday Race when Gardel went to the lead at the end of the front stretch. The Swiss immediately built himself a good margin, taking the checkered flag with 3 seconds on Philipp Lietz (#86 TB Renauer Motorsport Ford Mustang), who was second after an eventful last lap.
Dupont begun the final lap in second position, ahead of Saturday’s winner Denis Dupont, Gianmarco Ercoli (#31 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and Lietz, with which he battled all race long, but entering the Chemin au Beufs chicane, Rousseau tangled with Dupont, as did Ercoli. Lietz took advantage of the situation to climb to second, while the Dupont managed to finish third anyway. Following the contacts, Rousseau and Ercoli were penalized with a 30-seconds addition to their race times that relegated them to the 14th and 16th place.
Thanks to a positive fourth place in the race, Marçal Melo (#82 Brazil Team Chevrolet SS) won the Gentleman Trophy. Dumarey was fifth and clinched the ELITE 2 Division title, while Nathalie Maillet (#46 RCP - Marc VDS Toyota Camry) was the best Lady in the Sunday Race. Erika Monforte (#88 Euro Kart Racing Team Chevrolet Camaro) finished just behind her and brought to Italy the 2014 Lady Cup.
Joaquin Gabarron (#12 Still Racing Chevrolet Camaro) – who returned to Series in Le Mans – Simone Laureti (#51 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and Eric Quintal (#2 TFT-Banco Santander Chevrolet SS) completed the top-10.
After ending up 17th, Leonard Vernet (#7 TFT-Red Line Chevrolet SS) could finally celebrate his success in the 2014 Legend Trophy. Didier Bec (#8 RDV Compétition Ford Mustang) won the classification rewarding drivers aged 50 or more in Le Mans with the 15th place under the checkered flag.
Champions and Trophy winners will be honored on December 13 in Charlotte, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame / Charlotte Convention Center, in the contest of the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards.