Semi Finals Preview
IT'S MONEY TIME!
Vilarino And Ercoli Lead Close Points Battle Entering The Playoffs
Daytona Beach, Florida - September 8, 2015 - Twenty-six thundering V8s, for a grand-total of almost 11 000 HP, will roar towards the first corner of the Autodromo dell'Umbria di Magione, Italy on September 12 and 13 for the 2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Semi Finals, the first of the two playoff rounds assigning the EuroNASCAR titles. The standings are tight in both divisions and with double points awarded for each race, everything is still on the line. It’s money time: no mistakes allowed, every position counts!
PHOTO - CREDITS: NASCAR WHELEN EURO SERIES /STEPHANE AZEMARD
In the ELITE 1 Division, Ander Vilarino (#2 TFT-Banco Santander Chevrolet SS) enters the playoffs looking for his third crown in four years, with three wins, a 29-point advantage on Eddie Cheever III (#51 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) and an astonishing average finishing position of 2.5. Both drivers won at Magione in 2014 and with a maximum of 96 points up for grabs for each race, the Spaniard will not have an easy time. A group of five drivers – including Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Ford Mustang), Brands Hatch race winner Romain Iannetta (#7 TFT Chevrolet SS), four time pole-sitter Nicolò Rocca (#56 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS), reigning champion Anthony Kumpen (#24 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS) and Philipp Lietz (#67 GDL Racing Ford Mustang) – follows just 12 points further back, separated by a mere 12 points. 13 drivers are within the 100 points gap from the leader.
Three drivers – separated by just 10 points and all two-time winners this season – lead the ELITE 2 Division, with Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Double T by MRT Nocentini Chevrolet Camaro) edging Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang) and Philipp Lietz. 22 points further back, a trio of Rookies, encompassed in 7 points, holds legitimate title ambitions: Salvador Tineo Arroyo (#51 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS) leads Florian Renauer (#5 Dexwet Renauer Team Ford Mustang) and Stienes Longin (#11 PK Carsport Chevrolet SS), who both won their first NASCAR race during the regular season. Ulysse Delsaux (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Ford Mustang) follows in seventh and a total of 13 drivers sits within 100 points from the lead.
All four 25-laps races from the Autodromo dell'Umbria di Magione will be streamed live on Fanschoice.tv ( http://bit.ly/nweslive ), with live timing available on http://bit.ly/livetimingmagione and live text updates on nascarhometracks.com.
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WHAT THE CONTENDERS SAY
ELITE 1
1- Ander Vilarino (#2 TFT-Banco Santander Chevrolet SS): “It was a good solid regular season. We won more than any other competitor and if we except the bad luck we had in Round 3 at Raceway Venray we were always contending for the win. We haven’t been the fastest in qualifying, but we had less problems than last year, we were consistently fast in the races especially on Sunday and even had some luck at Brands Hatch. You need everything to win the EuroNASCAR Championship. It’s always good to have some advantage, but I will go on the attack as always, giving my best to win and enter the Finals in the best position possible!”
2-Eddie Cheever III (#51 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS): “For sure this year I’ve been racing with a stronger focus on the championship than on the single races. From now on, though, there can be no mistake. I have to bridge a 29-point gap and everything is still very open. Ander is a great champion, but there are other drivers in the mix too and they are all very competitive. I will have my fans to support me in Magione and I want to give them a good result. Let’s hope that our home track brings us some luck as it did last year.”
3-Frederic Gabillon (#3 Tepac RDV Compétition Ford Mustang): “So far for us it has been quite a good season, with five second places and two DNFs. Those are the main problem, because it’s really hard to gain those points back. The championship is really great, with a lot of good drivers battling for the top spots. During the summer break we tested to find more speed in qualifying, which is our main problem at the moment. We need a good weekend at Magione to stay in the title hunt. Only Ander has a little cushion, but as always, the game is on until the checkered flag of the last race and we’re going to play our cards the best way we can.”
4-Romain Iannetta (#7 TFT Chevrolet SS): “We brought home four podiums and one win in the first eight races and I’m definitely happy with it, but we lost a lot of points at Valencia and Tours Speedway. As always, TFT is giving me the best car. I wasn't quick in qualifying and that is my problem right now. I need to work hard on it for the playoffs. I'm confident for Magione and Zolder because I have nothing to lose,I’m 4th in points and for me it’s the same thing to finish fourth or seventh: I want to win this championship. I know I can do it because TFT is a fantastic team, with really fast cars. I’ll do my best. Ander has a good margin and is very fast, but nothing is impossible!”
5-Nicolò Rocca (#56 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS): “This season has definitely been my best one in NASCAR so far. With the team we are working well together, there is a great atmosphere and I found a fantastic feeling with the car. We showed we’re very competitive, but now it is time to prove our form. I think only about winning on our home track. Stay in the title battle until the end is my goal for the playoffs, but to do this, we can’t miss a single chance!”
ELITE 2
1-Gianmarco Ercoli (#9 Double T by MRT Nocentini Chevrolet Camaro): “We were very fast and consistent all year long and it was amazing to win two races, especially on an oval. Now I’m in first position thanks to an eight place that gave me those little extra points and every little advantage will be important in the playoffs. At Magione we will have to be super determined to win and I really hope that our Italian fans will be our advantage on our opponents.”
2-Thomas Ferrando (#37 Knauf Racing Team Ford Mustang): “The season was really good so far for us, with good results, some great podium finishes and two amazing wins for our Knauf Racing Team. The season is not finished yet though, and we have to be focused and get some really good result to be the champions, we have to keep working hard to be on top”.
3-Philipp Lietz (#67 GDL Racing Ford Mustang): “The season so far went very well. We scored solid points with consistency and the whole GDL Racing team works perfectly together. For the Semi Finals I want to push as hard as I can, give my best and than we'll see. Having four clean races and scoring as many points as possible will be the key.”
4-Salvador Tineo Arroyo (#51 CAAL Racing Chevrolet SS): “In the Semi Finals I will definitely try to be in the top-3 because the Autodromo dell'Umbria is a good track for us and we need to figth for the win to contend for the championship, but it will be difficult because the top-5 drivers are very close. I think that the playoffs will be spectacular, with many drivers able to contend for the races and the championship.”
5-Florian Renauer (#5 Dexwet Renauer Team Ford Mustang): “I’m pretty happy with my first regular season in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. We have to improve on ovals, but we’ve been fast both on road courses and in qualifying and we also performed pretty well in ELITE 1. We still have chances for the title and with the double points in the playoffs you can gain a lot and lose a lot, so we have to keep doing well in qualifying and race clever to take advantage of eventual mistakes by the other competitors.”
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Magione American Style Live Streaming on Fanschoice.tv
All the four races from the Autodromo dell'Umbria di Magione Semi Finals will be streamed live on Fanschoice.tv http://bit.ly/nweslive with the following schedule:
Saturday September 12, 12:45 PM CET - ELITE 1 Semi Final 1
Saturday September 12, 5:15 PM CET - ELITE 2 Semi Final 1
Sunday September 13, 10:15 AM CET - ELITE 2 Semi Final 2
Sunday September 13, 2:15 PM CET - ELITE 2 Semi Final 2