Tied in the Junior Trophy lead: Liam Hezemans and Paul Jouffreau go door-to-door
Liam Hezemans and Paul Jouffreau share the lead in the Junior Trophy after four EuroNASCAR PRO races in the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season. The Dutchman and the Frenchman collected a total of 119 points each and are tied for fourth place in the overall standings, 36 points behind championship leader Vittorio Ghirelli. While Hezemans already visited Victory Lane at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Jouffreau is still looking to secure his first win of the new season.
Hezemans experienced a rollercoaster of emotions in Valencia: In the first race, the Hendriks Motorsport driver dropped back in the order due to a puncture. He struck back with a phenomenal win on Sunday, the second in the Dutchman’s EuroNASCAR PRO career at Circuit Ricardo Tormo. At Autodromo di Vallelunga, Hezemans couldn’t find the best pace in the #50 Toyota Camry but limited the damage by finishing ninth on Saturday and fourth on Sunday, when he also topped the ranks of the special classification for drivers aged 25 and under.
Jouffreau ended up second in the 2024 season opener in Valencia and also collected the four bonus points for the most positions gained in the race. He found a good balance after a tough qualifying session and secured his first Junior Trophy win of the season. In Vallelunga, he added his second class victory by finishing eighth right ahead of Hezemans on Saturday. The two rivals are the only Junior Trophy winners of the 2024 NWES season so far with two class wins each.
Another driver gaining momentum in the Junior Trophy is Marko Stipp Motorsport’s Thomas Krasonis. The Greek pulls double duty in the 2024 season and started well into his campaign. In Valencia, the Athens native brought home two second-place finishes in the special classification, keeping Hezemans and Jouffreau in sight. In Italy, Krasonis confirmed his performance with another third-place finish in the class on Sunday. In the overall standings, the driver of the #46 Chevrolet sits 15 points behind the Junior Trophy leaders Hezemans and Jouffreau.
With scoring a total of three Junior Trophy podiums, 3F Racing’s Ryan Vargas follows in fourth place. The American, who boasts experience in the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series, almost scored his maiden top-10 results of the season in Italy thanks to an eleventh place finish, but also suffered from technical issues in Vallelunga’s fourth round on Sunday. A spark plug wire issue forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop. Therefore Vargas finished a lap down in 23rd. Still, the driver of the #30 Chevrolet is eager to storm into the top-10 and challenge his competitors for the Junior Trophy win.
Jack Davidson follows in fifth in the class’ standings, just five points behind Vargas. The Scotsman had a tough start to the season, but his Lux Motorsport team is climbing a steep learning curve to increase the pace and reliability of the #21 Chevrolet. Thomas Dombrowski is sixth ahead of Julien Rehberg and Max Marzorati who complete the Junior Trophy standings. The 2024 NWES season continues on May 8-9 at the Indy Circuit of Brands Hatch in the UK. Qualifying and all races will be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel and plenty of TV stations from all around the world.