NASCAR Whelen Euro Adds Second Oval in 2015: Raceway Venray

NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Flickr

The 2015 calender for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series was announced today – with the biggest new addition being a second oval race at Raceway Venray in mid-May. The other major change sees the final round moving from Le Mans on the Bugatti Circuit to Zolder in Belgium, with the Nurburgring date (supporting the Truck Grand Prix) dropped. The series stays at six race weekends, with Valencia, Tours Speedway, Brands Hatch and Autodromo del’Umbria staying put on the schedule. But it’s the addition of a second oval round that will garner the most attention from today’s announcement.

For a NASCAR series, the idea of another oval being added to the schedule must seem about as significant as Brian France adding another stupid gimmick to the Chase. But the Whelen Euro Series, has been held back thus far by one simple problem. For all it has done right, with strong attendance figures and great growth since its startup as a French national series in 2009, the series which brands itself as the first official NASCAR series in Europe has been blighted by an absence of what makes NASCAR so unique – high-speed ovals.

Initially the series took matters into their own hands, overseeing the construction of the Tours Speedway in France, and whilst that circuit has grown into a great little short track in its own right, the clamour has never really gone away amongst European fans for more oval action to complement the frequently excellent road course action that has so far defined the series. And Europe certainly isn’t lacking for great pre-built ovals. The most notable two are Rockingham (UK) and Eurospeedway Lausitz (Germany), both of which are sadly off limits for now for various reasons including length (both are big intermediate tracks) and lack of SAFER barriers. But another long-established oval many have been wondering whether the series will visit has indeed been Venray. And there’s a very good reason for that – and why today’s announcement is so exciting.

Basically, Venray is the closest European answer to Bristol – a 25-degree banked 0.585-mile bullring which lays claim to the title ‘fastest half-mile in Europe’. This is a circuit with a great buzz, where the European Late Model Series and F1/F2 stockcars regularly take part in gladiatorial combat and side-by-side racing is easily achievable. The groove resembles a mix of old Bristol, Iowa and Darlington, particularly in the bumpy rise off each corner frequently sending cars pitching and bouncing. With grids this season in the Whelen Euro Series reaching as high as 25-30 cars, throwing that lot onto such a combustible combat arena is asking for action.

And crucially, the announcement is already generating excitement. The 2,000+ strong supporter group NASCAR Fans UK are reported to already be planning a trip to the inaugural race come May 2015. Fans have already enthusiastically backed the American Speedfest with record attendances, and similarly the Tours Speedway has been well received. And their loyalty has been rewarded. The likes of series CEO Jerome Galpin and NASCAR VP Touring and Regional Series George Silbermann have been instrumental in taking the series from bit-part player to a force to be taken seriously in European motorsport – a scene let’s not forget which has been for the longest time either ignorant or openly derisive of NASCAR racing.

All of this leads to one question – is Rockingham potentially on the cards? As already mentioned, the 1.5 mile Corby quad-oval is currently off-limits to the series. But surely it’s only a matter of time before the likes of Silbermann and co look long and hard at the facility and start making efforts towards getting the series there. Maybe efforts are indeed already being made. The series however is taking exactly the right route for now; refusing to run before it can walk really really well. As ASCAR previously found out, there’s no point going straight for the biggest ovals if the huge grandstands remain mostly empty with tumbleweed blowing through the stalls – that doesn’t exactly look great on TV, nor is it conducive to generating a great atmosphere. And what also killed ASCAR was seeing grids of 15-20 cars sailing around such a vast facility like peas in a washing machine – all far too spaced out for anything meaningful to happen.

But that is for another day. For now, circle the date in the diary – 14th/15th May 2015. Venray hosting the Whelen Euro Series will be anything but boring.