The Swiss wants to show once again that he can keep up with the front runners
The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season did not go according to plan for Giorgio Maggi, as the Swiss driver repeatedly had to contend with technical problems and was also unlucky. After two difficult weekends in Most in the Czech Republic and Oschersleben in Germany, the NWES finale at Circuit Zolder in Belgium is now on the agenda. Maggi no longer has a say in the overall standings, but in the Junior Trophy for drivers up to 25 years of age in EuroNASCAR PRO, which he won in the 2022 season, he could still make the podium with two strong results.
Despite the problems, Maggi showed his potential time and again and proved that he is one of the fastest drivers in the field of the European NASCAR series. Four top-10 finishes in the regular season do not fully reflect the ability of the racer from Hergiswil. After dropping his two worst results of the regular season, he sits in 15th place and Maggi wants to show again at the Circuit Zolder that he can keep up with the best NASCAR drivers in Europe.
With eighth place most recently at Oschersleben, Maggi once again proved that he can drive to the front with Race Art Technology. Commenting on the EuroNASCAR comeback in Germany he says: “I already know the track from the ADAC Formula Masters and the ADAC GT Masters, but coming to a track like this with a NASCAR car is always like something new. On the curbs here, with a Formula 4 car you knock your spine out every time you exit a corner, but with the NASCAR car you drive over it very relaxed, the car stays stable.”
“It actually started quite well and I got comfortable with the car,” the 25-year-old continues. “In practice we also found a good setup and identified the weak points. The tires are put under a lot of stress on this track. Qualifying started well and I got into a good rhythm, although I was blocked by a rider. As a result, I wasn’t able to drive a perfect lap. After the red flag I had no chance to get the tires up to temperature, so only eleventh place.”
“In the first race I had a good start and was able to make some overtaking maneuvers right away. The track was very slippery, the tires degraded quickly and the lap times went down the drain. Then my brake line burst and I was only a passenger in the last corner. The retirement meant I only finished 19th, which was no fun! The car still felt good and there was a lot more in it, too bad.”
“Things went better again in the second race, but I had to start from midfield. Not much happened because it was difficult to attack. I was always putting pressure on the guy in front, but I was blunt-armed when I pushed for two or three laps. I was waiting for a mistake, but it just didn’t happen. The pace was competitive, but not perfect yet. At Oschersleben, qualifying is hugely important, so unfortunately we made a mistake.”
Maggi praised the “cool event” where there was “a lot going on.” “It was fun,” said the Swiss, who now travels to Zolder fully motivated for a conciliatory season finale. With double points, a big leap forward in the overall standings is still possible and, with a little shooting help, a trophy could even jump out at the end of a difficult season. The races will take place on October 14 and 15 and will be broadcast live on the EuroNASCAR YouTube channel.
