2023 NWES season – All French driver line-up for RDV Competition

French powerhouse RDV Competition will once again feature an all-French driver line-up for the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season. RDV Competition veteran Frederic Gabillon will return to EuroNASCAR PRO to compete for victories in Europe’s premier NASCAR championship. New to the team is youngster Paul Jouffreau, who will race for the EuroNASCAR 2 title after making his competitive auto racing debut in the 2022 NWES season. Both French drivers will be looking to leave their mark on the championship and bring the blue-white-red flag back to the podium on the #3 car.

Frederic Gabillon has been competing in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series since 2013 and knows every detail of the championship like the back of his hand. Having finished second in the championship thrice in his career – in 2013, 2016 and 2018 – the Frenchman hopes to bounce back and be a title contender this season. Having considered retiring from racing on several occasions, Gabillon cannot stay away from the adrenaline and pure racing of EuroNASCAR and his goal is clear: to return to Victory Lane and add a 13th victory to his resume.

“I want to be back at the front and fight for podiums,” said Gabillon, who will turn 47 on March 30. The native of Trappes, who lives in Uzes, continued: “I love the old school car with no electronic aids because it’s so much fun to drive and we have amazing battles on track in the championship. I’m really looking forward to getting back on the track and trying to take the #3 car back to the front where it belongs.”

Racing since the mid-90s, Gabillon, who produces his own olive oil in his spare time, has raced in many different series from Touring to GT cars. His daily job is to teach aspiring drivers how to drive GT cars, so he will surely be a great role model for one of the promising talents on the grid: Paul Jouffreau. The 19-year-old made his EuroNASCAR 2 debut in the 2022 NWES season and stormed into the top-5 twice in his first year, including Vallelunga where he scored his maiden podium finish.

The Blaye native said: “Every racer wants to win and that’s my goal. I’m preparing myself physically and mentally to be 100 percent. The team is already working very hard on the car to make it as competitive as possible. My expectations are high. I love everything about EuroNASCAR: the powerful V8 engine, the amazing sound and the high cornering speeds. The atmosphere during a race weekend is just incredible and the battles on the track are amazing.”

Jouffreau, who started karting in 2016, took his first steps in auto racing through EuroNASCAR’s Club Challenge in 2021 before moving on to EuroNASCAR 2 for his competitive auto racing debut in 2022. The French student will work hard to improve his skills and speed. Consistency, staying focused and preparing every move during races are his main strengths, said the 19-year-old video game enthusiast and piano player. Coming from a racing family – his grandfather competed in rallying in the 70s and 80s – Jouffreau was infected with the racing virus during his childhood. Now he is trying to follow in the footsteps of his idols Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton and build a professional racing career.

“I am delighted that RDV Competition will be back in the NWES in 2023. It’s not for nothing that we have been competing in this championship for over twelve years now. It was in 2010 and at home in Le Mans that we tested this incredible car for the first time,” said team principal Franck Violas. “This season, we will do everything we can to stay at the top of both championships. To do this, we are committing Frederic to EuroNASCAR PRO. He is an extremely talented driver with incredible experience. Experience that will benefit our newcomer Paul, who will share the #3 car with Frederic. Paul is a very young and promising driver who already has a solid level of performance and I’m sure he will quickly exploit all the potential and experience of our team.”

The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season will traditionally kick off on May 6-7 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. All qualifying and race sessions will be streamed live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and various TV services around the world. RDV Competition will return to the series and put the Tricolour back on the podium at six of the best tracks in Europe.