Amazing breakthrough: Thomas Krasonis is NASCAR Euro Series PRO race winner
The 2025 NASCAR GP Spain was a weekend Thomas Krasonis will never forget. The breakthrough is twofold for the Greek driver: after winning in OPEN on Saturday, Krasonis became the first Greece competitor to take victory in EuroNASCAR’s top division with an epic performance in PRO Round 02. Starting from pole, the PK Carsport driver made the perfect start and cruised to victory in the 18-lap race. Combined with his podium in PRO Round 01 from Saturday, Krasonis will leave the season opener as the driver to beat in the championship.
“First of all, the basics: Costamare, Dodoni, Alon Day, my trainer, my friends, my family, my team boss, the guys from PK, everybody. Without them, this would not be happening,” an emotional Krasonis said in Victory Lane. “This is not possible without our combined efforts. I don’t have anything to say, it’s been six years in this championship and in 24 hours we scored two wins! We broke every record here this weekend and hopefully with the title in the end, we can break many more!”
Krasonis’ victory also meant that the driver of the #13 Chevrolet Camaro won the Junior Trophy classification for drivers aged 25 and under, showcasing the bright future the Greek has in the sport. PK Carsport got to enjoy a 1-2 result with teammate and reigning PRO champion Vittorio Ghirelli taking the checkered flag in second position. Ghirelli once again found himself stuck behind Yvan Muller in the early stages, but this time the Italian was able to find a way past. However, by the time Ghirelli passed Muller, he was left with a five second deficit to the Greek. Therefore, the 30-year old focused on keeping a steady pace and bringing the #24 Chevrolet Camaro home in one piece.
Paul Jouffreau was hampered by a poor opening lap and engine issues that left the #3 RDV Competition down on power. Despite this, the Frenchman still had enough in his reserves to finish third overall and second in the Junior Trophy. Muller once again delivered a masterclass in defensive driving, but ultimately he came up just short with a fourth place finish. Sebastiaan Bleekemolen completed the top-5 with a positive step forward for Team Bleekemolen. The Dutchman also secured the four bonus points for most positions gained.
Liam Hezemans narrowly beat the so-called “hybrid racer” Garrett Lowe for not only sixth place, but also the final spot in the Junior Trophy podium. Gianmarco Ercoli took the checkered flag in eighth after some dramas in the first FCY period, triggered by Ulysse Delsaux’s retirement from the race. Jack Davidson and Julien Rehberg fought from nose to tail in the battle for ninth, with the Scotsman finishing higher than his German rival on his pink Lux Motorsport machine.
Davit Kajaia won the Challenger Trophy in 14th overall. The Georgian had a late scare in the final lap. The lapped car of Michael Bleekemolen spun in front of Kajaia in the final corner, and the experienced touring car driver narrowly avoided a potentially race ending incident with just a few hundred meters to the finish. Claudio Cappelli pushed his luck a bit too much and received three track limit penalties that dropped him to second in the classification. Max Lanza, also with a track limit penalty, rounded out the Challenger Trophy podium.
In the championship, Thomas Krasonis leads both the overall and Junior Trophy standings for the first time with 75 points to his name. Paul Jouffreau’s podium on Sunday meant that the Frenchman sits only one point behind the Greek in second. Reigning champion Ghirelli starts off his title defense in third, seven points behind his PK Carsport teammate. Muller and Hezemans complete the overall top-5, the latter also rounding out the top-3 in Junior Trophy. Kajaia leads the Challenger Trophy in 11th ahead of Kenko Miura and Cappelli.
The first round of NASCAR Euro Series’ new era has concluded after a weekend full of spectacle, surprise and drama in Spain. The circus will continue on May 17-18 with EuroNASCAR’s return to Autodromo Vallelunga, located close to the Italian capital of Rome. With Italy being the home of many drivers and teams, the fever pitch is going to hit a new high. Make sure you tune in to EuroNASCAR’s social media feeds for the latest updates and don’t forget to watch the races from our official YouTube channel and TV channels all around the world.
