Gašper Dernovšek is set to become one of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series drivers. The Slovenian has succeeded in the recruitment program in Fontenay Le Comte in France.
In 2019, Gašper Dernovšek was one of the regulars in the Renault Twingo Cup series, where he showed his talent as he took four podiums and finished in the 4th place overall.
However, for 2020 he hoped for a big breakthrough. That is why he decided to try his luck at Fontenay Le Comte in France in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver’s recruitment program. His only goal was to convince the organisers and secure funding for the upcoming season.
And this trip proved to be the right decision for Dernovšek, who did very well. He even, together with an Italian driver Luigi Ferrara, set the fastest time of his testing day. It comes as no surprise that the organisers were impressed as well and have decided to choose him as one of the new drivers.
Gašper admits, that he really wanted to succeed in this event and he was very nervous because of that.
“I felt relaxed when I arrived at the test. I already prepared a few days before, so it was supposed to go smoothly. However, all day long I was feeling this pain in the stomach and I felt very sick on the meeting before the test. I thought I might be sick, but it was just panic. It has happened to me for the first time in those five years I’ve been racing,” said Dernovšek.
“There was so much at stake. If I succeeded, there was so much to gain. But if I didn’t, it would be a wasted opportunity that I might not ever get again. But when I sat behind the wheel, all the nervousness was gone. I showed the organisers that I’ve got the speed they require. However, one of the key factors behind their decision was my Central-European origin. The organisers are now going to try to give me everything I need and all the knowledge that might prove useful, so I have the easiest start as possible, going into the first season,“ he continued.
Now he has to wait before the next questions are decided, like what team is he going to join and especially in what category. His options are EuroNASCAR Pro, where he could face a former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, EuroNASCAR 2 or EuroNASCAR Club Challenge. But the new season does not begin until the final weekend in April in Valencia, Spain.
title photography: Gašper Dernovšek/Facebook