Alon Day scores NASCAR Euro Series win in season opener
Reigning series champion holds off Marc Goossens in late-race battle to collect 11th series win.
Race winner Alon Day
NASCAR Euro Series
If the first race is any indication, Alon Day is ready to compete for a second straight NASCAR Whelen Euro Series championship this season.
Day outdueled Marc Goossens to pick up the win in the first ELITE 1 division race of the season at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.
Day was able to cross the finish line .464 seconds ahead Goossens but Belgian driver later received a 25-second penalty after the race that dropped him to eighth-place in the final standings.
The defending ELITE 1 champion was obviously happy after scoring the hard-fought victory.
“It’s fantastic,” said Day who now becomes the winningest active driver in the series after taking the checkered flag. “The whole CAAL Racing team worked very hard. They all really deserve it.
“It was a very hard race. Goossens was amazingly quick and (challenged me) that was unbelievable. He will start from pole position tomorrow but I hope that I can stay with him. I am just so happy. The team did such a great job, the mechanics, my engineer and my spotter they were all fantastic. We all did it together. It’s all about teamwork.”
Frederic Gabillon finished second in the final standings after the Goossens penalty with two-time champion Anthony Kumpen claimed the last podium spot coming home third.
Stienes Longin was fourth and Stienes Longin was fifth after the penalty shuffled the final results.
Borja Garcia came home sixth while Lucas Lasserre recovered from a spin early in the race to finish seventh while Goossens was credited with eighth with Thomas Ferrando and Salvador Tineo rounding out the top-10.
NASCAR Cup Champion Bobby Labonte qualified 20th in his first race as a full-time competitor and moved up to finish 14th and brought the Spanish fans to their feet during a long side-by-side duel with Alex Segdwick.
Boucenna takes ELITE 2 opener
Wilfried Boucenna won the ELITE 2 division race with Ulysse Delsaux, Florian Venturi, Guillaume Dumarey and Justin Kunz completed the top five.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Jennifer Jo Cobbs finished 17th on the lead lap in her first NWES start.
Round 2 for both divisions will be held on Sunday.
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