Ben Kennedy leads en route to winning at Tours Speedway in France Saturday in the Euro-Racecar Series, a NASCAR-sanctioned touring series. Photo by Stéphane Azémard / EURO-RACECAR
Ben Kennedy turned a historic first for the Euro-Racecar Series into a historic first for his young racing career.
The 20-year-old Daytona Beach, FL, driver — the great-grandson of NASCAR-founder Bill France Sr. — drove to his first NASCAR victory Saturday afternoon in the Michelin 100 at Tour Speedway in France. It was the first NASCAR-sanctioned oval race in Europe, a monumental step for the European-based touring series in its first year under the NASCAR banner.
“It’s amazing,” said Kennedy, who is in his second full season racing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. “I had everything new to learn coming here: car, circuit, and tires.
“The competition is very tight and the drivers are very skilled, which makes this victory even more special. Euro-Racecar has done a great job. The atmosphere and spirit around this event is tremendous. It really makes me want to return.”
Euro-Racecar, founded in 2008, has run on the road courses at Nogaro in France, Brands Hatch in England and Spa in Belgium already this season, and the temporary course at Tours’ Parc des Expositions was constructed over the last month.
“Today was a true Cinderella story,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president of regional and touring series, who was on hand to witness the event. “The first ever oval race in Europe under a NASCAR banner won by the great grandson of NASCAR’s founder in his first ever NASCAR win.
“And a packed house of enthusiastic French fans went crazy. This was a huge milestone for the Euro Racecar, NASCAR and our efforts to spur stock car racing abroad.
“In true European fashion, they played the national anthem of the winning driver’s country as part of victory lane celebrations and a lot of us got goosebumps.”
The path to victory lane Saturday for Kennedy wasn’t easy.
For starters, wet conditions on the temporary .4-mile oval in Tours — located two hours outside Paris — presented a challenge to all the drivers.
Kennedy was seventh fastest in the 19-car field in Saturday morning’s qualifying.
He was able to drive his way to the front by the halfway point, making a three-wide pass for the lead on Javier Villa (No. 64 Gonneau Racing) and pole sitter Romain Fournillier (No. 11 OverDrive-McDonald’s) on Lap 50.
From there, Kennedy weathered a pair of cautions to secure the win by 1.427 seconds over Dimitri Enjalbert (No. 33 OverDrive).
Still, the ED patients can buy this drug by women & children is considered to illegal that could cause a bad tummy when taken above the limit. Thus, to provide an effective aid to the problem of erection. And more than 50 percent of men who have ED to get and make a harder erection with no struggle and strain related to erection dysfunction. They begin to drink and smoke a lot, which ultimately may have negative impact on their sexual stamina and energy. Romain Thiévin (No. 99 Still Racing-Exotics Racing) finished third, followed by Antoine Lioen (No. 05 Rapido Racing), and Yann Zimmer (No. 18 Scorpus Racing). Fournillier dropped back to sixth, while points leader Ander Vilarino (No. 2 TFT-Banco Santander) finished eighth.
Euro-Racecar’s race weekends are divided into two races for its top (Elite) Division.
As Eric Hélary eyes a transition to NASCAR racing in the United States, he returned to the Euro-Racecar Series Sunday to claim the Evenement 100 and close out the series’ historic race weekend.
Hélary took the lead with 20 laps remaining on the .4-mile temporary oval en route to the victory.
Points leader Ander Vilarino (#2 TFT-Banco Santander) finished second.
Ben Kennedy, who won Saturday’s Michelin 100, was involved in a mid-race accident and finished 14th.
The race weekend marked the first NASCAR-sanctioned oval track events in Europe.
Hélary finished 15th in Saturday’s race under cloudy skies and rain, a disappointing finish for the #14 Still Racing-JDC Finance. Sunny conditions dominated Sunday, though, and Hélary made his way quickly to the front.
After taking second behind Dimitri Enjalbert (#33 OverDrive) on lap 20, Hélary briefly dropped back a spot behind Romain Thievin (#99 Still Racing-Exotics Racing). But he was in perfect position to inherit the lead when Enjalbert and Thievin got together on lap 80.
“When I was testing alone, it was hard to imagine that I could enjoy the race so much,” said Hélary, who is not defending his Euro-Racecar championship this season.
The race finished under a green-white-checkered finish, another first for the series.
Just outside the top three Wilfried Boucenna (#17 Pole Position 81-AIS) won the Junior category by beating Anthony Garbarino (#06 Rapido Racing) and Romain Fournillier (#11 OverDrive-McDonalds), while Stéphane Jaggi (#22 OverDrive) collected the Challenger Trophy.
The Open division Final was raced over a distance of 50 laps, all of which were led by Vincent Gonneau. Simon Escallier (#18 Scorpus Racing) was second and Tanguy Ide (#44 Orhès Competition) finished third.
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