HEUSDEN-ZOLDER, Belgium – With a spectacular performance in EuroNASCAR Pro action, Alon Day secured his first win of the season Sunday at the wheel of the No. 24 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro.
The two-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion passed his teammate Stienes Longin with 12 laps to go and went on to grab his first win of the season at Circuit Zolder.
When the checkered flag waved, Day had a 2.656 seconds advantage on Gianmarco Ercoli.
For the Israeli, it was his sixth win at Circuit Zolder in 12 starts – Day boasts an impressive 50 percent winning rate at the Belgian track – and the 21st of his career.
Day is now just one win shy of Ander Vilarino’s all-time series record.
“It was a good one!”, said Day, who left Zolder as the new EuroNASCAR Pro points leader. “It has been a while since I started next to my teammate. I have to thank Stienes for the great race we had. We had so many duels in the past and it’s not taken for granted to have such clean fights in so many years of competition. I really appreciate that. The team did an amazing job and gave me an incredibly fast Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro.”
After having to surrender the lead, Longin tried to fight back, but he was put under pressure by a charging Gianmarco Ercoli.
The Italian, who came from fifth on the grid, passed Longin when the Belgian went off track at the Jacky Ickx chicane on lap 14 and went on to finish second. Ercoli also won the race in the Junior Trophy classification for drivers aged 25 and under.
While Longin dropped down the order to fourth, Belgian racing icon Marc Goossens was a solid third under the checkered flag. It was the second consecutive podium for the new CAAL Racing driver.
Loris Hezemans, who struggled with an injury to his right hand, limited the damage and closed the top five at the wheel of his No. 50 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang.
Thomas Ferrando finished sixth after having a moment with his teammate Goossens during the race. The Frenchman was also second in the Junior Trophy classification, while EuroNASCAR 2 double winner Martin Doubek was seventh and completed the Junior Trophy podium.
Doubek was followed by Francesco Sini at the wheel of the No. 12 Solaris Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro.
Lasse Soerensen entered the race as the points leader and was meant to start from seventh place on the grid but it took his DF1 Racing team all the time allowed to fully repair the No. 66 Camaro after a EuroNASCAR 2 crash.
The Dane had to start from the very back of the grid and once again drove through the field to finish ninth under the checkered flag.
NWES rookie Davide Dallara closed the top 10 and won the Challenger Trophy race edging Dario Caso in twelfth and Mauro Trione in 13th.
Jacques Villeneuve, who started third and was poised to finish on the podium, had issues during the race. On the opening lap, contact with Luigi Ferrara shuffled him back and ultimately his car stopped on lap eight.