EuroNASCAR reacts to COVID-19: New rules for the 2020 season
EuroNASCAR has adopted the regulatory package for the 2020 season – Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic there are important changes
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep the world on hold, but many sports have reacted to the crisis and adapted their events and regulations to the current situation. Before the start of the 2020 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (NWES) season at the Autodromo di Vallelunga in Italy on September 12-13, the organizer Team FJ has also announced changes to the rulebook.
Due to the pandemic, the calendar consists of only five events on four different tracks. Vallelunga will be the first event, after which the NWES will travel to Circuit Zolder in October. In November the race at the Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic will follow. The “Super Speed Week” at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, marks the end of the 2020 season as a double header.
Only at the finals on December 5-6 alone will the drivers receive double points for their placements. In addition, the obligatory elimination from the regular season will be omitted, which is why ten classified races are planned in both the EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR 2 championships.
There are also two possible formats for a weekend. One is the classic three-day event with free practice on Friday, qualifying of both classes on Saturday morning and one race per series on Saturday and Sunday. In the two-day format there is the practice, qualifying and two races of the EuroNASCAR 2 championship on Saturday and the same program in the EuroNASCAR PRO series on Sunday.
Furthermore, the number of mechanics per car will be limited. To reduce the risk of infections, all briefings on the track will be digital. In this way the NWES hopes to avoid large crowds of people. According to the NWES president, the series is constantly in direct contact with the local authorities in order to be able to react to new situations as quickly as possible.
Galpin is relying on the support of the American NASCAR series, which already held races again in the USA in May. The concept of the Americans has proven itself in the past weeks, so that even a limited number of spectators were admitted to the races. In the driver field, there have been two positive COVID-19 tests so far, with Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon missing races.
