Yann Zimmer’s EuroNASCAR comeback: The Swiss impresses right away!
Yann Zimmer made his EuroNASCAR return at Autodrom Most – The Swiss stepped in for Christoph Lenz at Racingfuel Motorsport at short notice
Fans who have been following the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (NWES) for many years are familiar with Yann Zimmer. The Swiss driver, who also holds a French passport, competed in EuroNASCAR PRO from 2012 to 2014 and scored a total of two victories during that time: in Monza in 2013 and in Valencia in 2014. Then it became quiet around the racing driver, who lived in the USA for a long time, until he celebrated his comeback at the Autodrom Most.
However, Zimmer’s wasn’t really planned, as regular driver Christoph Lenz was actually supposed to take his seat in the #94 Chevrolet Camaro. However, Lenz had to cancel the race in the Czech Republic at short notice due to work commitments, which is why team boss Ferruccio Finkbohner contacted Zimmer, who immediately accepted the offer to drive the car.
The comeback of the former NWES top driver was thus perfect and Zimmer did not need long time to get used to the increased level in the EuroNASCAR PRO championship. Although he only managed 16th place in qualifying, the Swiss driver really showed a brilliant pace in Saturday’s race.
He was running in fourth place for a long time before being overtaken by three-time champion Alon Day. In his first race since 2014, Zimmer immediately finished in a strong fifth place. On Sunday, however, things didn’t go quite as smoothly for Zimmer, which is why he only ended up in 15th place. Still, it was a successful comeback to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series world for the two-time NWES race winner.
“It’s awesome to be back and those cars are a real challenge to drive,” says Zimmer to ‘EuroNASCAR’. “It’s been a long time since I drove a car with shifting gears, but the race track is fantastic. I was here like twelve years ago with a formula car but it’s a real challenge with a NASCAR car. It’s really fun to be here. I also tasted blood and it’s always great to to a full season here if I have the right conditions and the possibility to do it.”
Although Zimmer turned his back on NWES after the 2014 season, the 32-year-old has always remained loyal to NASCAR. He worked for Max Papis at MPI (Max Papis Innovations), a company owned by the former racer that specializes primarily in steering wheels that were also used in the NASCAR cosmos. Accordingly, Zimmer has worked closely in the US with NASCAR superstars such as Jimmie Johnson, William Byron and Ryan Blaney. In addition, he competed in numerous oval races in the US.
Most recently, he returned to Europe in GT racing, competing in the DTM Trophy in a GT4 car and finishing seventh overall. Perhaps the guest start for Racingfuel Motorsport is a spark for further races in Europe’s top NASCAR championship. The Swiss and Frenchman has shown what he is made of and that he can take on the elite of the EuroNASCAR PRO championship.
