By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer
American NASCAR Whelen Euro Series drivers Andre Castro and Julia Landauer plan to push forward with their 2020 season plans.
2020 Plans
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Castro announced that he would be competing for DF1 Racing. During the shutdown, EuroNASCAR turned to iRacing to bridge the gap. Castro leads the points standings in his No. 122 with a 12-point gap over Loris Hezemans.
Meanwhile NASCAR Next alumni Landauer is scheduled to compete for PK Carsport. She participated in the EuroNASCAR recruitment drive in December 2019.
PK Carsport signs NASCAR Next grad Landauer for full NASCAR Euro season
The plans for both drivers were complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. With cases surging in the United States, the European Union issued a travel advisory for Americans. The travel ban does include exemptions. The United Kingdom, which left the E.U. requires travelers to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
“It’s more of a wait and see situation at the moment,” explained Castro. “The E.U. is under a general advisory not to accept US travelers, but each airport in every country is different. You can’t really know whether you’ll be granted or denied entry. So, I’m just waiting it out a bit. I’d like to be there in time to attend a test the first week of August, but the season starts in mid-September, so we have time if we need it.”
“Our first race isn't until mid-September, so the plan is still to compete in the full 2020 EuroNASCAR series for PK Carsport,” added Landauer. “My team and I are going over all of the logistics.”
Hoping for the best
The revised EuroNASCAR schedule will have the New York City, NY natives competing in two races at the Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi in Rome, Italy. Those races are scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13.
Four races are scheduled in October, two at Zolder and two at Hockenheim. Autodrom Most in Czechia is in November with Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain in December.
Both Castro and Landauer were hopeful that they would be able to compete this season.
“The plan now is just to get official documentation from the team and from the series and attempt to fly into possibly Greece and Portugal,” stated Castro. “If not, I don’t really have any backup racing plans.”
“I’m hopeful everything will work out for the EuroNASCAR series,” admitted Landauer.
Stats
For Castro, 2020 marks his second EuroNASCAR season. Last year he earned four podium finishes and one pole award in 11 starts. Prior to his 2019 season, he competed in four USF2000 events. Castro finished two of those races and retired from the others.
The 2020 season marks the first scheduled full-time season for Landauer since 2017. She earned eight top-five and 20 top-10 finishes in 28 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts over the course of two seasons.
Since 2017, Landauer has competed part-time in the Pinty’s Series. In nine series starts she earned one top-10 finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Prior to her NASCAR career, Landauer found success in the Skip Barber Racing Series, where she was the first woman to win the championship. After transitioning to stock cars, she won the Limited Late Model Championship at Motor Mile Speedway.