"I had been dreaming of being able to return to racing for months and finally I had the chance to make it happen" – Italian racer Luli Del Castello made a promising return to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series at Autodrom Most, overcoming a challenging race one to finish 16th in race two and claim Lady Trophy honors.
Italian racer Luli Del Castello returned to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for the first time since 2022 as she competed at Autodrom Most. Driving for CAAL Racing in a Chevrolet Camaro, Del Castello made good progress during the event and achieved a best result of 16th in race two.
After getting caught up in an opening lap incident in race one, Luli fought back well and enjoyed close midfield battles to end the weekend on a high by claiming Lady Trophy honours.
Del Castello made a welcome return to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series after last competing in the championship back in 2022. Finishing 12th in the Euro NASCAR 2 standings with two top-10 finishes to her name, Del Castello was consistently competitive and would be looking to once again challenge for finishes in the top half of the field.
Returning to compete with CAAL Racing, the Italian outfit are multiple race winners and therefore Luli was aiming to lean on their experience in order to make a smooth return to the series at a circuit which she competed at two years ago.
The first on-track action for the Italian racer came on Friday with the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series drivers participating in a pair of free practice sessions. In a disrupted opening session, Del Castello set the 18th fastest time in her CAAL Racing machine. Improving her fastest time by almost a second in the second session, Luli improved to 16th position to end a productive first day at Autodrom Most.
Qualifying took place in warm and overcast conditions on Saturday morning with Del Castello searching for a good starting position. It was a session of progress for the CAAL Racing driver who consistent improved her sectors, with her fastest time set on the final lap of the session.
Her quickest effort of a 1:43.404 placed her 18th on Euro NASCAR 2 grid, however Del Castello had found over one second of time improvements from Friday’s running to give her good encouragement.
Lining up on the ninth row of the grid for the rolling start, Del Castello was aiming for a smooth re-introduction to NASCAR Whelen Euro Series competition. The CAAL Racing driver was able to negotiate multiple incidents at the opening turn among the midfield runners and was already challenging for a top-10 position.
Misfortune then struck as contact with a competitor that slowed down suddenly for the Full Course Yellow through the middle sector saw Del Castello making ending in the gravel with damage to her Chevrolet Camaro and this brought an end to her opening race of the weekend.
Looking to bounce back from the disappointment of race one, Del Castello lined up 19th on the grid for race two and was aiming for a clean race to gain experience. A good start for the CAAL Racing driver saw her maintain 19th position after lap one, with a full course yellow period turning into a safety car neutralisation shortly after.
Both Reza Sardeha and Arianna Casoli required recovery from the gravel following an opening lap incident with the race restarting on lap five.
Del Castello negotiated the single-file restart well and she was showing good early pace in an attempt to pass Dominque Schaak. On lap seven, Luli overtook Victor Neumann following an off-track excursion for the Marko Stipp Motorsport driver, while Claudio Remigio Cappelli pitted with damage to his Ford Mustang. A spin for Florian Richard then elevated Del Castello to 16th and she continued to gain confidence with her first racing laps of the weekend.
The CAAL Racing driver was showing competitive speed in sector three especially as she targeted a spot inside the top-15. On lap ten, Del Castello was faster than five competitors ahead and this gave her confidence that she could move forward in the closing stages. Two laps later, she was into 15th position after overtaking fellow Italian racer Simone Giussani with the Double V Racing driver now directly behind.
Giussani was able to fight back and reclaim the position, however damage to the Hendriks Motorsport car of Gil Linster allowed Del Castello to retain a top-15 spot. Both Neumann and Richard were fighting back through the field after their earlier incidents and both drivers were able to pass Del Castello on the penultimate lap.
Taking the checkered flag in 17th position, Del Castello was promoted to 16th following a penalty for Giussani while claiming Lady Trophy honours.
"After two years away from the race tracks, it was a comeback literally with a bang – she joked. "Jokes aside, it was an incredible emotion to return to racing, but the two years hiatus was definitely felt", the Italian continued. "I have never stopped, not even under Covid. Instead, these 22 months away from racing have indeed been a factor last weekend."
It was a promising return to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for Del Castello who showed encouraging pace at Autodrom Most. Despite an unfortunate end to race one, the CAAL Racing driver was able to enjoy close battles within the midfield and challenge for positions within the top-15 overall.
"The weekend was definitely tough, considering that the return was on a track that is difficult for me", Luli explained. "Plus, on Saturday my race lasted half a lap."
"Race 2 was all about surviving but we came out of it unscathed", she recalled. "What I can say is that I had been dreaming of being able to return to racing for months and finally I had the chance to make it happen."
"I am working together with the team, my partner and my family to make sure I can be back on the grid in the next rounds and above all in the next season."
Del Castello is aiming to return to the grid for the final two rounds of the season with Oschersleben the venue for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Playoff opener on the weekend of September 21st/22nd.
Improving her fastest time by almost a second in the second session, Luli improved to 16th position to end a productive first day at geometry dash subzero Autodrom Most.