Arianna Casoli - the most successful female driver in the history of EuroNASCAR - will return to the series for her ninth season, as she announced her return to French team Speedhouse at the wheel of the #14 Ford Mustang.
Arianna Casoli - the most successful female driver in the history of EuroNASCAR - will return to the series for her ninth season, as she announced her return to French team Speedhouse, where she will pilot the #14 Ford Mustang.
With 91 race starts since 2016, 42 Lady Trophy class race wins and three Legend Trophy wins, 4 Lady Trophy titles and one overall Legend Trophy title, Casoli is one of the most experienced and respected drivers on the grid - and a brilliant ambassador for the series.
Through the years, her friendly and approachable character made the 50-year-old Italian one of the most popular athletes in the paddock.
"The NASCAR format and my team led by Lucas Lasserre are the reasons why I'm back," said Casoli at the Speedhouse announcement. "We have a cool but professional spirit on the team. I want to be respected as a female driver and as a woman!" - she continued. "Since I have been a part of the NASCAR paddock, I have received amazing feedback from my followers. They tell me that I'm an example to them and their children as a role model in an international racing series - both professionally and personally.”
Casoli has in fact been a role model for young girls and an advocate for women in motorsport since she's been climbing the ranks of international competitions, proving that motor racing is not a men's-only sport and that girls and women can achieve their dreams.
"We support Ary's commitment as a female driver competing in a male-dominated championship," said Lucas Lasserre, whose team enters its third year of partnership with Casoli. "Arianna has a wealth of experience in EuroNASCAR and will bring a great atmosphere to the team with her smile."
"Ary is an integral part of the team and an important element for us", he continued. "Our goals are to win our second Legend Trophy title and our fifth Lady Trophy overall. We also want to make progress in the EuroNASCAR 2 overall standings.”
Casoli will in fact return to the EN 2 division, after she finished 16th in the overall drivers' standings with 242 points to her name and having finished in the top-20 in every single race despite a challenging season.
"I had a tough end to the 2023 season as I had problems with my right shoulder", Casoli explained. "I had to work hard to recover in a short amount of time during the off-season. I can't wait to get back behind the wheel of a NASCAR car. Being a part of Speedhouse is more than just racing. Motorsports is passion, it's engineering, it's marketing, it's communication, it's achieving goals."
And, undoubtedly, the determined Reggio Emilia-native will be again aiming to add more silverware to her collection, starting from the season opener at Circuito Ricardo Tormo in Valencia on 13-14 April.
EuroNASCAR Will then visit Vallelunga in May, Brands Hatch - for another highly popular round - in June, before heading to Venray Raceway, Netherlands, for a return to oval racing for the European NASCAR series. In the second half of the season, Most, Oschersleben and Zolder will host the fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds.