Michaela Dorcikova returns to EuroNASCAR with a part-time program in the EN PRO division with Bulgarian Team: the Slovak racer will aim at the Challenger Trophy starting from this weekend at Valencia.
Slovak racer Michaela Dorcikova is set to make her return to the increasingly popular NASCAR Whelen Euro Series - the European division of the most famous stock car series in the world - for a part time program in the EN PRO category, with Bulgarian Team. Dorcikova - who is an extremely versatile driver with experience of karting, auto slalom, racetrack, rallycross and rally, as well as endurance team ARC Bratislava's team manager - will return behind the wheel of the powerful EuroNASCAR beast this weekend at Valencia Ricardo Tormo, for the first round of the 2023 season. The season opener will be one of the three race meetings so far included in her deal. The well-known driver makes her return to EuroNASCAR after the 2021 Most race, where she was successful in the Challenger Trophy. Her first appearances in the series, though, date back to 2019, when she entered her first race at Hockenheim, following the Drivers Recruitment Program in December 2018. “Until Hockenheimring, the strongest car I was driving on track was a 125HP Mazda MX-5, so the challenge was huge for me", Michaela explained. "New track, a very fast car and a competitive field. But I love the fact that EuroNASCAR is like a cup race where everyone gets basically the same car. No assists, rear-wheel drive and manual H-pattern shifting sum up to a proper race car. I love the sound, I love the drive.” Dorcikova then scored two podiums in class in 2021 - and planned to return for a one-off in 2022, but a serious rallying accident that left her with a broken spine forced the Slovak talent to postpone her return. She would get back behind the wheel towards the end of the year, competing at the second edition of the FIA Motorsport Games at Le Castellet. Representing her country in the auto slalom discipline, Dorcikova took the silver medal barely two months after her injury. "Last year I planned to do Most again, but due to full-season engagement in rally and an accident a few weeks before the race in Czechia I had to take a longer break from the track and missed half of the season", she explained. "Already back then I knew I will do everything to get on the NWES grid again." "Thanks to MotorSPORTaktiv management, we were able to secure the funding for 2023 partnering with the Austrian companies Orion and KeyMen, which I am incredibly thankful for.” Robert Wagner from MotorSPORTaktiv has in fact helped Michaela to secure the sponsorship deals with Orion and KeyMen, that will allow the fast driver to contest three out of the six rounds on the calendar. In 2023, Michaela will team up with Bulgarian Team, at the wheel of the #90 Toyota Camry in the EN PRO division. The outfit will make its debut in the series with technical support from Academy Motorsport - which also fields the #1 and #5 cars. Dorcikova has already worked with Academy Motorsport, in her 2021 EuroNASCAR outing. “I fully trust Academy Motorsport and as Stefano Bacci is the brother of Alfonso, I am sure the collaboration in the team will work well from the beginning", Michaela continued. "I am excited to kick off the season with the Bulgarian Team. Having new teams in a championship is always a sign of growth, which we can see over the years in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. The thank you also goes to Jerome Galpin, the CEO of the Series, who helped us to team up.” The 2023 season gets underway on 6-7 May at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Dorcikova is joined on the grid by Alina Loibnegger, who steps up from the EN2 division to the EuroNASCAR top class in a Racingfuel Motorsport entry, and Arianna Casoli, as the Italian returns to the series for her eighth season in EN2. The races will be broadcasted live on the series YouTube channel, on Motorsport.tv as well as several broadcasters around the world.
