The Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series British contingent will be hoping that racing on home turf will give them the advantage to get them in to Victory Lane at Brands Hatch’s inaugural American SpeedFest.
One of the three Britons entering the race will be series debutante, four-time Jaguar XJS Champion, Stewart Lyddall, who has been working with driving experience specialists Classic American Muscle in order to get on to the Brands Hatch grid.
“I’ve been following the Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series but I haven’t raced much this year as I thought I’d put it all in one race,” said Lyddall, an instructor at Brands Hatch.
“They sound so great these cars, they’re just brilliant. You go up to the hairpin and change down and the noise reverberates through the car; it’s absolutely brilliant. I felt comfortable right away when I sat it in, they’re just great.
“We’re driving for Scorpus Racing, number 19. It’s been getting top 10 finishes and I’d like to continue that but I’ve not driven this car. I’ll need to familiarise myself with it, but I’m an instructor at Brands Hatch so I won’t need to familiarise myself with the circuit. It’s all about how quickly I can get comfortable in the car and on the slicks but we’re hoping for a top 10.”
Joining Lyddall will be the new British outfit, Gough racing, with ex-Formula Ford racer Stuart Gough and brother Ian both joining Europe’s only NASCAR series.
“It’s going to a massive event on so many fronts and the event itself is going to be amazing,” said Stuart. “It’s going to be really good to race in front of the passionate British crowd, that’s going to be really exciting. I did the first round of the championship and to come to Brands Hatch and race with our team with my brother racing alongside me it’s going to be pretty special.”
The inaugural American SpeedFest takes place this weekend (9 June) at Brands Hatch, with other on-track action including the highly competitive Pickup Truck Racing Championship. On the gate tickets are available for £22, with children under 12 going free.
