After a drive-through penalty and a disqualification in the Valencia season opener, championship favorite Florian Venturi was leading Round 3 in Italy, but had to retire on lap 5, when the Go Fas Racing Chevrolet Camaro came to a stop.
“I had a very good start,” said Venturi. “The car suddenly stopped working and I didn’t understand why,” said the Frenchman. On Sunday the Go Fas Racing driver went from zero to hero. Venturi, who started from the pole by virtue of Saturday’s fastest lap, was able to win ELITE 2 Round 4 in dominant fashion, grabbing his third career victory.
One of the most impressive rookies in the 2019 ELITE 2 Division field, Castro took over the lead after Venturi’s retirement in Franciacorta, but faced the same destiny as the Frenchman. The American was battling against NWES newcomer Lasse Sorensen and managed to open a gap of four seconds, but suddenly his lead shrunk, Sorensen passed him in the penultimate lap and the #24 Camaro limped to pit road.
Exactly as he did in Valencia after a last-lap crash denied him a win in his first NWES race, Castro rebounded with a strong second-place finish on Sunday in Italy.
“We’ve got the same result as we’ve got at Valencia,” said the 20-year-old New-York native.. “My first win is just around the corner and I really want it. If we keep getting on the podium and we get rid of the bad luck, we will be in the championship game.”
Castro and Venturi, who at Brands Hatch got his maiden NWES win in 2018, will enter the June 1-2 NASCAR GP UK sitting respectively 8th and 25th in points and with the clear goal to go to Victory Lane.