After Gil Linster, Thomas Krasonis will be the second NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver to compete in the 2023 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida. The Greek will race in the Pro Late Model class and compete in three races, including the 100-lap main event on Friday night. It’s the first time in Krasonis’ career that he will race on an oval short track in the United States of America.
His debut will be on Wednesday night with a 35-lap Pro Late Model race on the 0.5-mile track south of Daytona Beach, where the legendary Daytona 500 will kick off the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series on February 19. Krasonis will run another 35-lap heat race on Thursday before competing in the Pro Late Model main event on Friday, a 100-lap feature against the best short track drivers in the USA.
Krasonis will drive for Jamie Skinner’s team and will take the wheel of the #16 car. “I’ll be racing three times this week and it’ll be my first time on an oval,” said the Greek. “I’m so excited because I’ve waited too long to have a racing experience like this. I have no stress or expectations, I just want to learn and enjoy the moment. Those are the most important things.”
The World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway is one of the crown jewel short track events in the US and brings the action to fans right on the heels of the Great American Race at Daytona International Speedway. “It’s a very important event and a great way to kick off my oval racing career in the US,” said Krasonis, who has been gaining important experience in a V8 beast in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series since 2019.
“This is my transition from European to American racing and I have been racing in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for three years now,” he summarized. “It’s time to add something new and there’s no better way to start than with the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing here at New Smyrna Speedway. I plan to announce my 2023 racing schedule after this event and of course I want to be back in EuroNASCAR for the 2023 season.”
Krasonis returned to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2019 with Alex Caffi Motorsports, scoring a top-10 finish in his sixth career start. After a forced break in 2020 due to the pandemic, the now 21-year-old rejoined the championship in 2021 with Academy / Alex Caffi Motorsports and finished the EuroNASCAR 2 season 13th overall with three more top-10 results. In 2022, the Greek put together a part-time schedule with the Monegasque-Italian team for four of the six events.
The 2023 NWES season kicks off May 6-7 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. It’s the first of six events across Europe at some of the Old Continent’s finest tracks. All qualifying and race sessions will be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and multiple television networks around the world.
