NASCAR Euro Series – Claudio Cappelli Clinched Legend Trophy Early with a Dominant Return to Victory Lane
A familiar figure has reclaimed his crown in the Legend Trophy. After his first triumph in the 2024 season, Claudio Cappelli was back on top with a dominant end to his 2026 season. Not only did he take two more class wins to bring his tally up to ten, Cappelli also scored an outright victory when the heavens opened in the Finals. The Italian famous for his beard bested the talented OPEN field in the rain to score his first overall win in two years, allowing the CAAL Racing driver to clinch the Legend Trophy title with a race to spare. Cappelli therefore accomplished a rare feat in the world of NASCAR Euro Series, where titles are usually contested until the last drop of the checkered flag.
Cappelli’s dominant run began with a mighty performance in the NASCAR GP Spain at Valencia. The 51-year old claimed a Trophy sweep at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia and during the first race of the season, he outfoxed the reigning Legend Trophy champion Melvin de Groot to take both the class win and a podium finish in the overall results. De Groot regained the initiative at NASCAR GP France with a Trophy sweep of his own, but from there Cappelli put his foot on the throttle and never looked back.
Cappelli scored consistent top-10 finishes in the next two rounds at the UK and the Czech Republic, while de Groot struggled with incidents and mechanical problems. Cappelli therefore took home four consecutive Legend Trophy wins and entering the Playoffs, the driver from Robecco D’Oglio built a considerable lead of 19 points to his long-time Legend Trophy rival.
The double-points Playoffs showdown started at his home race in Italy, where he was cheered in front of a sold-out crowd at Autodromo di Vallelunga. Two more wins were secured by Cappelli before news broke out that de Groot had to attend family matters during the Finals weekend, preventing the Dutch gentle giant from fighting the Italian in Belgium. Cappelli acknowledged that it was sad to not have his opponent for multiple seasons to contest the overall Trophy honors in the decider, but the show must go on.
The roofer with a passion for roaring V8 engines and metal music only needed two safe finishes to be crowned as the Legend Trophy champion, but he sensed an opportunity when rainfall hit Circuit Zolder during OPEN Final 1. Cappelli made one move after another in the tricky conditions and claimed the lead of the race with a masterful double overtake in the final restart. From there, the Italian danced his #54 Ford Mustang to the Victory Lane, securing enough points to lock his second Legend Trophy title with a race still to go.
A runner-up finish behind Raphael Lessard in the final race confirmed Cappelli’s tenth Legend Trophy win, bringing his season to an incredible end with a new best standings finish. The Italian was fourth overall with 492 points, just two points away from Lessard who finished third. Despite his absence in the Finals, de Groot was able to maintain second place in the Legend Trophy. The Dutchman was 17th overall, three positions ahead of Federico Monti who beat Andre Lortie for the final overall podium by 12 points. Giovanni Faraonio, Michael Bleekemolen, Kenko Miura, Francesco Leogrande and Fabrizio Armetta completed the overall classifications.
Cappelli’s Legend Trophy run in 2026 will be talked about for years to come. NASCAR Euro Series Trophies are renowned for their close battles, door-to-door duels and unpredictable finishes, but Cappelli managed to complete five round sweeps and clinched the crown before the last checkered flag was dropped. Pure dominance is the only way to sum up his campaign and all contenders for the Legend Trophy must remain cautious for the Italian, who will be invited to the NASCAR Awards at Charlotte, North Carolina on 20 November to celebrate his benchmark defining accomplishment.
