The NASCAR GP Czech Republic roared to life on Thursday with an unforgettable moment for local hero Martin Doubek and an unexpected guest of honor. Doubek, the reigning NASCAR Euro Series OPEN champion from Litomysl, took Czech President Petr Pavel for the ride of a lifetime in a two-seater NASCAR stock car provided to Hendriks Motorsport by TEAM FJ, the founder, owner and organizer of NASCAR in Europe.

What began as high-speed taxi laps quickly turned into history, as the head of state climbed behind the wheel himself. With Doubek riding in the passenger seat, President Pavel drove laps around Autodrom Most in a full-spec EuroNASCAR machine – marking a rare and spectacular moment where a country’s leader not only waved the flag for motorsport, but also took on the challenge of the track himself.

“For me it was a unique experience. I have tried a number of cars but this is really a full-blown beast,” said President Pavel. “Of course we tried not to damage the car but also to get some experience. It was the first time in this car, first time on this circuit, so we had to be careful!”

For Doubek, it was an equally unforgettable day. “It was the first time I met our President. It was a really nice feeling to have him here. We drove many laps. I drove the car, then we made a driver change. The President wanted to try the car as well.”

The rain made the experience even more dramatic. “When we headed out to the track, it started raining,” said the Hendriks Motorsport driver. “We did one lap. I told him that we have to stop. He told me: ‘I think we still have grip.’ So we did another ten laps in the rain, on the wet track with slick tires.”

Doubek came away impressed by the President’s skill. “He did a really good job. No mistakes. I think that he was really good and he can be a really good driver as well, and maybe next time he will drive with us.”

President Pavel will also pay an official visit to the NASCAR GP Czech Republic on Sunday and he has been offered to serve as Grand Marshal to deliver the most famous words in motorsports and ignite more than 20 roaring V8 engines and over 8,000 horsepower combined.

NASCAR Euro Series PR