Vladimiros Tziortzis: Motorsport is in my blood, I want to develop it in Cyprus to the level it deserves

When Vladimiros Tziortzis first sat in a go-kart at age five, it was in a stadium parking lot in Nicosia. Fast forward two decades, and he’s spraying champagne from the top of a EuroNASCAR podium, making history as the first Cypriot to compete at this level — and eyeing a future in the US NASCAR circuit.

“As soon as I was born, my dad, a former rally and motocross driver, took me to races,” he says. “One day he asked, ‘Do you want a kart of your own?’ That changed everything.”

What followed was years of late nights at Larnaca’s racetrack, practising under floodlights before school the next day. By seven, he was competing, and by eleven, he was representing Cyprus at the International ROK Cup in Italy, going wheel-to-wheel with drivers like a young Mick Schumacher. From Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup weekends to F3 races at Silverstone and Valencia, Tziortzis has fought his way through every level — without the luxury of institutional support.

His 2023 season was his biggest yet: five wins, multiple podiums and a Vice-Champion title in the EN2 category. By the end of 2023, Tziortzis became the first Cypriot to secure the special licences needed to race in the US NASCAR series. In 2024, he joined the top-tier Speedhouse team, piloting the No. 64 Ford Mustang in the EuroNASCAR PRO category.

However, victories come with a steep price tag. “Just to be on the grid costs around €50,000. But to fight at the front, you’re looking at more than double,” he explains. “You need to cover car rentals, engines, tyres, team logistics, and often, drivers have to find sponsors themselves.” Coming from a family where his father is a mechanic and his mother a fitness coach, Tziortzis had to learn the business side of the sport fast. “I had to knock on doors, pitch myself, convince companies that I was worth the investment,” he says.

When COVID-19 forced him out of Formula 3 due to financial constraints, he pivoted to EuroNASCAR, a move that proved to be a turning point. “It started as a Plan B. But it became my best chapter yet,” he notes.

Growing up in a country where motorsport isn’t even recognised by the Olympic Committee, Tziortzis knows what it means to feel invisible. “There was no structure, no funding. But now, things are beginning to shift and I want to be part of that change,” he says. His vision? To move one day into management and open doors for young Cypriots who dream of racing. “Motorsport is in my blood. I want to develop it in Cyprus to the level it deserves,” he states.

As he sets his sights on NASCAR’s Xfinity or Cup Series, Tziortzis is paying attention to where the sport is headed: digital branding, eco-conscious engines and global outreach. “It’s no longer just about results. Presence matters. You have to be marketable, not just fast,” he says. From a borrowed kart in a parking lot to flying flags on international podiums, Vladimiros Tziortzis has become a symbol of what’s possible not just for Cyprus, but anyone who dares to start small and dream big.