Cypriot driver Vladimiros Tziortzis took to the grass and the gravel in the second round of a harum-scarum EuroNascar season at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy.

Tziortzis drove off the circuit and onto the grass on the first lap of qualifying on Saturday, saying he had to take avoiding action as a car spun in front of him.

He then finished the race in a lowly 13th place, saying his car could not reach its optimum pace as it had grass in its radiator, negatively impacting the car’s cooling system.

Dropping down to EuroNascar 2, the junior series, he qualified in fourth place.

He then finished in 10th place in the EuroNascar pro series and in fourth place in the EuroNascar 2 race, before finishing in fifth place on Sunday in the second EuroNascar 2 race the following day.

Sunday’s EuroNascar pro race ended in the gravel after Tziortzis went straight on at a corner.

He said: “The steering of the car betrayed me and I felt lucky that I locked the brakes to stop and spun into the gravel.”

Sunday’s trip into the gravel comes after a disastrous season opener in Valencia, in which he crashed twice.

The next EuroNascar weekend will take place in the United Kingdom, at the Brands Hatch circuit.