NASCAR Euro Series founder Jerome Galpin gives his insight on motorsport’s sustainability and how EuroNASCAR is stepping forward to a more eco-friendly future.
As the effects of global warming and climate change continue to rage on our planet, the topic of “sustainability” and “eco-friendly” becomes more and more unavoidable.
Countless discussions have been held to bring awareness to the issue, and some have taken action to pressure governments and wealthy elites who they deem to have not done a good enough job to minimize its impact.
Organizers of entertainment events, including motorsport, are not exempted from this mounting pressure. Motorsport, for all of its glamour, has gained a reputation for leaving a lot of carbon footprint every year due to the amount of logistics that are needed for its events to take place.
A lot of progress has been made with technologies such as electric powertrains, carbon neutral fuel, and hydrogen engines to help make motorsport greener.
However, current limitations and/or resistance towards new technology – for example, electric powertrain is hated by purists who lamented their lack of sound – meant that there’s still a long way to go before motorsport can fully declare itself as “green”.
As such, championships all around the world are in a race against time to make their series as sustainable as possible with the technologies in hand. NASCAR Euro Series is no exception.
EuroNASCAR’s own race to sustainability was brought up by Investment Reports, courtesy of their interview with series founder and CEO Jerome Galpin.
During the interview, Jerome welcomes the arrival of initiatives that promote sustainability, but he also acknowledges doubts on whether “green racing” is really possible.
“As a motorsport enthusiast, I think it is good to have new initiatives, but entertainment is very personal,” said Jerome. “Everyone has their own way of enjoying racing.”
“The question around green racing is also whether it is truly green. If you are showcasing eco-friendliness but still using a lot of resources for logistics, it may not have the desired impact.”
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With that in mind, Jerome decides to approach sustainability through “simple steps” such as tire set limits and using locally sourced fuels.
The latter part is important to note, as it means that the 2025 EuroNASCAR season does not use fuels provided by VP Racing Fuels.
VP signed a contract with the series to become the official fuel supplier back in 2022, meaning that the deal ended at some point prior to this year.
“We start with simple steps like keeping the scale of our teams reasonable,” Jerome said on what EuroNASCAR has done to achieve sustainability so far.
“We travel with two or three cars per trailer, which means we only need 10-15 semi-trailers for 25 cars. Our cars have no electronics and are made of renewable materials like steel, fiberglass, and zinc.”
“For tires, drivers use only one set of four tires for all races and qualifying during a weekend, which reduces consumption. Additionally, we focus on local solutions, such as sourcing fuel and parts locally, and we work with racetracks on waste recycling.”
Using a more sustainable fuel is at the top of Jerome’s list in increasing sustainability for his series. The Frenchman revealed that EuroNASCAR has been doing work with partners behind the scenes to introduce a greener fuel mix in the near future.
“On biofuels, we have partnered with European Energy to develop e-methanol,” revealed Jerome. “They recently opened the largest e-methanol plant in Denmark, and we aim to start using a blend of e-methanol in EuroNASCAR in the coming weeks or months.”
“What is important is that our cars use standard fuel pump specifications, meaning the e-fuel we are developing will be something that everyday people can use in their own cars in three to five years.”
“Using standard fuel reduces logistics and transportation costs, as we can source it locally, rather than relying on race-specific fuel that must be shipped from far away.”
Jerome also gave his credits to the tracks that had made large steps to become more energy efficient.
“Most tracks are becoming multipurpose facilities,” explains Jerome. “For example, at Vallelunga, there is a mountain bike park that made the facility more energy-efficient and sustainable.”
“Circuit Zolder in Belgium has a large solar panel park and wind turbines at the track, and many tracks are working on water recycling and reusing materials like tires, oil, and liquids.”
“I frequently saw people riding around the track in the evenings. They have added a velodrome, built changing rooms, and at the bottom end of the track, added a pedal drum and other sports features, so the facility can serve a wider range of events.”
Jerome believes that biofuels like e-methanol will be a “good solution” to improve EuroNASCAR’s sustainability. He also understands that other solutions, such as electric powertrain, has had difficulties to be received positively by the general public.
However, he implores motorsport to not contain themselves to just one sustainability approach. Owing to the still developing technology, Jerome hopes that with time, people can figure out which solution is going to be the best.
“There is not just one solution,” states Jerome. “Different motorsports can use different energy sources. It is difficult to say what the right path is today.”
“Biofuels are a good solution because they allow us to maintain the automobile economy, with dealerships and mechanics still servicing cars, while reducing emissions. They will also allow us to keep the same noise and excitement in the races.”
“On the other hand, when we talk about EV vehicles, there are varying opinions on whether it is the right way to go, and the costs of production and recycling are important factors to consider.”
“However, there is not a clear consensus on what the best energy source is right now. I think sustainability is everyone’s responsibility, and we all need to support going green.”
“That is why in the NASCAR Euro Series we focus on making small, strong changes, like recycling components and shortening the supply chain. These actions help, even if we are not yet sure which energy path will be the best for everyone.”
“Some regions, like Europe, may be able to plug in electric cars, but in places like Morocco or South Africa, this might not be feasible yet. We still need more information to know which solution is truly global and sustainable.”
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