Racing Women’s Nathalie Neumann expressed her desire to join NASCAR Euro Series after a successful outing in the Recruitment Tests at Fontenay.
NASCAR Euro Series welcomed 11 drivers to the second edition of the 2026 NASCAR Recruitment Tests, held at the usual testing venue of Circuits de Vendee in Fontenay-le-Comte, France.
One of the drivers participating is 29-year old Luxembourg driver Nathalie Neumann – no relation to French driver Victor Neumann or German driver Vanessa “Happinessa” Neumann.
Nathalie is a driver currently associated with Racing Women, an organization for female drivers that was managed by motorsport consultant – and long-time advocate for female drivers – Graeme Glew.
While Nathalie’s resume may have looked short, she has had a long career that spanned for over a decade. She began racing in grassroots autocross events, which caught the attention of Racing Women.
Nathalie joined the organization in 2022 and learned the trades of circuit racing. This allowed her to make her proper racing debut in the Radical Cup UK in 2025, racing alongside her fellow Racing Women teammates.
Eager to advance her career further, Nathalie found NASCAR Euro Series as a tantalizing prospect for her future.
The decision to choose NASCAR Euro Series was not a coincidence. One veteran driver of Europe’s top stock car championship had already kept an eye on her rise in the ladder: Gil Linster.
Linster contacted Nathalie and recommended her to join EuroNASCAR’s Recruitment Tests after a series of “targeted discussions” between both parties.
Linster even joined the Recruitment Test himself as one of the coaches, further showcasing his commitment to help Nathalie compete in the international stage.
“The test came about through a combination of targeted discussions with Gil and chasing my dream to prove myself in one of the world’s biggest racing series,” Nathalie said to nascar.eu.
“I learned an incredible amount in just one day, largely thanks to the coaching and support from Gil. I couldn’t let that opportunity pass me by.”
Nathalie had never driven a car like the EuroNASCAR stock cars before, but found herself immediately comfortable with it from her first laps.
“The car was a completely new experience for me,” added Nathalie. “I had never sat in a NASCAR vehicle before, but I felt comfortable immediately.”
“From session to session, I gained more confidence in the machine. My lap times dropped consistently right up to the final run. I could feel the car working and learned to control it better with every lap.”
The test has grown Nathalie’s confidence in being able to secure a seat, but she still needs to find “the right team” to achieve her dream.
“My clear plans for 2026 are to find the right team and fight for a permanent spot on the starting grid,” adds Nathalie. “What makes NASCAR special to me is that it feels like a genuine racing series.”
“The people were honest, transparent, and helpful. I felt welcomed and at home immediately. It is one of the largest racing platforms in the world, and racing there would be a dream realized.”
Should Nathalie join the series in 2026, she’ll become the first Luxembourg female driver to compete since the late Nathalie Maillet, who last competed in 2014.
Maillet is one of the first female drivers to ever take part in EuroNASCAR and, as of the writing of this article, is still the only Luxembourger female driver to race in both EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR OPEN.
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