NASCAR Euro Series – The Overview

Credits: NASCAR Euro Series / Arno van Heijster

The basic information that you need to know about the NASCAR Euro Series, the premier stock car racing series in Europe.

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, founded in 2008 as the Racecar Euro Series and officially integrated into the NASCAR family in 2012, has earned recognition by motorsport fans for bringing the spectacle and excitement of American stock car racing to Europe.

The series has established itself as one of the fastest growing racing series in the world thanks to the commitment and hard work done by the crew at Team FJ and NASCAR.

The 2024 season is made up of 26 races, equally split between the EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR 2 divisions. Seven (7) circuits hosted an event this year: Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Autodromo Vallelunga, Brands Hatch, Raceway Venray, Autodrom Most, Motorsport Arena Oschersleben and Circuit Zolder.

The NASCAR Euro machines provide pure racing action and thrilling bumper-to-bumper, side-by-side battles as well as lots of great American-inspired festivals for the fans and family.

In pure NASCAR tradition, race fans can get themselves a closer look at the action with free access to cars, teams, and drivers, grid-walks and pit-walks, meet and greet with drivers, and autograph sessions for the spectators.

Credits: NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese

THE DRIVERS AND TEAMS

With more than 70 drivers from 20+ countries competing across all classes, the NASCAR Euro Series features the most diverse cast of drivers in any category of stock car racing.

The series has attracted drivers from all over the world with names such as series champions Ander Vilariño, Anthony Kumpen, Loris Hezemans, Alon DayGianmarco Ercoli and Vittorio Ghirelli becoming household names through EuroNASCAR.

Plenty of talented youngsters such as Liam Hezemans, Ulysse Delsaux and Paul Jouffreau are now looking to become the next driver to win the series’ biggest prize: The EuroNASCAR PRO championship.

Legendary names such as 1997 Formula One World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte and sports car legend Marc Goossens have also experienced successful campaigns in the EuroNASCAR.

For more information on the drivers and teams that are competing this season, see here.

Credits: NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese

THE FORMAT

The NASCAR Euro Series weekend format is designed to bring the excitement of pure racing to the fans. In between the races, there are many activities that the fans can participate. EuroNASCAR guarantees that there’s something for everyone to enjoy in its race meetings.

Featuring four (4) races in two (2) days, an unique sprint format and special rules that aren’t seen in any other NASCAR championships, the race format will give fans the opportunity to enjoy the ultimate racing experience.

For more information on the current format used in the series, see here.

Credits: NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese (top & bottom left) & Nina Weinbrenner (top & bottom right)

THE CARS

The NASCAR Euro Series cars are designed to give its drivers the ultimate challenge. With 400 bhp of pure power and handling with no electronic aids, the cars will give the drivers the full experience of a NASCAR stock car, bringing in the Pure Racing action from race-to-race.

Team FJ, as series organizers, provides the same car for all drivers with the same parts on every machine. All major components are sealed to ensure there’s 100% parity between each and every car that competes in EuroNASCAR.

For more information for the current generation EuroNASCAR stock cars, see here.

Credits: NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

NASCAR Euro Series has numerous championships and Trophies that are contested over the course of a season. The series features two primary championships, based on its two main divisions: EuroNASCAR PRO and EuroNASCAR OPEN.

The EuroNASCAR PRO class is for the experienced and “Pro” drivers, while EuroNASCAR OPEN are intended for the young and “Am” drivers. Each division also has their own Trophies (or sub-championships) that are contested and teams also fight for the Endurance Teams Championship.

There’s also another class that NASCAR Euro Series currently recognizes: EuroNASCAR Rookie Challenge. The EuroNASCAR Rookie Challenge class is specifically designed for two driver categories: Young drivers who want to discover more about EuroNASCAR and gentleman drivers who want to have fun in a friendly atmosphere without the pressure of having to race together with rivals on-track.

For more information on the championships that the series contests currently, see here.

Information are provided from the official 2019 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Digital Presentation, the official 2020 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Digital Presentation, the official 2021 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Digital Presentation, the official 2024 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Digital Presentation, and MOOG EU’s NASCAR® EXPLAINED.

Disclaimer: Credits for all photos are listed underneath each image.

Last Updated: 25 November 2024

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