The series began in 1982 as the NASCAR Winston Racing Series, organizing weekly local-track racing under the NASCAR banner. Because of restrictions imposed by the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, Winston's sponsorship was replaced by Dodge in 2001, coinciding with Dodge's re-entry to the Cup Series. That arrangement lasted until 2006, after which Whelen Engineering assumed naming rights in 2007 and the series became the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
In 2005 the Weekly Series achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first NASCAR-sanctioned series to establish a permanent presence outside the United States, with tracks in Saint-Eustache, Quebec; Delaware, Ontario; and Wetaskiwin, Alberta electing to participate. For the 2010 season, NASCAR lowered the minimum age requirement for weekly racing from 16 to 14, broadening the talent pipeline.
Advance Auto Parts assumed naming rights on June 10, 2020, giving the series its most recent identity. On February 12, 2026, NASCAR announced that O'Reilly Auto Parts — which had simultaneously become the title sponsor of what had been the NASCAR Xfinity Series — would also sponsor the grassroots division, rebranding it as the NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O'Reilly Auto Parts.
Under the original regional format used from 1982 through 2004, a Competition Performance Index (CPI) determined regional and national champions. The CPI combined four weighted factors: winning percentage (feature wins divided by feature starts), top-five percentage, car counts at each participating track, and total starts. The system rewarded consistency across a full season at a single track rather than cherry-picking events.
A more simplified points structure replaced the CPI in 2005 when the series transitioned to a divisional format. The new system awarded two points per finishing position for up to 25 starters, giving 50 points to the winner. Bonus points were added based on car counts: 20 bonus points when at least 21 cars started, 10 for fields of 15 to 20, and none below 15. The format shifted to a state-based structure in 2007, retaining the same scoring but reducing the winner's bonus to five points. Subsequent rule changes through 2014 further adjusted the maximum field size and bonus structure as the series continued to evolve.
Participating tracks span distances from one-quarter mile to five-eighths of a mile, the majority paved oval circuits with a significant contingent of dirt tracks. Cars eligible for Weekly Series points include Super Late Models, Late Models (both offset and perimeter chassis), pavement Modifieds in both Tour Type and SK configurations, dirt Modifieds and Late Models, street stocks, and super stocks. The precise mix of eligible classes at any track is determined by the individual facility within series guidelines.
The series national championship has been won by a diverse group of short-track specialists. Larry Phillips of Springfield, Missouri, is the most decorated national champion, claiming the title six times across the 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, and (effectively career-spanning) seasons. Philip Morris of Ruckersville, Virginia, is the modern-era equivalent, having won five national titles between 2006 and 2019. Lee Pulliam of Semora, North Carolina, claimed four championships between 2012 and 2017.
More recent champions include Josh Berry of Charlotte, North Carolina (2020), who subsequently moved up through the NASCAR ladder to Cup Series competition, and Layne Riggs of Bahama, North Carolina (2022). Jacob Goede of Carver, Minnesota, won in both 2019 and 2025, while Connor Hall of Hampton, Virginia, claimed back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, demonstrating the series' continuing role as a proving ground for rising talent.
As the base of the NASCAR development ladder, the Weekly Series functions as the entry point where drivers build racecraft at local tracks before progressing toward regional and national touring series. Its long roster of alumni includes drivers who eventually competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series. The series' expansion into Canada demonstrated NASCAR's intent to grow stock car racing beyond its Southeastern American roots, and the age-minimum reduction to 14 in 2010 further widened access to competitive racing for younger drivers throughout North America.