The series can be traced to 2011, when rumors of a low-cost "Super Cup" championship circulated in the Brazilian racing scene. When Super Cup failed to materialize, a successor series named Sprint Race was founded on January 18, 2012 by Thiago Marques — a former competitor in the Stock Car Pro Series and the younger brother of former Formula One driver Tarso Marques. Sprint Race was designed as an entry-level competition to help beginner drivers transition toward Brazil's higher racing categories.
The inaugural 2012 season attracted 25 drivers and featured 18 races across 9 rounds, with the series opener held at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The driver pairing of Guilherme Sperafico and Fabio Brecailo were credited as the inaugural race winners, while Gustavo Martins was crowned the first champion after four race victories.
The 2013 season ran across 8 rounds and saw Gaetano di Mauro and Guilherme Salas take the title with five wins. In 2014 the competition split into Pro and GP classes with separate championship titles, though both classes continued racing together on track. Flávio Lisboa became the overall champion in the Pro class while Adriano Amaral became the first GP class champion.
In 2018, Sprint Race held its first races outside Brazil, at Uruguay's Autódromo Eduardo Prudêncio Cabrera. A broader international expansion followed in 2019, when the series made its first appearances outside South America at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Sebring International Raceway during a Sprint Race International Cup.
The series rebranded as GT Sprint Race in 2020, introducing a new generation of cars inspired by NASCAR's American series, with composite body styles available in Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang configurations. The GP class was discontinued and replaced by two new divisions: the AM and Pro AM classes. Tire supplier also switched temporarily from Pirelli to Yokohama for that season. Thiago Camilo won the Pro class title in 2020, with Weldes Campos and Luiz Arruda becoming inaugural Pro AM and AM class champions respectively.
On November 16, 2022, the series secured an agreement with NASCAR and was rebranded NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, gaining official NASCAR-sanctioned status beginning with the 2023 season. Plans were announced to add oval race tracks to the schedule. In 2025 the organization simplified its branding to the NASCAR Brasil Series, aligning with the naming convention of other NASCAR Regional Series. Notably, the series is one of only two NASCAR-affiliated competitions where Toyota does not participate, the other being the NASCAR Canada Series.
The original Sprint Race car used a peripheral tubular space frame chassis reinforced with aluminum plates, with an unbranded hatchback body based on the Renault Clio. The driver was positioned centrally for weight distribution, and the car used a six-speed sequential gearbox, independent suspension, and Action Power-supplied engines. The initial 2012–2013 configuration used a turbocharged 220-horsepower inline-four sourced from Renault, upgraded to a naturally aspirated 270-horsepower 3.6-litre Chevrolet V6 in 2014.
The 2020 car generation introduced composite NASCAR-styled bodywork and improved aerodynamics claiming a 20% increase in corner speed despite replacing the detached rear wing with an integrated rear spoiler. Updates in 2022 added new safety seats modelled on NASCAR-standard units, a rear stabilizer bar with three settings, and an updated electronic injection unit. The current car produces approximately 300 horsepower and weighs 1,000 kg.
In September 2025 the series revealed the RISE26 — a substantially redesigned car introduced for the 2026 season. Key changes include a three-piece modular carbon fibre chassis replacing the previous fibreglass construction, reducing weight by approximately 80 kilograms to 960 kg. The upgraded NB-26 V6 engine produces 360 horsepower running on 100% ethanol fuel. The car adopts a powershift transmission with paddle controls, uses an enlarged fuel tank, and moves the driver's seat further to the left with no functioning doors — an arrangement mirroring NASCAR Cup Series practice. A new Pirelli compound was also developed specifically for the car.
The series has raced primarily at Brazilian circuits, with its most common venue being the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo. International rounds have been held in Uruguay and, through the 2019 international cup, at North American circuits in Florida. As the series has grown, it has positioned itself as a proving ground for Brazilian drivers seeking to progress through the domestic motorsport ladder toward the Stock Car Pro Series and beyond.