The series traces its roots to 2011, when rumors of a low-cost Super Cup championship circulated in Brazilian racing. When Super Cup failed to establish itself, a successor series called Sprint Race was founded on January 18, 2012, by Thiago Marques, a former competitor in the Stock Car Pro Series and younger brother of ex-Formula One driver Tarso Marques. Sprint Race was designed as an entry-level competition series to help beginner drivers transition toward higher Brazilian racing categories.
The inaugural 2012 season featured 25 drivers, 18 races across 9 rounds, with double points awarded in the final round. The driver pairing of Guilherme Sperafico and Fabio Brecailo won Sprint Race's very first race at Autódromo José Carlos Pace, while Gustavo Martins became the inaugural champion after scoring four race wins. The 2013 season ran 16 races across 8 rounds, with Gaetano di Mauro and Guilherme Salas taking the title after winning five races.
In 2014 the series introduced two classes — Pro and GP — with separate championship titles awarded to the highest scorers in each class, though both classes raced together. Flávio Lisboa won the rebranded Pro class title, while Adriano Amaral became the first GP class champion.
The 2018 season marked the first races held outside Brazil, with a round at Uruguay's Autódromo Eduardo Prudêncio Cabrera. The series returned to Uruguay in 2019 and also staged the Sprint Race International Cup at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Sebring International Raceway, making its first appearances outside South America.
In 2020, the series rebranded as GT Sprint Race and underwent significant changes. The GP class was discontinued and replaced by AM and Pro AM divisions. A new car generation inspired by American NASCAR machinery was introduced, and tire supply shifted from Pirelli to Yokohama. Thiago Camilo won the Pro class championship that year.
On November 16, 2022, the series signed an agreement with NASCAR for official sanctioning status beginning in 2023, becoming the NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race. In 2025 the series was rebranded to the NASCAR Brasil Series, aligning its naming with other NASCAR regional and international series. The 2023 season introduced oval race tracks to the schedule for the first time in the series' history.
The original Sprint Race car used a peripheral tubular space frame chassis reinforced with aluminum plates and featured an unbranded hatchback body model based on the Renault Clio. The driver is positioned in the centre of the car for balanced weight distribution. The car uses a six-speed sequential gearbox and independent suspension. Power came initially from a 220-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder Renault engine, upgraded in 2014 to a 270-horsepower naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V6 sourced from Chevrolet.
The new generation car introduced in 2020 features composite body styles based on the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, with an improved aerodynamic package and a claimed 20% increase in corner speed despite replacing the separate rear wing with an integrated spoiler. The NASCAR Brasil Series is one of two NASCAR international series in which Toyota does not participate, alongside the NASCAR Canada Series. Pirelli serves as the exclusive tire supplier in all seasons except 2020.
On September 30, 2025, the NASCAR Brasil Series unveiled the RISE26, a new car generation for the 2026 season. The chassis shifts from fiberglass to carbon fiber construction, reducing weight by approximately 80 kilograms. The upgraded V6 engine, designated NB-26, produces 360 horsepower — an increase of 60 horsepower over the previous specification — running on 100% ethanol fuel. The fuel tank is enlarged by 20 litres. Other changes include moving the driver's seat further left to assist rescue teams, the removal of functioning doors in line with NASCAR Cup Series practice, new Pirelli tire compounds, improved electronics and steering wheel design, and revisions to suspension geometry and chassis shape. The transmission is a six-speed powershift unit with paddle shifters, and the minimum car weight is 960 kilograms.
The series has recognised champions across its multiple class and format configurations since 2012, with the championship structure evolving from a single overall title through the two-class Pro and GP era to the current format. The Brazil Series champions list reflects the series' evolution from a domestic entry-level circuit to a full NASCAR international championship with both oval and road course events.