The series was conceived by French rally driver Jerome Galpin, who attended a NASCAR race in 2002 and envisioned transplanting the concept to European circuits. His family group, Team FJ, launched what was initially called the Racecar Euro Series in June 2008, announcing that racing would begin the following year under the sanction of the French motorsport federation (FFSA).
The inaugural 2009 season ran across seven circuits in France, with 16 cars entering the first race at Nogaro. In 2010 a race at the Nurburgring earned the series recognition as an FIA International Series. Galpin made contact with NASCAR's Senior Development Business Director, Robert Duvall, in June 2009, beginning a relationship that led to NASCAR officially sanctioning the series from 2012 under an agreement that ran to 2020. On joining, the series changed its name to the Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series.
On 1 July 2013, Whelen Engineering became title sponsor, and the series was renamed the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. This arrangement was extended in December 2017 through 2024. In October 2019, NASCAR and Team FJ announced they would continue operating the series together until at least 2030. The same month, the classes were rebranded: Elite 1 became EuroNASCAR PRO and Elite 2 became EuroNASCAR 2 for 2020.
Euro Series cars are purpose-built for European circuits and are inspired by, but distinct from, their American NASCAR counterparts. They use a 5.7-litre (350 cubic inch) V8 engine producing 450 horsepower, a rear-wheel-drive configuration, and weigh 1,225 kg. Wheelbase is 2,740 mm and length 5,080 mm.
A revised aerodynamic package called the "Next Level" car was introduced in 2016 with a new composite body. In 2021, the series pioneered the adoption of sequential gearboxes as an optional alternative to the four-speed manual, predating the NASCAR Cup Series' introduction of sequential gearboxes with the Next Gen car by one year. Available body styles have included the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, Toyota Camry, EuroNASCAR FJ 2020, and the Shadow DNM8 from the revived Shadow Racing Cars marque. The Dodge Challenger body was retired after Dodge pulled factory support in 2012.
Tyre supply has changed over the years: Michelin served as exclusive supplier from 2009 to 2017, BFGoodrich held the contract in 2018, Continental AG (under the General Tire brand) from 2019 to 2020, and Hoosier from 2021 under a deal extended through 2027. From 2022, VP Racing Fuels N20 Race Fuel, incorporating 20% sustainable materials and compliant with FIA and EU E10 regulations, became the exclusive fuel.
A race weekend runs over three days and encompasses four races — two in EuroNASCAR PRO and two in EuroNASCAR OPEN (the second tier). Practice takes place on Friday, with qualifying and the first pair of races on Saturday and the second pair on Sunday. The series operates multiple sub-championships alongside the main PRO and OPEN titles: a Junior Trophy for drivers aged 25 and under, a Challenger Trophy for amateurs, a Legend Trophy for drivers aged 40 and over, a Rookie Cup, a Lady Cup, and a Teams championship. Champions and standout performers are recognised annually at the NASCAR Home Tracks Champions Awards at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The first series champion under formal NASCAR sanctioning was Ander Vilarino in 2012, who attended the NASCAR Night of Champions Gala, initiating a tradition for subsequent champions.
The NASCAR Euro Series has provided a pathway for European drivers to engage with American-style stock car racing on home soil. Its gradual expansion from a French regional series to a continent-wide competition under official NASCAR sanctioning represents the most sustained effort to establish the NASCAR format in Europe, combining oval-inspired racing philosophy with circuits and cars adapted for European conditions.