Motorsport racing events in Nogaro were first organized when racing driver Paul Armagnac and Robert Castagnon founded the Association Sportive Automobile de l'Armagnac. In 1953, the Rallye de l'Armagnac was held on a street circuit using public roads around the town. Public safety concerns following the 1955 Le Mans disaster led to a broad reduction of road racing on public routes across Europe, and plans were drawn up for a dedicated permanent facility.
Construction began in 1959 on a site near Nogaro Airport. The circuit opened on 3 October 1960, becoming the first purpose-built race circuit in France. The inaugural event was the Nogaro Grand Prix for Formula Junior cars, won by Bruno Basini. Initially 1.752 km in length, the circuit was expanded in 1973 and again in 1989 to reach its current length of 3.636 km. A major modernization project was completed in 2007, including a new control tower, a rebuilt pitlane, and a track widening to 12 metres.
The Circuit Paul Armagnac is relatively flat, with only 6 metres of elevation change between its highest and lowest points. The layout is raced clockwise and features two long parallel straights: the start-finish straight named after motorcycle constructor Claude Fior, stretching 0.950 km, and the aerodrome straight, which runs alongside the adjacent Nogaro Aerodrome. The two straights are connected by sequences of slow-speed corners that reward technical precision over raw power.
The venue built a significant portfolio of international and national events across several decades. Formula Two championship rounds were held at Nogaro from 1975 to 1978. The French motorcycle Grand Prix visited the circuit in 1978 and 1982; the 1982 edition was marred by a boycott from major teams and riders over safety concerns, which resulted in Grand Prix motorcycle racing permanently departing the venue at the end of that season.
The circuit hosted the European Touring Car Championship from 1985 to 1988, the BPR Global GT Series in 1995 and 1996, and the Blancpain Sprint Series from 2013 to 2015. International Formula 3000 rounds took place at Nogaro between 1990 and 1993. The FIA GT Championship came to the circuit in 2007 and 2008, and the FIA GT1 World Championship visited in 2012.
French domestic championships have long used Nogaro as a regular venue. The French Formula Three Championship ran at the track from 1964 to 1973 and again from 1980 to 2002. French Formula Renault, Porsche Carrera Cup France, and French Superbike Championship events have all been regular fixtures over the decades.
Current events at the circuit include the FFSA GT Championship Coupes de Pâques de Nogaro held each April, the French Superbike Championship in May, and the Grand Prix Camions de Nogaro in June.
The official circuit lap record stands at 1:20.160, set by Alessandro Zanardi during the 1991 Nogaro Formula 3000 round. The unofficial all-time track record is 1:17.342, set by Franck Lagorce in qualifying for the 1993 Nogaro Formula 3000 round.
Circuit Paul Armagnac occupies an important place in French motorsport history as the country's first purpose-built permanent race circuit. Its longevity as a venue — hosting events continuously since 1960 across formula cars, touring cars, sportscars, and motorcycles — reflects both the organizational strength of its founding association and the versatility of the circuit's layout. The naming of the track after Paul Armagnac ensures that one of the region's most celebrated motorsport figures is permanently commemorated at the venue his initiative helped bring into existence.