NASCAR Brasil Series
 | |
| Category | Stock cars |
|---|---|
| Country | Brazil |
| Region | South America |
| Inaugural season | 2012 |
| Constructors | Chevrolet, Ford |
| Engine suppliers | Action Power |
| Tire suppliers | Pirelli |
| Drivers' champion |
|
| Official website | www |
 Current season | |
The NASCAR Brasil Series (formerly known as Sprint Race, GT Sprint Race and NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race), commonly referred to as NASCAR Brasil or Sprint Race, is a NASCARstock car series based in Brazil.[1] It is one of NASCAR's four international series alongside the NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, and the NASCAR Euro Series and is the only one to be based in South America.
History
Early history
NASCAR Brasil Series' roots can be traced to 2011, when rumors of a Super Cup championship first circulated in the Brazilian racing scene. Super Cup is a category that promised a low cost championship hosted in tracks outside of the traditional Brazilian venues.[2] Super Cup ultimately failed to establish themselves, but on January 18, 2012 a spiritual successor series named Sprint Race was founded by Thiago Marques, a former competitor in the Stock Car Pro Series and the younger brother of ex-Formula One driver Tarso Marques.[3][4] Sprint Race was formed as an entry-level competition series designed to facilitate a beginner driver's transition to the higher racing categories in Brazil.[5]
The inaugural season was held on the same year and a total of 25 drivers entered the 2012 season. It featured a total of 18 races across 9 rounds, with double points being awarded in the final round. The driver pairing of Guilherme Sperafico and Fabio Brecailo were credited as Sprint Race's inaugural race winners on the series' first ever race at Autódromo José Carlos Pace, while Gustavo Martins was crowned as the series' inaugural champion after scoring four race wins.[6]
The 2013 season featured 16 races across 8 rounds and saw the driver pairing of Gaetano di Mauro and Guilherme Salas took the title after winning five races.[7][8] In 2014, the series was split into two classes: Pro and GP class, with titles being awarded separately towards the drivers that scored the most points in their respective classes. Despite this, both classes continued to ran their races together. Flávio Lisboa was crowned as the overall champion in the now-rebranded Pro class, while Adriano Amaral became the first driver to win the title in the GP class.[9]
In the 2018 season, the series hosted their first races outside of Brazil when they hosted a race at Uruguay's Autódromo Eduardo Prudêncio Cabrera. The series returned to Uruguay in 2019 and on the same year, the series made its first races outside of South America as the series hosted the Sprint Race International Cup in tracks such as Homestead–Miami Speedway and Sebring International Raceway.[10]
GT Sprint Race and NASCAR
In 2020, the series rebranded itself into the GT Sprint Race and numerous changes was made to the series. The GP class was discontinued and in its place, two new divisions were formed: The AM and Pro AM classes. A new car generation, inspired from the cars raced in NASCAR, was also introduced and the series switched their tire suppliers from Pirelli to Yokohama.[11]Thiago Camilo was crowned as the overall champion in the Pro class that year, while Weldes Campos and Luiz Arruda were crowned as the inaugural champions of the Pro AM and AM classes respectively.[12]
The series was later rebranded to the NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race on November 16, 2022 after the series signed an agreement with NASCAR to give the series an official NASCAR-sanctioning status starting from the 2023 season.[13][14][15] In 2023, NASCAR intends on adding oval race tracks to the schedule.[15] In 2025, the series was rebranded to the NASCAR Brasil Series, similar to the branding of other NASCAR Regional Series.
Cars
NASCAR Brasil Series' cars featured a peripheral tubular space frame chassis reinforced with aluminum plates. In its original guise, the car used an unbranded hatchback body model based on the Renault Clio. The driver is positioned in the middle of the car for better weight distribution. It uses a six-speed sequential gearbox, independent suspension, and engines supplied by Action Power. For the first two seasons, the cars used a 220 hp, inline-four turbo engines sourced from Renault before it was upgraded to a 270 hp, 3.6 liter V6 engine sourced from Chevrolet in 2014.[5]
A new generation of car was introduced by the series in 2020. The new car featured a brand new body model inspired from the American NASCAR series, with composite body styles based on the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang being available to be chosen for the teams participating; the NASCAR Brasil Series is one of two NASCAR series where Toyota does not participate, the other being the NASCAR Canada Series. The new generation of cars featured an improved aerodynamic package and was claimed to have a 20% increase in corner speed, despite the removal of the detached rear wing in favor of integrated rear spoiler.[11]
The new generation car received several changes in the 2022 season. New racing seats, inspired from the seats used in NASCAR, was introduced to increase driver's protection from head and neck injuries due to lateral movement during crashes. A rear stabilizer bar was added, with drivers being able to choose between three settings: Soft, hard, and off. The engine also received an updated electronic injection unit to improve its acceleration.[10]
NASCAR Brasil Series featured Pirelli as the exclusive tire supplier of the series. Pirelli is the exclusive tire supplier starting from the inaugural season in 2012, with the exception of the 2020 season where the series ran Yokohama tires instead.[11]
Specifications
- Chassis: Tubular space frame with reinforced aluminum plates.
- Engine Discplacement: 2.2 L (2,200 cc) inline-four (2012-2013), 3.6 L (3,600 cc) V6 (2014-present).
- Aspiration:Turbochargedforced induction (2012-2013), naturally aspirated (2014-present).
- Transmission: 6-speed sequential.
- Power: 300 hp[16]
- Weight: 1000 kg[16]
- Height: 1,280 mm[16]
- Length: 4,900 mm[16]
- Wheelbase: 2,800 mm[16]
- Width: 1,940 mm[16]
2026
On 30 September 2025, Nascar Brasil Series revealed an updated version of their car, called the RISE26, to be used from the 2026 season.[17] The key improvement is to the chassis, which is made from carbon fiber rather than fiberglass, reducing the weight of the car by around 80 kilograms (180 lb). The upgraded V6 engine, known as the NB-26, will have an additional 60 hp, and the fuel tank will be increased by 20 L, with 100% ethanol fuel in use. Further improvements include moving the drivers' seat further to the left to assist rescue teams, as the car will no longer have functioning doors, just as in the NASCAR Cup Series. A new Pirelli tire compound has also been made for the series, and there are improvements to the electronics, steering wheel, suspension, and shape of the chassis.[18][19][20]
2026 car specifications
- Chassis: 3-piece modular chassis (front/rear clips + central cell) made of carbon fiber
- Engine: V6 running on 100% ethanol
- Transmission: 6-speed powershift with paddles
- Power: 360 hp
- Weight: 960 kg
Tracks
The following are the tracks which have been used, currently are in use, and/or are scheduled to be used in the NASCAR Brasil Series. Tracks marked in bold are tracks used in the 2026 NASCAR Brasil Series season.
Season schedules
2012
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Champions
Brazilian Championship
| Season | Pro | Pro AM/Challenge | AM | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 |  Gustavo Martins | Not held | ||
| 2013 | Gaetano di MauroGuilherme Salas | |||
| 2014 | Flávio Lisboa | Not held | Adriano Amaral | |
| 2015 | Pietro Rimbano | Fábio Brecailo | ||
| 2016 | Juninho BerlandaEduardo Berlanda | Vinícius Margiota | ||
| 2017 | Juninho Berlanda | Kau MachadoJorge Martelli | ||
| 2018 | Gerson Campos | Cassio Cortes | ||
| 2019 | João RosateBruno Smielevski | Daniel CoutinhoJosimar Jr | ||
| 2020 | Ricardo Sperafico | Alex SeidMarcelo Henriques | Luiz Arruda | Not held |
| 2021 | Júlio CamposLéo Torres | Pedro Aizza | Luis Debes | |
| 2022 | Luciano ZangirolamiSérgio Ramalho | Arthur Gama | Giovani Girotto | |
| 2023 | Júlio CamposLéo Torres | Leonardo ReisRafael Reis | Henry Couto | |
| 2024 | Vitor Genz | Jorge Martelli | Not held | |
| 2025 | Rubens Barrichello | Jorge Martelli | ||
Special Edition
| Season | Pro | ProAM/Challenge | AM | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019[a] | João Rosate Bruno Smielevski | Not held | Daniel Coutinho Dudu Trindade | |
| 2020 | Pedro LopesGabriel Silva | Weldes CamposRicardo Sperafico | Raphael Teixeira | Not held |
| 2021 | Thiago Camilo | Pedro Aizza | Giovani Girotto | |
| 2022 | Thiago CamiloRaphael Teixeira | Diogo Moscato | Giovanni Girotto | |
| 2023 | Vitor GenzRafael Dias | Guilherme BackesGabriel Casagrande | MC Gui | |
| 2024 | Gabriel Casagrande | Victor Andrade | Not held | |
| 2025 | Gabriel Casagrande | Alfredinho Ibiapina | ||
Overall
| Season | Pro | ProAM/Challenge | AM | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | João Rosate Bruno Smielevski | Not held | Daniel Coutinho | |
| 2020 | Thiago Camilo | Weldes Campos | Luiz Arruda | Not held |
| 2021 | Thiago Camilo | Pedro Aizza | Walter Lester | |
| 2022 | Raphael Teixeira | Arthur Gama | Giovani Girotto | |
| 2023 | Léo Torres | Guilherme Backes | Brendon Zonta | |
| 2024 | Gabriel CasagrandeAlex Seid | Victor Andrade | Not held | |
| 2025 | Rubens Barrichello | Jorge Martelli | ||
Teams
| Season | Team Champion | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Full Time Sports | Ford Mustang |
Notes
- ^The 2019 Sprint Race Special Edition had International Cup as official name. The series hosted the championship in Autódromo Eduardo Prudêncio Cabrera, Homestead–Miami Speedway and Sebring International Raceway.
References
- ^Marson, Leonardo (2019-10-24). "Sprint Race anuncia mudanças para a temporada 2020". Racing Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^"Sprint Race: Agora vai!" [Sprint Race: Now it's on!]. curitibaracing.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Curitiba Racing. January 18, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
- ^Justin Nguyen (November 17, 2022). "NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race to debut in 2023". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^Redação (2021-05-13). "GT Sprint Race completa dez anos de história nesta quinta-feira". Racing Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ ab"SPRINT RACE". lexicarbrasil.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). LEXICAR Brasil. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^"TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO 2012". sprintrace.com.br. NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^"TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO 2013". sprintrace.com.br. NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^"Sprint Race Brasil 2013 standings". driverdb.com. DriverDB. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^"TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO 2014". sprintrace.com.br. NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^ ab"GT Sprint Race: conheça todas as inovações da categoria para 2022" [GT Sprint Race: Get to know all the innovations of the category for 2022]. motorsport.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Motorsport.com. March 11, 2022. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ abc"GT Sprint Race e suas novas máquinas em 2020" [GT Sprint Race and its new machines in 2020]. automania.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). AutomaniaNet. April 2, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^"TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO 2020". sprintrace.com.br. NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
- ^grandepremio. "Nascar firma parceria com GT Sprint Race e anuncia criação de categoria no Brasil em 2023". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^Poindexter, Owen (2022-11-17). "NASCAR Heading to South America". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ ab"NASCAR announces launch of NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race". NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ^ abcdef"DADOS TÉCNICOS – Sprint Race" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^"Tarso Marques fala sobre novo carro da NASCAR Brasil: "Evoluir sempre"" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2025-10-02. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^"Novo carro da NASCAR Brasil simboliza evolução e mentalidade de futuro". NASCAR Brazil. 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^Aguiar, Bryan (2025-10-01). "NASCAR Brasil Series Unveils New 2026 Car". The Daily Downforce. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
- ^"Nascar Brasil apresenta modelo inédito para 2026: "Espírito de espetáculo"". CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2025-10-01. Retrieved 2025-10-02.
