Nascar Racing Heads To Brazil

NASCAR is expanding its global footprint and heading to South America.

Wednesday, NASCAR announced the formation of “NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race” the fourth international series and its first in South America. The series will debut in 2023 as a partnership between NASCAR and the GT Sprint Race series in Brazil.

The new series joins the NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada) and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series as the fourth international series racing under the NASCAR banner. In all in 2023, NASCAR racing will take place in 12 different countries on three continents.

“Brazil is a vibrant country, rich in motorsports culture and community, and the perfect location for our first series in South America,” said Chad Seigler, NASCAR Vice President of International. “NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race will allow us to showcase the exciting side-by-side racing that defines NASCAR while giving Brazilian race fans a series to which they feel connected. It is our hope and intention that this series also opens more pathways for the country’s best drivers, mechanics, and engineers to advance to NASCAR’s national series in the United States, the worldwide pinnacle of stock car racing.”

GT Sprint Race was founded in 2012 by Thiago Marques, a former stock car driver in Brazil. The series’ goal is to balance high levels of competition, performance, and safety. The 2022 GT Sprint Race schedule included 18 sprint races over nine weekends at road courses across Brazil, including Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (Interlagos) in São Paulo. NASCAR said the 2023 schedule will be released at a future date.

“NASCAR is an iconic American sport, and we are honored to join forces to create NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race,” said Carlos Col, General Partner, NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race. “GT Sprint Race has delivered exciting racing to fans since 2012 and this partnership will help take it to the next level with the introduction of more NASCAR-style racing, including future races on oval tracks. This is an historic day for motorsports in Brazil, and one that will benefit race fans across the country.”

Brazil has a strong motorsports culture; Formula 1 began racing at Interlagos in 1972 and has become very popular. NASCAR’s connection comes in part from three Brazilian-born drivers who have competed in NASCAR in the United States – Christian Fittipaldi made 15 Cup Series starts in 2003, Nelson Piquet Jr. started 83 races across NASCAR’s three national series from 2010-16 winning three times, and Miguel Paludo has 81 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Truck Series, including three this past season.