NASCAR in Europe? – Yes, and They Even Have Cheerleaders

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kent Whitaker, often called 'the Deck Chef,' is a sportswriter, culinary writer, and cookbook author with fourteen titles. He covers NASCAR in Europe, racing in general, Football, barbecue, grilling, and tailgating. You can visit him on "www.thedeckchef.com " or on Facebook at "Kent Whitaker" In case you’re not a die-hard Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series fan you may not know that NASCAR races in Europe! Yep, you read that correctly. NASCAR races across the pond and they’ve been doing so since 2012 with the formation of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. NASCAR in Europe - History The ball started rolling several years before 2012 with the formation of the Racecar Euro-Series which raced under the banner of FJ Group – a race team out of France. Essentially, a race team wanted to try their hand at racing American style stock cars and invited their friends to come along for the ride. Participation grew as new teams started showing up for events. Then, the number of teams grew and competition increased, the fans followed. The series grew to the point that the young American style racing series gained the approved of FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). FIA is a legendary name in motorsports sanctioning and this partnership set the stage for NASCAR to join in on the fun. Joining other NASCAR Countries and Cheerleaders The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series joined Canada and Mexico as countries outside of the United States that had officially NASCAR sanction series in 2012 and things started with a bang… actually with a cheer. One of the trademark looks of the Euro Series is that they love to combine other American themes into their race weekends. You’ll see cheerleaders, NFL style football demonstrations, barbecue, beer tents, driver events, and live concerts. It’s easy to imagine that you’re walking around your local County Fair! Or, you may be reminded of the infield of Daytona or the Parking lots at Bristol Motor Speedway because of all of the NASCAR clothing and flags. As for the cheerleaders, think of them as the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series having their own version of Victory Lane ladies or NASCAR Monster Energy Girls. The connections to the Euro Series and NASCAR in North America even goes further. Now, NASCAR drivers are showing up in Europe to climb behind the wheel of a NASCAR Euro Series car. NASCAR Champion and Other Drivers Crossing the Pond When Team FJ and FIA finalized an agreement with NASCAR because [...]