NASCAR Euro Series announces the list of drivers that will take part in the first 2026 NASCAR Recruitment Test – Pilots from around the world are ready to experience their first taste of the official European NASCAR championship
- The fully booked NASCAR Recruitment Test is scheduled for December 5th at Fontenay
- 10 drivers will take the wheel and due to high demand, additional slots were opened for December 4th
- Next NASCAR Recruitment Test will take place on January 30th, 2026
The NASCAR Euro Series is set for the return of the NASCAR Recruitment Test in its official test track at Circuits de Vendee in Fontenay Le Comte, France! The event is the best way to discover the official European NASCAR championship and for the first date scheduled for December 5th, 2025, all spots were quickly booked by ten drivers who signed up from around the world and with seats in high demand, additional slots were opened for December 4th. The next NASCAR Recruitment Test will be held on January 30th, 2026.
These ten drivers are therefore set to receive their first opportunities with one of Europe’s most spectacular racing series.
Headlining the first Recruitment Test is a very established driver: Beitske Visser from the Netherlands. Visser is renowned for her speed and versatility, having proven her credibilities as a fast talent in both open wheel and sports car racing. The 30-year-old driver, who set the world alight with her achievements in the W Series championship, wants to expand her boundaries and found the NASCAR Euro Series as a suitable destination to try out heading into the 2026 racing season.
Visser’s addition brings a level of prestige to the NASCAR Recruitment Test, but it’s not just established drivers who wanted to try out the 5.7-liter V8 powered cars that made the series world famous. The Recruitment Test is open to drivers from all backgrounds, as demonstrated by the list of drivers who will join Visser in the discovery sessions.
Jens Beeusaert, the young karting star from Belgium, will take his first steps in a racing car with his participation in the NASCAR Recruitment Test. Vinnie Meskelis from the USA carries the experience that he gained in Mazda’s MX-5 series, while Rasmus Pentti from Finland brings his rallying talent to the world of circuit racing with the NASCAR Euro Series.
It’s not just drivers with real racing experience that are accepted; those with sim racing background are welcomed to join as well. Michael Polasek and Matthew Saldago perfectly represent this group of drivers: Polasek and Saldago are talented sim racing drivers and both joined the Recruitment Test to follow the footsteps of fellow American Garrett Lowe. Lowe took part in the 2025 Recruitment Tests in preparation for his first season as a “hybrid racer”.
The list of drivers is completed by Frenchman Sean Canivet, Croatian Duje Ribaric and the Finnish duo of Ossi Pohjanharju and Henri Timonen.
With guidance from the series’ own President and CEO Jerome Galpin, there’s no better person to introduce these drivers to the driving experience and the technical challenges of the cars that are set to hit the track in six of the best European tracks in 2026. The next NASCAR Recruitment Test is scheduled for January 30th, 2026, and will be held again in France at Fontenay Le Comte. Drivers from anywhere in the world can apply by visiting nascar.eu/recruitment.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Bart Dehaese
