Paul Jouffreau added new milestones with his third Junior Trophy crown in 2026 – With championship credentials across V8GP, V8Open and V8Endurance, the Frenchman is one of the most decorated drivers in the history of the NASCAR Euro Series
- NASCAR Recruitment Test graduate Paul Jouffreau is one of the most decorated youngsters in series history
- The Frenchman won the 2023 V8Open crown and conquered the Junior Trophy in V8GP three times
- Jouffreau also excelled as a team player with two V8Endurance rings
Paul Jouffreau stands out in the NASCAR Euro Series with his rich list of accolades that he achieved at such a young age. Despite only being 22 years old, the Frenchman is one of the most seasoned veterans in the championship, with six years of consistent triumphs that rocked the dedicated group of fanbase that supports the RDV Competition driver from one round to the next. Be it V8GP, V8Open or V8Endurance, the trails of success always followed Jouffreau and it started from the best pipeline to join the NASCAR Euro Series: The NASCAR Recruitment Test.
As a young driver looking to make the next step in his career, the Blaye native entered the program in 2021 and quickly found himself addicted to the pure racing experience that the V8 powered machines offered. His talents earned him a spot to compete in the V8Challenge division and after just one year in the regularity based division, where he finished runner-up following a season long contest with Gordon Barnes, Jouffreau was ready to challenge his fellow up-and-comers in V8Open.
“The NASCAR Recruitment Test really made me fall in love with this car, and it’s surprisingly accessible to get behind the wheel of a real race car,” said Paul Jouffreau. “It is amazing – with no electronic assists, a big V8 engine, and incredible cornering speed, it completely blew me away. Through the NASCAR Euro Series, I got connected with the right teams to make things happen. For me, this test was truly the start of the journey.”
A maiden podium in Italy highlighted a strong V8Open rookie season that resulted in a ninth place standings finish, but a move to his current team – RDV Competition – for the 2023 season changed everything. With full support from veteran owner Franck Violas, who has been present in the NASCAR Euro Series since the beginning, and mentor three-time V8GP runner-up Frederic Gabillon, Jouffreau went on a rampage: Not only did he win the V8Open title after a titanic duel with Vladimiros Tziortzis, he also became the youngest V8GP race winner at just 19 years old and led RDV to their first teams title in five years.
The Frenchman further established his credentials after he made the full move to the elite division in 2024. A first Junior Trophy crown and a successful defense for the teams glory under the V8Endurance format was nearly accompanied by a maiden V8GP title, where he missed out on the crown by just seven points. Jouffreau has remained in the forefront of V8GP in the next two years and while misfortunes have prevented the 22-year old from lifting the biggest prize in the NASCAR Euro Series, he managed to retain his Junior Trophy reign on both 2025 and 2026.
The 2023 V8Open crown, two V8Endurance rings, 10 V8GP race wins and the benchmark for the youngsters in V8GP with three Junior Trophy titles and 18 class wins: That is the diverse list of accomplishments that Paul Jouffreau has in his trophy case. He’s already one of the most decorated drivers in the history of NASCAR in Europe and it all started from the Frenchman’s discovery of the NASCAR Recruitment Test.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
