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NASCAR announces changes that will help sport flourish in years to come

By Robert Molnar

Jun 28, 2015; Sonoma, CA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger (47) leads the cars to the green flag during the Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 28, 2015; Sonoma, CA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger (47) leads the cars to the green flag during the Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports /
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NASCAR announced on Tuesday a ground breaking charter system for Sprint Cup teams following months of negotiations with the Race Team Alliance.

In some news many had expected to hear for the last couple of months, NASCAR announced today the formation of a charter system for NASCAR Sprint Cup teams. The move had been expected with many of NASCAR’s fans, drivers and owners calling this a deal to secure the future of NASCAR racing.

NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France announced the news Tuesday and referred to the deal as an “[opportunity] for new owners to come into the sport” and “have the ability to field more competitive race teams.” The move a long time coming has solidified financials for most race teams, allowing smaller teams to be guaranteed funds rather than projecting across and entire season and hoping for everything to come together.

The move also allows for teams to also guarantee starts in all Sprint Cup races when attempting to find sponsors for their cars. This will not only increase the likelihood of smaller Sprint Cup teams finding sponsors for all 36 races but also increasing the amount they can receive per race as they now guarantee their spots in every Sprint Cup race.

Key Points of the Charter System include

  • Charters will be granted to 36 Sprint Cup teams. A charter guarantees a team a spot in every points race.
  • The agreement is for nine years (five years and a four-year option). Teams remain a part of the agreement as long as they are in “good standing.”
  • Sprint Cup fields will be reduced to 40 cars, eliminating three starting spots. Teams without charters can compete for the remaining spots in the field.
  • A Team Owner Council will be created and have formal input into major decisions, such as rules. Each chartered team will represented. The council is expected to be involved in how the sport is governed. NASCAR will still oversee the sport.
  • Teams will be allowed a maximum four charters.
  • NASCAR may approve new owners for charters in the future.

As seen above, there is very few faults to be found with the new system. The biggest item that many fans will obviously notice off the bat is the drop from 43 to 40 starters for every race. While this may seem to be a big deal now, the change will hardly be noticed as those three spots were typically taken up by start-and-park teams for most races.

The move also allows for fans to finally be given a more consistent offering of drivers. With 36 of the 40 drivers guaranteed to be the same every week, drivers on smaller teams may be able to develop a fan following, allowing these teams to increase merchandise sales throughout the season. Prior to this change, many drivers outside of the bigger teams were unknown given their status of missing some races and consistently racing at the back.

Overall this system will be a major upgrade over NASCAR’s current system. Financials are finally guaranteed for all charter members, allowing smaller teams to become competitive over the next few years. As this money continues to flow into these teams, it will only make NASCAR stronger and allow for higher amounts of competitiveness on and off the track.

While this system will not have a major effect right away, its effects will be felt in the years to follow. Increasing the financial strength of these teams as well as the competitiveness of every team for any given race not only makes NASCAR more exciting, but also a more attractive to sponsors, potential owners and fans looking to once again follow NASCAR.

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