NASCAR: Charter update ahead of the 2018 Cup Series season

Heading into the new year, a number of questions continue to float around the NASCAR garage about who will have charters for the 2018 season.

The relatively new NASCAR charter system has quietly added to the intrigue of the offseason each year since its inception. The bartering and trading back and forth between teams who may lease, buy, or sell various charters can often create some strange bedfellows. And while a handful of moves have already been made in preparation for 2018, more may be still to come in the new year.

As reported by ESPN’s Jayski.com, a number of teams leased their charters for the 2017 season that will be unable to lease them again in 2018. This includes the #32 Ford for Go Fas Racing, the #44 team charter for Richard Petty Motorsports, the #16 charter for Roush-Fenway Racing, and the third charter for Front Row Motorsports. Of these, only two have resolved their issues heading into the new year. Go Fas Racing will retain their charter for the coming year, while RPM will use the #44 charter for the #43 Chevy. They will then in turn lease the #43 Chevy charter to Rick Ware Racing’s #51 car.

At least one charter has already changed hands in the 2017-18 offseason. The #77 team of Furniture Row Racing has shut down, and the team sold the charter to JTG-Daugherty Racing. This charter will be used by the team for the #37 Chevy of Chris Buescher. The team previously leased the #16 charter from Roush-Fenway Racing last season.

More from NASCAR

While Buescher’s team is now secure with their status as a chartered organization, others that will run for the championship are not. Wood Brothers Racing leased a charter from Go Fas Racing in 2018, and will now need to either lease from another team or purchase one. It is possible, however, that their team will run as an open team, like they did with Ryan Blaney in 2016. Speaking of Blaney, his new #12 team with Team Penske remains without a charter as well. Finally, TriStar Motorsports will be in the same boat, looking for a new charter potentially after leasing one from Front Row Motorsports last year.

Fortunately for both of these teams, there appear to be more charters than there are full-time entries for the coming year. Front Row Motorsports has already confirmed they will only run two cars in 2018, with their third charter likely to be leased once their legal dispute with BK Racing is resolved.

Next: Top 100 NASCAR drivers of all-time

Roush-Fenway Racing and potentially even Richard Childress Racing will also have charters to lease as well. RFR has already confirmed they will stay at two cars in 2018, while RCR has yet to announce plans for the #27 Chevy.

Home/NASCAR