NASCAR team losing their charter after 2021

The charter that Trackhouse Racing Team use to field the #99 Chevrolet has been sold by Spire Motorsports to Kaulig Racing for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Late last year, former NASCAR driver Justin Marks announced the creation of Trackhouse Racing Team for the 2021 Cup Series season, and the team confirmed Daniel Suarez as the first driver of the #99 Chevrolet. They later announced Grammy Award-winning musical artist Pitbull as a team partner.

For the 2021 season, Spire Motorsports leased the charter that they had used to run the #77 Chevrolet to the new team. Spire Motorsports now own three charters, as they acquired two more before the 2021 season began.

But now they have parted ways with two of those three charters, including the one used by Trackhouse Racing Team.

Spire Motorsports have sold two of their charters to Kaulig Racing.

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Last week, Kaulig Racing announced a full-time, two-car effort for the 2022 Cup Series season. The Matt Kaulig-owned team, which have competed in the Xfinity Series since 2016, currently compete part-time at NASCAR’s top level.

As a result, Trackhouse Racing Team are now without a charter for the 2022 season. While teams can run the full schedule without one of the 36 charters, the incentives of owning one are quite significant. That is precisely why they have become increasingly challenging — and expensive — to acquire.

Fortunately for Trackhouse Racing Team, they have known this was coming, as each charter can be leased for one year from 2021 to 2024.

So they have known from the start that they would need to find a new one if they wanted to operate with one beyond the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Whether or not they will find one remains to be seen, though it will be a challenge considering how many other teams are looking at expanding/entering the Cup Series next year amid the introduction of the Next Gen car.

Trackhouse Racing Team themselves have said that they want to expand to become a two-car effort next year. That goal will be a lot more realistic to achieve with at least one charter, preferably owned as opposed to leased.

Daytona International Speedway is scheduled to host the 2022 season-opening Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 20, but there are still 19 races remaining on this year’s 36-race schedule.