NASCAR: 5 teams that could buy another Stewart-Haas Racing charter
By Asher Fair
4. Wood Brothers Racing
It was somewhat of a surprise to see Wood Brothers Racing come up as a possible buyer for a Stewart-Haas Racing charter, but the connection actually makes a ton of sense.
The team are likely to cut ties with Harrison Burton after a third consecutive disappointing season behind the wheel of the No. 21 Ford.
Prior to Burton, the team had consistently gotten solid results out of their drivers, with Ryan Blaney winning a race and making a playoff run, Paul Menard consistently running mid-pack, and Matt DiBenedetto earning a playoff spot himself.
While Ford have struggled the last few years, Team Penske have still managed to win the two most recent Cup Series championships, and Wood Brothers Racing have had a technical alliance with Roger Penske's team for more than a decade. Quite simply, this is not a 33rd place team, even though that's where Burton finds himself in the point standings.
It is rumored that the new charter agreement will not allow teams to own more than three charters, unless they already own four (Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing).
A Wood Brothers Racing expansion to two cars could effectively give Team Penske an expansion avenue without expanding, and it could give the Wood Brothers two shots to secure that elusive 100th victory per race instead of one.