NASCAR Portrait With NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Charter Owners

By now every NASCAR fan has heard of the new Charter system.

The historical photo below memorializes NASCAR executives and board members  as they join the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series charter owners in Victory Lane in advance of the 58th annual Daytona 500.

NASCAR Charter Photo Participants

Top Row (From L-R)

Brad Daugherty (JTG Daugherty Racing); Steve Lauletta (Chip Ganassi Racing); Shirley Falk (Circle Sport Racing); Joe Falk (Circle Sport Racing); Bob Germain Jr. (Germain Racing); Larry Rogers (Germain Racing); Archie St. Hilaire (Go FAS Racing); Mason St. Hilaire (Go FAS Racing); Jay Robinson (Premium Motorsports); Dave Alpern (Joe Gibbs Racing).

4th Row (L-R)

Joe Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing); Bob Jenkins (Front Row Motorsports); Torrey Galida (Richard Childress Racing); Gordon Smith (Circle Sport Racing); Tad Geschickter (JTG Daugherty Racing); Eric Nyquist (NASCAR); Ron Devine (BK Racing); Harry Scott Jr. (HScott Motorsports); Andrew Murstein (Richard Petty Motorsports); Ryan Dubois (BK Racing); Wayne Press (BK Racing).

3rd Row (L-R)

Brett Frood (Stewart-Haas Racing); Karen Leetzow (NASCAR); Walt Czarnecki (Team Penske); Steve Phelps (NASCAR); Marshall Carlson (Hendrick Motorsports); Steve O’Donnell (NASCAR); Barney Visser (Furniture Row Racing); Joe Garone (Furniture Row Racing); Susan Schandel (NASCAR)

2nd Row (L-R)

Jack Roush (Roush Fenway Racing); Steve Newmark (Roush Fenway Racing); Gary Crotty (NASCAR); Rob Kauffman (Chip Ganassi Racing); Brent Dewar (NASCAR); Mike Helton (NASCAR); Chip Ganassi (Chip Ganassi Racing); Gene Haas (Stewart-Haas Racing); Tommy Baldwin (Tommy Baldwin Racing).

1st Row (L-R) 

Richard Childress (Richard Childress Racing); Roger Penske (Team Penske); Rick Hendrick (Hendrick Motorsports); Brian France (NASCAR); Jim France (NASCAR); Lesa France Kennedy (NASCAR); Richard Petty (Richard Petty Motorsports); Joe Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing); J.D. Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

Below are fast facts about the comprehensive agreement.

• This long-term agreement is for nine years.
• There are 36 Charter teams, currently from among 19 organizations. The number 36 was not pre-determined -- NASCAR analyzed which teams showed a long-term commitment to the sport by attempting to qualify every week for the past three years. That criteria yielded 36 Charters.
• Because of the above criteria, the following teams were not initially awarded Charters: the No. 19 of Joe Gibbs Racing (which purchased a Charter from Michael Waltrip Racing), the No. 21 of Wood Brothers Racing, the No. 41 of Stewart-Haas Racing (which purchased a Charter from Michael Waltrip Racing) and the No. 46 of HScott Motorsports (HScott reached agreement with Premium Motorsports for its Charter in 2016.)
• A Charter guarantees entry into the field of every Sprint Cup Series points race. Qualifying speeds still determine the lineup.
• Sprint Cup Series fields will shift from 43 cars to 40 cars. That means 36 Charter teams are guaranteed to make every points race, and four non-Charter (or "open") teams will complete the rest of the field.
• Charter owners may transfer their Charter to another team, for one full season, once over the first five years of the agreement.
• Charter teams are held to a minimum performance standard. If a Charter team finishes in the bottom three of the owner standings among all 36 Charter teams for three consecutive years, NASCAR has a right to remove the charter. • Teams may sell their Charters on the open market.
• Organizations now have a hard cap of four cars; there will be no fifth car for rookie drivers.