Front Row Motorsports has capped off the year by completing one final business deal, one that required assistance from the Court.
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The Cup Series organization announced on Dec. 31 that it had acquired a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Technically, Front Row Motorsports announced its purchase of the charter back in May, but it did not complete the transfer until New Year's Eve.
"FRM has finalized the purchase of our third charter from Stewart-Haas Racing," General Manager Jerry Freeze said in a statement. "Announcements on driver, car number and additional partners will be coming soon."
The deal being finalized followed two important rulings by Judge Kenneth D. Bell. He first granted the preliminary injunction to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports that forced NASCAR to allow them to race under the new charter agreement in 2025 with the exception of the clause prohibiting antitrust lawsuits against the sanctioning body.
As part of the preliminary injunction, NASCAR could not refuse the charter transfers from Stewart-Haas Racing to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
The second ruling occurred after NASCAR filed a motion for a partial stay pending appeal. The sanctioning body agreed to let 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports enter two cars in every race in 2025 but requested a stay on the charter transfers.
Judge Bell denied this motion and said that NASCAR could not refuse the charter transfer to Front Row Motorsports. Although he altered the preliminary injunction and noted that 23XI Racing had to file a separate motion for an injunction for the charter transfer. An agreement between NASCAR and 23XI Racing later made it possible for the charter transfer to take place.
NASCAR will appeal Judge Bell's ruling, but when that happens remains to be determined. For now, Front Row Motorsports can operate as an organization with three charters.
All three cars will have guaranteed entry into every race on the schedule, including the Daytona 500. The organization will have a larger portion of the prize purse than it would if the cars ran as open entries.
The big question now focuses on the driver who will join Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson in the lineup. The organization has not provided any hints about who this will be, but former Truck Series champion Zane Smith has remained a prominent name to watch.
Smith won a Truck Series championship for Front Row, and he recently seemingly teased on Dec. 25 that he had signed a contract for 2025.
