NASCAR's current charter system agreement only has one season remaining, and talks don't seem to be going smoothly on an agreement between the sport's teams and the governing body of NASCAR.
At the head of the ongoing talks is Denny Hamlin, who not only races in the Cup Series but is also a co-owner with Michael Jordan, so he is very involved in this situation. Hamlin for one isn't too happy with how the talks with NASCAR have been going.
The current charter system sets forth that 36 of 40 cars are guaranteed a spot in the field each week along with the money that comes from the races.
The owners who have invested millions of dollars into those charters are in favor of it becoming the permanent system for NASCAR. However, the higher-ups of the sport don't seem to share that idea.
During the NASCAR Playoff Media Days, Hamlin was asked about the ongoing issues between the teams and NASCAR. He told Jenna Fryer from the AP that things were not going well at all. He said what the teams are asking for is simple but that NASCAR doesn't seem to share that viewpoint.
"I think the team's ask has been very legitimate and not off in leftfield. You're going to have to chase down Jim and ask for a reason because, there's not really been a good reason, but the answer has been "no."
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) August 31, 2023
"I think the teams' ask has been very legitimate and not off in left field," Hamlin said. "You're going to have to chase down Jim [France] and ask for a reason because, there's not really been a good reason, but the answer has been 'no.'"
A lot of this hinges on the fact that the race teams want more of the revenue from TV to help with costs. However, NASCAR doesn't seem to want to budge on that demand.
It has already been announced that the NASCAR Xfinity Series will go to The CW in 2025. So what is next for the Cup Series, and why does it seem so hard for the two parties to agree on something that will benefit all?
Hamlin and the other major team owners must maintain togetherness and unity in order for something good to come from these talks.
If Hamlin's team, Rick Hendrick, Tony Stewart and other owners of that magnitude can put some pressure on NASCAR, it will hopefully help get the two sides reach some form of agreement for after the 2024 season.
Otherwise, a holdout by teams could really shake things up for a sport that cannot afford to lose its best drivers.
