Under Jim France’s rule, NASCAR has gone through a bold evolution. New tracks, powerhouse sponsors, and daring experiments aimed at recapturing that gritty, blue-collar spirit of old. But as with anything in racing, every move comes with a price. It seems the man steering the sport might have a little racer still left in him, a leader or a fan dreaming of owning a team, and a driver who can go head-to-head with the Cup Series elite.

It was a big plan to fund a one-off Spire Motorsports entry at Sonoma with IMSA standout Jack Aitken behind the wheel, as a nod to cross-series talent and France’s lifelong love for racing. But as soon as it was out, Jim started getting criticised. And, never one to sugarcoat, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has now unloaded his mixed feelings on the situation.

Junior is calling the whole ordeal unnecessary and hinting that the lines between fun and fairness just got a little too blurry.

On a recent episode of the Dale Junior Download, NASCAR’s most beloved straight shooter dug on the France family’s recent attempt. To him, the move felt unnecessary. “At this point, it just doesn’t seem like it’s very productive to do it now, and Jim doesn’t need to do it. It’s not like a viable business proposition or opportunity that I think that’s necessary for him as a businessman to do it, right?” Dale Earnhardt Jr added.

Now, as of 2025, Jim France’s net worth stands at 180 crores USD. And, his family owns the sport; NASCAR is one of his biggest businesses. With the latest charter agreement, while there’s no direct stake in charter ownership as a percentage, it allows the France family to own and operate chartered race teams. So, when Junior says Jim France doesn’t need to do it, it makes sense.

However, Dale Jr. also pointed out that, “It’s kind of one of them fun things that you kind of want to do with your buddies, but it’s not necessary because dude owns a sport.” But let’s not forget France’s family attempt to enter the Cup could be game-changing for the smaller teams (while JRM is yet to enter the Cup). And, talking of the smaller teams, Denny Hamlin is already voicing the big concerns.

“I can tell you as a car owner, I fought very, very hard and opposed the fact that the France family could own charters. I think that’s just wildly conflict of interest, and we saw it come to a head in IndyCar, right?” Hamlin added.

Now, Earnhardt Jr. has also clarified that it could be an exception for the driver, “it still got Jack Aikens in the Spire car, still got him on the racetrack at Sonoma, and shielded his involvement or even his connection to Jack and the partners that would support this program.” But why Jim France, and why only Sonoma Speedway?

Everybody is calling it bad timing, considering NASCAR’s lawsuit with 23XI Racing and FRM. So, for now, Jim France’s love for racing and his passion project have been pushed back.

And, Dale Earnhardt Jr has smartly criticised the whole idea, saying, “ Jim’s not out here trying to fool anybody…Thought it’d be cool, but he probably doesn’t need to be in the same conversation around ownership of an actual physical car on the racetrack as the owner of NASCAR. I think that would probably be my preference. I’m not upset about it because I do it on the CARS Tour.”

RACER reached out to several team executives to gauge industry sentiment, and only one owner agreed to speak, under anonymity. They didn’t question France’s motives but were blunt about the implications.
One owner revealed, “ It makes zero sense for anyone who owns a series to compete in it. It’s a bad look.”

While RACER has kept the identity of this owner hidden, the owner who was involved firsthand, Jeff Dickerson, the co-owner of Spire Motorsports, has openly accepted the planning.

“Had nothing to lose” – Dickerson!

Under the NASCAR charter system, Spire already runs three full-time cars—the No. 7, No. 71, and No. 77; adding another entry would have required a special exception on a last-minute entry waiver. Many teams saw this as an unfair advantage, noting that smaller or uncharted teams struggle just to qualify under the current rules, and letting France’s car slide in would be troubling.

But Spire Motorsports has become a focal point in NASCAR charter debates after aggressively acquiring charters from Live Fast Motorsports and Kyle Busch Motorsports. So, a statement from Dickerson was obvious.

He summed up their bold attempt, saying, “We didn’t have anything to lose, so it was easy to push all in when you have two nickels. You’ve got to shoot your shot. We don’t know the exact moment that’s going to be the pivotal one for your organization. So, you work so hard to put yourself in a position to get those opportunities. So, when they present themselves, you’ve got to grab them.”

And, it looks like Dickerson is still ambitious about the move. “I didn’t really even think it was that big of a deal, I didn’t even think it was that deep.”

It places Spire at the heart of ongoing disputes over franchise status and financial security in the NASCAR landscape. But with the ongoing charter-centered lawsuit, do you think that the NASCAR charter should be tweaked?