The charter system, which kicked off in 2016, initially handed out charters for free. However, supply might soon outpace demand. NASCAR charter prices have been soaring each year, but this trend could hit a pause—especially if Tony Stewart‘s SHR decides to offload several charters in the coming months, as industry insiders expect. The last big sale saw a charter go to Spire Motorsports for a whopping $40 million.

However, this surge in charter values might not be the only challenge for teams looking to grow. It looks like there could be a push for teams to scale back, exempting only a couple of major players. Fans, understandably, aren’t thrilled about this growing disparity.

NASCAR teams might reel from the fallout of SHR‘s financial struggles

Currently, there are 36 charters split among 15 teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, with each team allowed up to four. SHR holds four charters, and there was talk earlier that they might sell one due to a sharp decline in sponsorship funds. But the latest buzz suggests they could offload all four. They’ve taken a massive hit, losing sponsorships from big names like Anheuser-Busch, Smithfield Foods, and Hunt Brothers Pizza, leading them to consider shedding all their charters and potentially flooding the market.

If the buzz about Tony Stewart offloading all four charters turns out to be legit, there’s talk of a new rule in the upcoming charter agreement that might cap teams at a maximum of three charters each—though it looks like Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) and the team owned by Joe Gibbs (JGR) could be exceptions to this rule due to being “grandfathered in.”

Currently, teams like Front Row Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing, Legacy Motor Club, and Richard Childress Racing are in the mix for charters, but if this three-charter cap comes into play, their expansion plans could hit a wall since each already manages three drivers.

The potential exemption for HMS and JGR might stem from their longstanding presence and expansion in NASCAR. Hendrick Motorsports has been scaling up since 1986 with two, then three in 1987, finally reaching a four-car team by 2002. Similarly, Joe Gibbs Racing started in 1991, expanded to two cars by 1999, added a third in 2005, and by 2015, they had four cars, although Martin Truex Jr. joined as the fourth driver in 2018.

However, this history isn’t cutting it for many fans who are scratching their heads over why HMS and JGR might not have to follow the new rule. There’s a growing debate about the fairness of this potential policy and why it’s even being considered if Tony Stewart wants to sell charters.

Fans are scratching their heads over a big new rule potentially hitting NASCAR

A recent post by NASCAR Rumors & Nostalgia stirred up the community. The post sparked a flurry of reactions from fans, puzzled and frustrated by the potential changes. Earlier this year, Tony Stewart had mentioned that they were not getting the results they wanted and why the cars weren’t running as expected. Comments ranged from concerns about Stewart’s withdrawal, “So they’re losing owners but won’t allow current teams to expand past three cars? Still beyond sad that Gene and Tony ran this team into the ground and then bail after dozens of victories and two Cup titles,” and “More field reduction?” to straightforward criticism, “Why only 3 a team? That’s dumb.”

This surplus could drive charter prices down, at least for a while. Industry insiders speculate that Tony Stewart’s team could fetch between $20-30 million for each charter. Yet, despite this potential dip, the market might still see prices hit new highs in the future, especially after the charter negotiation agreement with NASCAR. Particularly contentious is the exemption supposedly granted to Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs Racing. Fans expressed their discontent bluntly: “BS !!! Hendrick and Gibbs should have to follow the rules just like the others! Once again, NASCAR favors them !! They will be allowed to have more cars and collect more R&D than other teams!! Which once again gives them more advantage! NASCAR has catered to those teams for 20 years now!! Johnson would NOT have that many championships if NASCAR didn’t cater to them!! I don’t recognize his accomplishments.”

Some fans used a bit of sarcasm to voice their displeasure: “Of course hms and JGR would. The only teams able to afford a four car team to begin with.“ However, one fan straightaway said, “Hms and jgr shouldn’t get grandfathered in IMO.” Meanwhile, another fan noted, “Crazy that four years ago SHR had an unstoppable car and now the entire company is selling.” One particular fan expressed a dire warning: “Sport changer if this is true.”

So, what’s your take on this potential new rule limiting teams to three charters, with certain legacy teams being exempt?