NASCAR

[SP Cook]

Two famous quotes explain the dumb charter system.

The answer to all your questions is money.

Father Time is the only undefeated man in sports.

Look first at the third and now forth generation Frances.  Unlike Big Bill and Bill Jr.  none of these people have ever wanted for anything.  None have ever worked.  None have any real job skills.  They want to keep up that life by taking the vast majority of the remaining TV money for themselves.

But that is only half the story.  Who owns the non France tracks and who owns most of the teams?  Old men and widows.  Many of whom have either not reproduced, had kids who were just not into dad's hobby/passion/business.  Or in two cases had their offspring die tragically.  They signed off on the charters because they are not worried about 15 years from now.  This is a way to avoid shutting it all down, moving to Florida, and waiting for IHOP to open for the early bird special.  They know there is no real money to be made, and are OK with it.

The two owners fighting the Frances are very different sorts of people.

The average age of a NASCAR fan is now 61.  Up nine years in the last ten.  The fan base is not being replenished as in most other sports.  The guys who went along with the charters know this, and they are also aware of their own mortality.

[Max Rockatansky]

FWIW charter stuff was in discussion back to the late 1990s.  The big teams and sponsors wanted protection from missing races via DNQ.  We aren't too far removed from an era where a major team could miss a race because they sucked in qualifying and used up all their provisionals.

[NWI_Irish96]

FWIW charter stuff was in discussion back to the late 1990s.  The big teams and sponsors wanted protection from missing races via DNQ.  We aren't too far removed from an era where a major team could miss a race because they sucked in qualifying and used up all their provisionals.

True, but how many races anymore even have more than 40 cars attempting to qualify? The Daytona 500 every year and maybe one or two other races at most. 23XI is going to get two cars into the playoff while technically being an open team.

[Max Rockatansky]

FWIW charter stuff was in discussion back to the late 1990s.  The big teams and sponsors wanted protection from missing races via DNQ.  We aren't too far removed from an era where a major team could miss a race because they sucked in qualifying and used up all their provisionals.

True, but how many races anymore even have more than 40 cars attempting to qualify? The Daytona 500 every year and maybe one or two other races at most. 23XI is going to get two cars into the playoff while technically being an open team.

I'm trying to remember when the field size went to more than 36 for short tracks?  I want to say 1995 off the top of my head?  I recall those being the most nerve wracking qualifying sessions that has by far the most DNQs.

Regarding the charter itself, 23XI might be the test case for the system not being worth it.  Me personally I rather just get rid of the system and just make the entry system fully open.  Unless something changes with the qualifying entries there isn't likely anyone who is going to be anyone missing races. 

[SP Cook]

The unlimited "provisionals" deal in the charters is really just toss in perk.  Leaving out Daytona, everyone is going to qualify that shows up.  Provisionals, back in the day, were a way to allow well-known drivers that had a bad qualifying day in the field, which was good for the teams, but also good for the tracks and for TV.  The 43rd provisional was originally the "past champion's provisional" which they made up after Petty couldn't make the field and would run out of provisionals by mid year.  Later Waltrip took great advantage of the rule.

The main deal with the charters was to create an ownership interest in the teams.  Many teams lost sponsors and had to fold, leaving them with no real assets besides some automotive tools and old race cars.  I believe Waltrip lost his life savings on his venture, having to be rescued by his work for Fox. 

With a charter a team had something that the owner could theoretically sell to someone else, and perhaps even use as collateral for a loan.  Of course, as with anything, they are really only worth what a willing buyer and willing seller agreed to, which is very much debatable. 

Then the Frances redid them such that to get the charter renewed, the teams had to agree to a money split where the Frances get most all the money and the teams are left living hand to mouth via sponsorships, which is where the current dispute comes from.