When will the charter negotiations reach an agreement? For the time being, it seems the situation faces a deadlock. On one hand, you have teams that are pushing for a better revenue share and permanent charters to keep their business running in the long run, and then you are dividing the house and making the teams bend to their proposed deal and sign a deal for seven years. This sounds unfair, right?
None of the sides are willing to meet on common ground and solve this issue. And going by Brad Keselowski’s revelation, stakeholders in NASCAR are not seeing eye-to-eye just to get a better piece of the pie with the new charter agreement. Ignoring the bigger picture and the concern that looms large about the progress of sport.
Keselowski wants NASCAR to move in the right direction
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NASCAR is not like any other sport or series where it is controlled by an association or a governing body. Instead, the premier auto racing series has been owned and managed by the France family ever since its birth in 1948. Not to forget, you have major stakeholders such as the racetracks, the OEM partners, and, of course, the teams, that contribute to the smooth functioning of the sport.
However, in a time when NASCAR is on the verge of making huge changes and turning a corner for good, all the stakeholders have locked themselves in a stalemate over the charter negotiations. Explaining the situation, RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski said in an interview, “I think we’re in a little bit of a holding pattern… We’ve got to get the sport where it’s growing, we have to collectively. It’s not one stakeholder; it’s all the stakeholders improve our behaviors if we’re going to grow the sport. And that’s not pointing fingers at one person; it’s really all the stakeholders.”
He further refuted any notion of the doomsday scenario of teams quitting NASCAR but pointed out how the difference can hold off growth potential. “On the flip side, this is a really key moment for NASCAR and for the sport to install the incentives that model… All of the people it’s not just me we have to decide whether we’re going to seize that opportunity or not. Or whether we’re going to get squabbling over pieces of the pie.”
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Brad Keselowski might have hinted about NASCAR’s behavior in how they have been dealing with the teams in a one-on-one setting, trying to persuade them to accept their proposal.
NASCAR is using every trick in its bag to get the deal settled
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According to a report by SBJ, NASCAR tried to alter the clause about its involvement in owning and operating a race team. The current charter system does not allow NASCAR to make such moves. However, given the current circumstances and deadlock situation with the teams to come to terms on an agreement, they just might explore all options at hand.
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We have seen a structure where a series owner who also operates a team does not fare well with the fans. Roger Penske’s recent scandal drama is a prime example of that. He owns the IndyCar Series and also owns a team that competes in the events. Therefore, any such idea is certainly expected to be opposed by the teams in maintaining the integrity of the sport.
It has to be said that NASCAR does have the leverage to get a better deal and not bend to the demands of the Team Alliance. So it is up to the team owners to decide how long they will hold firm on their demands and how much they are willing to let go in order to accept to the new deal.