“Don’t Have a Billion Dollar Company” – Under Pressure of Losing SVG, Trackhouse Owner Exposes NASCAR’s “Funny Business”

NASCAR is one of the world’s top-ranking motorsport organizations and also one of the largest spectator sports in America. Hence, racing teams worth billions roam around on its porch. With 17 teams competing full-time in the Cup Series, each team invests a hefty amount of money in NASCAR. But, some kind of security must safeguard these investments. After all, it is a business that they are running.

As things stand, there are just 2 more races to go till the playoffs, one of which is a road course, and the other is just a wildcard, Daytona. The recent race at Indianapolis held immense importance to many drivers who were stuck in the bubble. And then there was 34-year-old Kiwi star, Shane Van Gisbergen, who, although, is not fighting for the championship, is a potential full-time entry for next season.

However, with the current charters expiring at the end of the next season, the Trackhouse Racing Team owner Justin Marks found himself in a fix.

Owning a charter might be a financial burden for the Trackhouse Racing Team

Introduced back in 2016, the charter system aimed at framing a franchise model to fortify the investment made by the team owners. The France family has an absolute monopoly over these charters. Nevertheless, they can be sold or leased to other teams upon expiry. 2024 will mark the end of the current charters along with the media package with NBC and FOX. Strangely, NASCAR is unwilling to even consider making these charters permanent, and hence, many teams might suffer financial insecurities.

When a reporter asked Trackhouse Racing Team owner Justin Marks if it mattered to him, he shook his head and said that he was not sure if it did. Although they had connections with the Shelby family, buying a charter could have a heavy financial toll on the team that the famous rapper Pitbull co-owns.

Marks said, “The charter thing is a funny business right now… Look, I’m running a racing business here, I don’t have a billion-dollar company that I can lean on. We’ve got a lot of people interested and the barrier of entry is high financially right now for a charter.”

“I’m not convinced you have to have one to go race, so we’re gonna try to expand and grow as a business,” he added. For Marks, buying a charter could be a tipping point if NASCAR officials agree to warrant them permanently or even renew them. He admitted that it was not entirely dependent on the team if they could buy a charter.

Watch This Story: How Shane Van Gisbergen’s Chicago Victory Became an Embarrassing Nightmare for Cup Drivers?

Nobody knows if they will obtain a charter or not. However, Justin Marks said that he would definitely try to keep Shane Van Gisbergen in his team and have him run races in the ovals.

What if Shane Van Gisbergen left the Trackhouse Racing Team for a better prospect?

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Owning or not owning a charter is not the most important question for Marks at this moment. Frontstretch’s Mark Kristl asked Justin what he thought about SVG leaving his team. Mark’s voice clearly expressed how firmly he wanted to hold on to the New Zealander in the years to come.

He admitted, “We’re working hard right now on putting a deal together for him.” He explained that he planned to have SVG drive his car next year as well. How is he so sure that SVG will follow his plan? One might ask. Marks stated, “He’s done everything that he wants to do in Australia and he’s really excited and it’s really good.”

Justin Marks has confidence in SVG’s driving prowess. He is convinced that SVG is a quick learner and will pick up his pace in no time.

“When he goes through the learning process on Oval, I think he will really quickly get up to speed. We’re just really excited about the opportunity,” Marks told Frontstretch.

SVG finished 10th in Indianapolis after running 82 laps along the moderately banked roval track. With Gisbergen’s expertise and experience in handling high-speed vehicles, it is quite normal for Justin to have high hopes for him, don’t you think?

Read More: Justin Marks Reveals How He Was Able to Convince F1 Royalty Kimi Raikkonen to Drive for His NASCAR Team – EssentiallySports