NASCAR Rumor: Trackhouse Racing Reportedly Execute Hushed Charter Deal Amidst Tony Stewart’s Rampant Sale Speculation

‘We’re not at the top of the hill looking down anymore.’ That’s what Tony Stewart shared with the Stewart-Haas Racing crew over the winter break. Believing that the 2024 season will truly be SHR’s make-or-break moment, the pressure was on its four young drivers to deliver.

However, not even halfway through the 2024 season, one of those drivers faces the threat of losing their seat owing to a charter sale, as rumors have conveyed. But with all eyes on Tony Stewart & Co., Justin Marks may have gotten away with major spoils for Trackhouse Racing.

Has Trackhouse Racing found an ideal home for Zane Smith and SVG in the Cup Series?

Ever since AJ Allmendinger was demoted to the Xfinity Series despite qualifying for the playoffs, fans felt Kaulig Racing showed signs of trouble. And according to recent developments, that hunch may have been true. After rumors of Front Row Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing’s merger hit the community, it has inevitably caused some ripple effects in its wake.

As Zane Smith is to leave Spire Motorsports to make room for McDowell, Trackhouse Racing will be fighting tooth and nail to secure another charter as soon as possible. Only recently, Justin Marks’ stance on their conversations with NASCAR over a charter spread like wildfire. In contrast to owners like Denny Hamlin, Marks revealed that all was well with the officials in terms of a charter agreement.

Adding fuel to the fire, the popular Instagram account @nascarrrumornostalgia shared, “Seems like the Kaulig Cup situation is getting worse and worse, perhaps even to the point of selling charters. For example, I’ve heard Trackhouse may buy (or even have already bought) the 16 charter.” 

After accounting for Kaulig Racing’s struggles to field a full-time Cup Series team despite running two cars, many believe that Justin Marks may have swooped in and grabbed the charter from the team. In the wake of SHR’s woes, perhaps Trackhouse Racing has been the biggest benefactor. This could bode well for one of two drivers – Zane Smith or Shane van Gisbergen.

With McDowell joining Spire in 2025, Trackhouse-backed Smith will be out of a drive. Van Gisbergen, who’s also affiliated with the Trackhouse name – having signed a development deal with the team following his win in Chicago – has a full-time Xfinity Series seat and a part-time Cup Series seat with Kaulig. But considering his performances, the Kiwi spending another year in the Xfinity Series seems unlikely. What that points to is a potential move up to a full-time Cup drive.

While Trackhouse has no available Cup seats at the moment, if the rumor about them buying the charter is true, it could potentially open the doors for either of them. In this situation, though, there’s a higher likelihood of van Gisbergen getting the seat, considering he’s already 35 and may not have any other window of opportunity to make it to the Cup Series full-time. Zane Smith, on the other hand, is only just starting his Cup career, and with one championship and nine wins while racing in trucks for the past six years, there’s little doubt he’ll get his time. But will that be in 2025?

That depends on how true the rumors are. But if Kaulig Racing’s #16 has, in fact, landed in Marks’ lap, it appears that Shane van Gisbergen or Zane Smith could have a full-time Cup Series seat soon. That being said, the talk of town quickly became Kaulig Racing as fans called for the team to focus on their strengths instead.

NASCAR fans call for Kaulig to shift focus to their ‘bread and butter’ instead

Trending

Tony Stewart’s Wife Leah Pruett Pens a Heartfelt Message for Husband After His Unwavering Support for His Family

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Offers a Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity to His Loyal Fanbase as He Gears Up for His Return With Budweiser

JRM Prodigy & Kelley Earnhardt’s Son Earn Major Backing as Dale Jr.’s Loyal Partners Announce 2025 Return

“It Drives Like a Forklift” – Shane van Gisbergen Controversially Splits the Difference Between NASCAR’s Proud Next Gen and Xfinity Cars

Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s Gamble on Tony Stewart’s Money Loaded Star Could Not Be Worth the Financial Hassle

Amidst rumors of Trackhouse Racing purchasing or showing interest in the #16 charter, one key aspect of Kaulig Racing’s current operations didn’t sit well with fans. Owing to their meteoric rise to success, some felt the team had turned into Icarus with how close they flew to the sun. For many, Kaulig Racing’s success in the Xfinity Series was also a double-edged sword, hurting their Cup Series chances.

A user summed up Kaulig Racing’s dilemma: “It’s their own fault. Kaulig can’t get their head out of Xfinity, which I suppose that’s where they have the most success. But I throw it back to last year, AJ (Allmendinger) was in 17th in points and had a real shot to make the playoffs when Kaulig decided not to qualify or practice his cup car, instead, AJ would run the part-time #10 Xfinity car. They did it to themselves.” 

For others, Kaulig Racing’s rapid expansion was causing major woes in channeling their skills in one direction. This, in turn, ended up with no side performing at their peak. For now, fans feel Kaulig Racing should focus on the feeder series instead. One fan stated, “Yeah probably a good idea to scale down to a 1 car team rn. Focus on Xfinity.” As another user tweeted, “Their bread and butter is Xfinity cars. Might as well stay there and keep one cup car instead of 2 for developmental purposes.” 

While some felt Kaulig should give up one Cup charter to Trackhouse Racing if they hadn’t already, others felt it would be better to just quit the top category for now. A fan suggested, “They should give up on both their cup charters and focus fully on Xfinity IMO. Unless they hire at least a half-decent driver.”

Similarly, others also felt that Kaulig’s success could ultimately be their downfall. To conclude, a user shared, “They just took on too much too quickly…Spire is another perfect example of this…sell the charter, concentrate on 1 cup team, get a good baseline, then expand…”

After looking at how the silly season for 2025 is already heating up, do you think Stewart-Haas Racing may have indeed kicked off a major shakeup?