The Hidden Race to Just Survive

Every driver who competes at NASCAR’s highest level has displayed their talents proving them worthy of belonging at such a high echelon.

But did you know that the organizations that build the cars they drive also have to prove their worth?

Anyone who has paid some semblance of attention to the NASCAR Cup Series in the last few years probably has heard something about charters. They are the 36 golden tickets for race teams. Organizations that possess charters have a guarantee that their car will have a starting spot in every Cup race without running the risk of getting booted via qualifications from a set field limited to 40 cars. Charters also guarantee teams a chunk of a race’s huge purse.

Teams have either earned charters for their longevity and history in the sport when the system was first implemented in 2016 or purchased them from another team.

Nevertheless, few might realize that an organization can forcibly lose a charter. While this has never happened before, NASCAR does have the option to revoke a charter if a team finishes in the bottom three in the points standings for three consecutive seasons and give it or sell it to a different team (similar to English Premier League soccer).

There is a team in major jeopardy of doing just that.

Rick Ware Racing’s No. 51 has earned only 97 points so far in 2023, which ranks the entry 34th in points. RWR elected to legally swap owner points prior to the season with its other entry, the No. 15, a car that has also struggled to crack the top 33.

Thus, with 35th- and 34th-place points finishes in 2021 and 2022, the No. 51 runs the risk of its charter being revoked if it were to stay in the bottom 33 come season’s end for a third consecutive time. If it loses the charter, tremendous financial losses could come as large purse money is all but guaranteed, jeopardizing the future of its existence.

The good news for RWR is that the season is still young. A strong 11th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend by JJ Yeley brought the No. 51 up to just 11 points behind 33rd-place Legacy Motor Club’s No. 42 and just 19 behind the 32nd-place No. 15. It is also starting to gap the bottom two teams in owner points: the 35th-place Spire Motorsports No. 77 (81 points) and 36th-place No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports No. 78 (74 points).

However, there is plenty of bad news. All consistency was lost for the No. 51 after its full-time driver Cody Ware was suspended…