NASCAR’s ongoing power struggle with two of its Cup Series teams escalated sharply as a confidential email came to light. The email showed that the Team Negotiating Committee (TNC) had issued a forceful set of demands that would have dramatically reshaped the sport’s financial and governance structure.
Demands at the Center of the Bombshell Email Between NASCAR and Cup Teams
The February 9, 2024, email, sent to top NASCAR executives including Steve O’Donnell and Ben Kennedy, underscored deep frustration among team owners over stalled charter and other negotiations.
Posting the contents of the email on X, a NASCAR insider wrote, “This is what the teams wanted from #NASCAR.”
As per the email, the TNC warned that if NASCAR did not agree to the four core pillars of a renewed charter model, teams would be forced to “recommit our energy towards exploring all of our options” beyond 2025, a not-so-subtle threat about the future of their participation in the sport.
The most significant demand called for 45% of gross media revenue to flow directly to teams, with no reductions. The Cup teams argued that their financial survival was being strained while NASCAR thrives under the current business model. Even at the requested rate, they claimed they would still struggle to cover rising competition costs due to declining viewership and sponsorship.
Teams also insisted on evergreen charters with unlimited 7-year automatic renewal, eliminating NASCAR’s current ability to revoke or change the rights structure. They argued this was essential to secure long-term investment and ensure the sport’s stability.
Governance reforms were another point highlighted in the email. The email made it clear that the teams expect greater influence over major decisions, including rights similar to the high-level endorsement controls they currently hold. Collaboration, transparency, and communication were explicitly demanded.
The fourth pillar mentioned was new business opportunities. As NASCAR expanded its digital and entertainment footprint, teams sought guaranteed revenue sharing – with no loopholes that would allow NASCAR alone to profit from intellectual property, such as team names or branding. This included requiring joint structures for any future ventures, ensuring teams benefit from the sport’s commercial evolution.
The email confirms that nearly two years of negotiations have produced little progress. This is the latest in a string of documents that have been exposed, such as unsealed documents and private texts that have already embarrassed NASCAR leadership.
Publicly, NASCAR has maintained that the charter system remains under review. However, this latest disclosure clearly reveals that the trust between Cup teams and the sanctioning body has been deteriorating rapidly behind the scenes.