Evergreen charters have been introduced to NASCAR after the lawsuit; The value of NASCAR charters are now franchise levels
Due to the terms of the court settlement charter values have jumped significantly overnight
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports recently sued NASCAR claiming antitrust violations. Last week, the trial ended in an abrupt settlement on Thursday.
That settlement is set to benefit all NASCAR Cup Series charter holders. Pending a new signature requirement, all 36 charter teams will now be evergreen, permanent.
NASCAR lawsuit settled; Comments from both sides
This will substantially increase the value of all NASCAR charters. With a guaranteed starting position in every race and as well as a revenue share per charter holder, these teams are now franchises.
In 2025, Stewart-Haas Racing sold three charters with values between $29.5M-$26.5M for each. Legacy Motor Club recently acquired a charter from Rick Ware Racing, for an estimated $45M.
Now, post-lawsuit, the values of charters have skyrocketed. Dale Earnhardt Jr predicts a new charter value around $150M…
NASCAR Charter Sales: Tracking the explosive costs of team ownership
Dale Earnhardt Jr says charters just jumped to $150M
“If the charter remains nothing more than a guaranteed entry into a single event, I think then values remain where they are today,” Dale Earnhardt Jr said on the latest Dale Jr. Download.
“What the teams have recognized are if those charters were to become permanent and therefore basically a franchise, the values are well north of $150 million. So, you’re sitting there with a charter that’s worth let’s say $25 million and by the stroke of Jim France’s pen, it will now be $150 million.”
“If you’re a charter owner, of course you’re hoping for that to happen. I believe, secretly, even the people that signed the Charter Agreement that someway, somehow, in the end, that these do become permanent. That is the ultimate decision that I think comes out of this whole trial.
“They’ll be some other little nuances of will 23XI and Bob Jenkins be rewarded some damages, will this lever get pulled, will this little thing get changed, will somebody lose a job, will this person get replaced?”
“All those things may happen, could happen but ultimately, I think what we are deciding is do the charters become franchises, do they become permanent and realized in new value north of $150 million?”
“As we’ve known racing for 75 years, if you wanted to build a Cup car and show up at a race and try to compete, you did. Probably not gonna go all that well, you’re gonna compete against the regular teams and that’s what it was, but you could. That’ll be gone forever.”
However, Jr Motorsports is set to run a car in the 2026 Daytona 500. They will run as an Open (non-charter) teams with driver Justin Allgaier.
Dale Earnhardt Jr perplexed as NASCAR charters valued at $30m (2022)
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