Seven months of negotiations have put NASCAR and its top teams in position to create the first NASCAR Properties, a trust that will serve as a centralized licensing agency for the sport.

The unnamed unit will operate as a one-stop shop for licensees, but a key difference from other previously established league-licensing divisions is that revenue will be distributed to the teams based on sales and not a revenue-share agreement.

The licensing body is being called a trust because one body -- NASCAR Properties -- will hold the rights and grant licenses on behalf of the teams. Participation by the teams will be voluntary, but the top teams such as JR Motorsports, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing are in, as are several others that own valuable rights, among them Dale Earnhardt Inc., which manages the late racing icon's legacy business.

The teams have agreed to include only certain categories so far, like apparel. Which categories are in and which are out remains to be determined.

"There are so many different organizations with so many different issues that it takes a long time and it's highly complex," said Jeff Steiner, general manager of DEI. "But the nature of discussions are positive, and it's moving forward with very good collaboration from the teams.

"This is going to be a much healthier model for licensees and retailers."

In the past, teams managed their licensing rights in-house -- each team operates as an independent contractor, separate from the sanctioning body. That model was considered cumbersome and confusing for licensees because they had to negotiate five different contracts to get the licensing rights to five different drivers. Rights to the NASCAR mark were a separate conversation as well.

But in the new trust, those team, driver and NASCAR marks will be available under the umbrella of NASCAR Properties, or whatever the trust is eventually called, thus the one-stop shopping model. (Continued)