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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Stewart-Haas Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing have each obtained an additional Charter for their respective teams, a move that will guarantee NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kurt Busch (SHR) and Carl Edwards (JGR) a starting spot in all 36 points races each week.
Officials with both teams made the announcements separately via social media (Twitter) Saturday afternoon.
Securing the Charters was expected. Michael Waltrip Racing co-owner Rob Kauffman said earlier this week that Charters awarded to his organization, which ceased operations at the conclusion of the 2015 season, would likely be purchased by the Stewart-Haas and Joe Gibbs organizations.
No purchase price was announced.
NASCAR unveiled the new system Feb. 9, announcing a nine-year arrangement that not only will assure Charter teams a starting spot in the field but there will also be financial benefits generated by the move.
Based on criteria developed by NASCAR and with input from the industry, Charters were awarded to 36 teams, each of which had attempted to qualify for all races since the start of the 2013 season.
It was also announced that beginning this season Sprint Cup Series fields would feature 40 cars rather than 43 as had previously been the case. As a result, there will be four remaining positions in the field each week to be filled by Open (non-Charter) teams.
Those will be determined as they have been in previous years, based on qualifying speeds.
SHR was awarded three Charters for its Nos. 4, 10 and 14 teams; the No. 41 team did not debut until 2014.
Likewise JGR was awarded three Charters for its Nos. 11, 18 and 20 teams, and sought a fourth for the No. 19, which debuted with Edwards last season.
Charters may be sold or leased (a one-time transfer), with NASCAR approval, and HScott Motorsports owner Harry Scott opted for the latter in order to obtain a Charter for his No. 46 team with driver Michael Annett .
Scott announced Friday that he had reached an agreement with Premium Motorsports owner Jay Robinson for use of that team’s Charter for the 2016 season.
HScott, a two-team organization, was awarded one Charter, assigned to the No. 15 team of Clint Bowyer, meaning Annett would have to qualify for all races this season.
Premium Motorsports will continue to field a Sprint Cup entry. Cole Whitt will attempt to qualify the team’s No. 98 Toyota in the field for next week’s season-opening Daytona 500