Published 01/31/2023, 3:52 AM EST
Dale Earnhardt Jr wanting to join the NASCAR Cup Series with JR Motorsports isn’t exactly the biggest secret in the sport. In the last few years, the Hall of Famer team owner has expressed his desire to take his highly successful team into the top tier of NASCAR.
But, there is something that isn’t exactly standing in his way, but something he isn’t really a big fan of.
The charter system.
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And it seems now, this aspect, or rather the gatekeeper to Junior’s entry in the Cup Series, is here to stay, permanently.
This is because according to a recent report by Adam Stern in the Sports Business Journal, NASCAR teams under RTA, are demanding the charter system be established as a permanent aspect of the sport in their ongoing quest to renegotiate better financial terms with the governing body for their own interest.
NASCAR fans highly disapprove of the charter system becoming permanent
Generally, the norm in NASCAR for when something new is being announced or discussed is one that divides the fans in two sides, those that support and agree, and those that protest and disagree.
However, the report of the charter system potentially becoming permanent led to an exception to the said norm. NASCAR fans were all in unison against it.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr cannot justify buying a charter around $30 million to enter the Cup
Towards the end of the last season, Dale Earnhardt Jr very candidly opened up on his his thoughts on the charter system. The JRM owner also described why he wouldn’t want to spill a considerable part of his $300 million net worth on a potentially “losing proposition.”
“In less than a decade, a charter has went from $2 million to $28-30 million,” Dale Jr said as per Racing News. “Everybody is wondering if that $28-30 million evaluation is real or if it’s a bubble.”
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“For me, I went from being able to somewhat justify that purchase to saying, ‘No way! Not at that number.’”
April 9, 2022, Martinsville, VA, United States of America: Dale Earnhardt Jr prepares to take to the track for the Call 811 Before You Dig 250 powered by Call 811.com at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville , VA. NASCAR, Motorsport, USA 2022: NASCAR Xfinity Series Call 811 Before You Dig 250 powered by Call 811.com April 08 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY – ZUMAa161 20220409_zaa_a161_170 Copyright: xWalterxG.xArcexSr.x
Junior continued by emphasizing that there’s “no way” he’s going to spend $30 million on a business idea that will operate at a loss. Besides that, he also claimed he would only get “a very minimal amount of money” from the TV deal.
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“I don’t love the current price tag on the charter, at all. To get in there a little lower would be pretty nice,” Junior added.