What’s Happening?

At the start of NASCAR’s Next-Gen Era, a fresh breath of air was blown into the world of unchartered teams. While some of these teams won races, not all have stayed around. Here are those teams.

• Since 2022, 15 different part-time, unchartered cars have entered races in NASCAR’s Cup Series. This year was a great starting point for this data as it was a turning point in NASCAR history with the introduction of the new NASCAR Next Gen Car.
• Cup Series teams, both new and old, began entering more and more open cars. Open cars refer to those that do not have a charter, meaning they do not have automatic entry into every race. Some of these cars can race multiple times a year or, in some cases, make a one-off start.
• For our list, each team, under its original branding, must have not entered a NASCAR Cup Series Race in the past year. If a car is fielded as open under the same team name but with different numbers, that does not count, so 23XI’s No. 50/ No. 67 will not make this list.
• This list could see additions and subtractions as this ever-changing aspect of the sport goes on.

Every Single Open Entry NASCAR Team in the Next-Gen Era

Every Single Open Entry NASCAR Team in the Next-Gen Era

What’s Happening? Open entries have become less and less common in the Next-Gen era, but, we asked the question, how have…

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Team Hezeberg

First Race: 2022 Daytona 500

Last Race: 2022 Bank of America Roval 400

Numbers: No. 26 and No. 27

Drivers:

• Daniil Kvyat
• Jacques Villeneuve
• Loris Hezemans

Team Hezeberg has not entered a NASCAR race since its debut season in 2022. In its nine starts, between two entries, the team failed to beat Jacques Villeneuve’s 22nd-place finish at the Daytona 500. However, this finish was overshadowed by Villeneuve, a former Formula One World Champion, starting his first Daytona 500.

The team was also known for its odd choice of fielding both Toyota Camrys and Ford Mustangs in its short time at the Cup Series level. However, since its quiet exit from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2022, the team is somewhat forgotten to time.

The Money Team No. 50

First Race: 2022 Daytona 500

Last Race: 2023 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Numbers: No. 50

Drivers:

• Conor Daly
• Kaz Grala

The Money Team Racing began as a rumor that Boxing champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather had an interest in NASCAR. However, this rumor bloomed into an entry at the 2022 Daytona 500, with Kaz Grala Racing the brightly sponsored No. 50 Pit Viper Camaro. The No. 50 represented Mayweather’s 50-0 boxing record, making the venture all the more legitimate.

In the team’s six races from 2022 to 2023, they finished as high as 23rd, but after COTA in 2023, the team never competed in NASCAR again. There were rumors of the team’s return throughout the 2024 offseason. However, in May, the team rebranded to Team Amerivet, seemingly without Mayweather’s involvement, ending TMT Racing’s short saga in NASCAR.

Trackhouse Racing Project 91

First Race: 2022 Go Bowling at the Glen

Last Race: 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard

Numbers: No. 91

Drivers:

• Kimi Raikkonen
• Shane Van Gisbergen

When Trackhouse Racing announced that Kimi Raikkonen would race at Watkins Glen in an uncharted car in 2022, fans around the world took notice. While it was not Kimi who made the team famous, he surely got Project 91 started.

However, its second driver, Shane Van Ginsberg, may have ended this team’s life, but in a good way. In early 2023, Trackhouse announced that SVG, a former Supercars champion, would race in the first NASCAR Street race in Chicago in 2023. SVG dominated, winning the rain-shortened race and earning another start at Indianapolis, the final race for Project 91 race.

Project 91 has not entered another race, and while it’s shocking that they haven’t, it seems to be a happy ending. SVG is headed for the Cup Series with Trackhouse, and the success of the No. 91 has sparked several other “All-Star cars” in the NASCAR Cup series.

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