Dale Earnhardt Jr: Charter Prices Create a “Challenging Barrier of Entry”
What’s Happening? On Tuesday, the NASCAR industry learned via the Dale Jr. Download that Legacy Motor Club’s purchase of a Rick…
Kevin Harvick suggests that NASCAR should give Dale Earnhardt Jr. a NASCAR Cup Series charter for JR Motorsports in the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.
Despite interest from JR Motorsports’ ownership, many barriers still stand in the way of JR Motorsports racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in the coming years.
It was once easy to start a Cup Series team, especially with the support that JRM co-owner Rick Hendrick would provide. The team has faced a new challenge since NASCAR introduced the charter system in 2016. Earnhardt has said as recently as this season that the hefty price of these charters has served as a “very challenging barrier of entry” for JRM, though that hasn’t kept the team out of the series.
What’s Happening? On Tuesday, the NASCAR industry learned via the Dale Jr. Download that Legacy Motor Club’s purchase of a Rick…
JRM made its Cup Series debut in the 2025 Daytona 500, with driver Justin Allgaier finishing ninth. This entry paid dividends for the sport, resulting in Allgaier remaining the leader of merch sales months after the team’s debut.
Although charter prices are high, many have wondered if the attention garnered by JRM’s entry in the 500 would be worth NASCAR simply giving a charter to the team, a notion that his fellow driver-turned-analyst Kevin Harvick agrees with.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour Podcast, Harvick told Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports that if he were Jim France, he would give JRM a charter. Indicating that it would be for the betterment of the sport, as in his opinion, there is “nothing better for Cup racing than the Earnhardt family owning a Cup car.”
“I’d give him one. If I was NASCAR and Jim France, I would give Dale Jr. whatever he wanted.” — Kevin Harvick
Though it seems unlikely that NASCAR would take this drastic step, that hasn’t kept the fan base from supporting and theorizing about the idea.
However, a few months ago, NASCAR, which was at the time battling Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing over charter status as part of its larger, ongoing lawsuit, informed the court of its intention to “convey” a charter to a new, unknown team.
While it’s still unclear to which team this refers, for the same reasons Harvick listed above, and given the choice to use the term “convey,” fans have theorized that it was JRM, although the sport, the team, or ownership has not confirmed any such plans.
For well over a decade now, NASCAR fans have speculated that JR Motorsports, owned in part by NASCAR Hall of Famer and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., could go full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.
This fan support is, of course, due in part to the Earnhardt family’s status in NASCAR, its legacy of owning a NASCAR Cup Series team, and the JRM’s success in NASCAR’s secondary division. Since its debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2005, JRM has dominated, winning four NASCAR Xfinity Series Championships and averaging 4.9 wins throughout its 21 seasons of racing.
Despite this consistency, their support from HMS, success at Daytona, and an in-house feeder system that goes as deep as the grassroots level, JRM has yet to secure a full-time spot in the NASCAR Cup Series.
What’s Happening? In an interesting twist to its ongoing lawsuit with 23XI Racing and Front Motorsports, NASCAR says it plans to…
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The 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener at Daytona drew nearly 1.4 million viewers on FS1, beating the 2025 opening race number by 37%, and becoming the most-viewed Truck Series event since 2016.
NASCAR’s secondary series is facing a huge brand change, leaving the title name “Xfinity Series” to become the brand-new O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. What is not changing, however, is its broadcast partner. The CW is headed for its 2nd season with the series, and has been investing heavily in it. Year after year, we put up the rating numbers and rank them accordingly in comparison to the previous season. Here’s how it works:
All Races (1 Total in 2026)
It wouldn’t be Daytona without some weird, wacky, and headline-grabbing fallout. From viral Victory Lane moments to renewed debates about driver approval, NASCAR’s biggest race once again delivered more than just on-track drama. And with Michael Jordan celebrating a Daytona 500 win, the spotlight burned brighter than it has in years.
Jordan’s presence mattered. When the most iconic athlete of a generation shows genuine emotion upon winning the Daytona 500, it reminds the wider sports world that this race still matters. That kind of authentic publicity cannot be manufactured. It resonated far beyond the garage. Meanwhile, the O’Reilly Series race added fuel to another ongoing debate. The massive Decker crash, Cleetus McFarland’s Truck debut incident, and past approval inconsistencies have once again raised tough questions. Consistency, transparency, and accountability are now front and center. Add in Austin Hill’s dominance and Ryan Ellis’ career-best sixth-place run to open the season, and Daytona gave fans plenty to talk about on and off the track.
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