By Jerry Jordan, Editor
HAMPTON, Ga. – Bob Jenkins, owner of Front Frow Motorsports (FRM), met with Kickin’ the Tires on Saturday in the garage at Atlanta Motor Speedway and explained why his team decided not to sign the NASCAR charter agreement by the midnight deadline this past Friday.
FRM and 23XI Racing are the only teams out of the 15 NASCAR charter holders that did not sign onto the new agreement that will cover teams from 2025 through 2031. On Saturday, Denny Hamlin, 23XI co-owner, said he didn’t want to go into specific details about why his group declined to sign the deal, but he said, it is “Certainly frustrating, but every team does what’s best for them. We haven’t had that many discussions (with NASCAR), so I don’t really know how far apart we are. Financially, it will be tough, for sure (racing without a charter).
Jenkins said he doesn’t think the situation is adversarial; at least, he hopes it isn’t, and he is hopeful the issues can be resolved. He explained there were four key issues that the teams wanted when the negotiations began in February 2023, and those were not resolved in his mind.
“You know, I don’t think you can give somebody a 105-page document at six o’clock on a Friday night and expect them to sign it by midnight,” Jenkins said. “I think it’s very unreasonable and there, you know, there been some things that have happened through the negotiation process that quite frankly, we just don’t agree with. And, you know, we’re obligated to negotiate in good faith and we feel like we did and I don’t know that everything on the other side happened that way. But you know, my hope is that we’ll continue the conversation. We’ll get it figured out.
“I don’t know that it’s necessarily bad. I mean, you think about over the years, there’s been a lot of disagreements and you know, you learn to just work through them and as you know, as I was saying, I’m friends with those guys. You know, I’ve been doing this, I think,17 years now and I’ve become friends with Steve Phelps and Steve O’Donnell and all those guys. So I think we’ll figure it all out, hopefully. And you know, it’ll be fine. I’m not that concerned about it.”
Jenkins said he believes other teams had reservations about signing but had their own reasons for not holding out like FRM and 23XI. Coincidentally, both FRM and 23XI are in the market to buy a third charter for their organizations. Reports are that the current cost of charters is around $25 million apiece, with three Stewart-Haas Racing charters going on the block at the end of the season.
“I think you know a lot of the teams, you know, I think the things basically all felt the same,” Jenkins said. “I don’t want to speak for anybody but I can say an overwhelming majority feel like I do. It’s just that some of them, some of them have investors, some of them have, you know, it’s their livelihood, it’s the only thing they do and they feel like they had to do it. I don’t think there’s any that were too happy about the deal they signed, but like I said, I don’t want to speak for them.
“You know, in in February of 2023, you know, we started this process and the owners kind of acquiesced around 4 things that we want to see in the next charter agreement, we wanted, you know, charter agreements that were more permanent. There are four things that were really the four objectives that we had. So here we are almost two years later and we didn’t get any of those objectives. So, in areas where we had hoped to move the ball forward and do some things, we actually regressed and it’s just been tough.
“I think it’s been a concerted effort to pull back a lot of the teams’ rights as far as governance and we just feel like it was kind of repressive.”
Jenkins added that doesn’t believe any of the owners thought they would be in the current position they are in with NASCAR being as heavy-handed as they were with giving six hours to sign the agreement.
“I don’t think anybody expected that NASCAR would take such a strong stance and we don’t understand why,” Jenkins continued. “I honestly don’t understand what the, what the motives are because we felt like we could grow this sport, together. And really, when you look at it, you know 23XI and Front row Motorsports, we’re probably two of the more bullish teams in the garage as far as wanting to expand and buy another charter and grow.
“So, like, we’re passionate about it. We love the sport. We love the people involved in the sport. You know, we want to continue on. There’s nothing about the sport that we don’t like that I don’t want to be a part of. It’s just we just need a contract that works for everybody because that’s ultimately how the sport is going to succeed and we need to figure a way to make the sport bigger, not keep it small and not keep the teams where they are powerless. And so that’s all our goals ever.”
Despite the impasse, the negotiations aren’t over. At least, Jenkins doesn’t think they are. He said he believes there will be additional meetings and is hopeful that an agreement can be reached but he also has to think about the well-being of his organization.
“I don’t want to speak for a NASCAR,” he said. “I don’t know what or where they stand but I think there’ll be some conversation. I don’t, you know, hopefully it’s not over. Like I said, I don’t want to see this thing dragging into 2025 or beyond. We’ve got to get to a resolution, right? And so, I’m hopeful the next week, or so, we’ll be able to sit down and talk about it and I know the folks at 23XI, their interests are similar to ours. And I think there’s a way to get there. And like I said, I want to take the high road and do it in a positive way. I don’t think, you know, mudslinging or dragging people into this as a way to get it resolved and my hope is we can sit down, have some constructive conversations and look forward to next year.”
Nascar has to control the whole thing. The series, race tracks and revenue. The Frances family only thinks about their own worth. Maybe start a new series with France family tracks. Would definitely cut into there revenue. Even if it doesn’t pan out.
You state you were only given 6 hours to sign the contract, BS you had a year and a half. I find it amusing that 15 other teams has NO PROBLEMS signing their contracts. You missed the deadline, I hope NASCAR doesn’t bend the knee to your WOKE DEMANDS. The fact that you’re the ONLY other team with 23xi shows you have NO COMMEN SENSE. You have obviously forgotten you’re playing in NASCAR’S sandbox. I seriously hope they take your Charters and distribute them to other teams, such as Trackhouse and BKR and anyone else that wants to play by the rules. It would be hilarious if you lost 40 M for being a WOKE POS.
You work for nascar you are paid very well
I do not work for NASCAR. I own Kickin’ the Tires, which is an independent motorsports media outlet. As for Bob Jenkins, he owns Front Row Motorsports and does not work for NASCAR, either.
I believe those who choose to invest their time and monetary resources into the NASCAR product are entitled to their opinions and choices pertaining to that product. A free business enterprise per se. I’ve chosen not to any longer invest my time or monetary resources into the NASCAR product. Ie… attending races and/or purchasing any said NASCAR product. This decision was taken place a few years ago. I based this decision on the forced integration of social issues at various venues espousing to NASCAR supposed values. I simply wanted to attend a NASCAR race as a “get away” from said social issues being espoused during the week. At one time, I was able to use NASCAR races as a “respite” to the constant daily bombardment of social issues being used and/or manipulated for monetary gain. My feeling was a few years back that NASCAR saw the need to cross into that arena. Hence… my choice to use my time and money for something else besides NASCAR. My preferences of using my time and money to enjoy a respite from the constant bombardment of social issues are now focused with local grass roots level non NASCAR sanctioned races. I sincerely wish no ill will towards NASCAR or their participants, partners, etc… it is simply that NASCAR does not now offer in what I desire in my respite from weekly bombardment of the social issues of today. I hope the folks involved do find a resolution to their perceived issues at hand. Meanwhile… I’ve found some great respite watching live dirt late model and sprint car racing.
There is nothing like the grass roots dirt track racing, especially Sprint cars. The good ones all started out at the local bullrings. As they all say “you ain’t at a real race unless you’re gettin dirt in your beer”.
DENNY HAMLIN should be set out 3 races because he is being detrimental to nascar .every week he complains about something .he wrecks people it’s OK but someone wrecks hims …ooooohhhhohohoh