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FRM Owner Firmly Denies 23XI Influence on NASCAR Charter Decision
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Highlights
- Bob Jenkins denied 23XI Racing influenced his charter refusal.
- Jenkins refused 2025 NASCAR Charter due to limited resources.
- FRM owner revealed over $60 million lost since 2016 charter system.
- Only seven of 19 original charter teams remain involved today.
- Jenkins emphasized NASCAR-team balance and financial sustainability challenges.
- FRM’s stance highlights smaller teams’ struggles in NASCAR’s model.
Bob Jenkins says 23XI Racing did not influence his refusal to sign the 2025 NASCAR Charter Agreement, according to a June 27 deposition.
The Front Row Motorsports owner cites resource limitations and small-team viability. He adds that if 23XI had signed, he likely would have followed.
Jenkins frames the choice as pragmatic. Challenging NASCAR’s charter terms requires funding and bandwidth he accepts FRM does not possess.
“I did realize I couldn’t take this on on my own.” — Bob Jenkins
He argues the sport needs balance between NASCAR’s control and team sustainability. Teams help grow revenue, but the model must keep them solvent.
Jenkins highlights attrition since the 2016 charter deal. Only seven of the 19 original charter teams remain active, underscoring structural pressure on independents.
Financially, he claims losses exceeding $100 million over two decades, including more than $60 million since the charter system’s introduction.
NASCAR attorneys suggested he could profit by selling charters. Jenkins counters that sunk investment in cars, equipment, and personnel cannot be recouped.
Jenkins claims more than $60 million in losses since 2016’s charter rollout.
The stance underscores a widening gap between manufacturer-backed contenders and mid-grid independents. FRM’s calculation is defensive rather than ideological.
While 23XI is the only team directly challenging NASCAR in the antitrust case, Jenkins stresses FRM’s independence, even as concerns overlap.
Only seven of the 19 teams that negotiated the 2016 charter still participate today.
The outcome of charter talks and legal maneuvering will shape budgets, grid depth, and competitive balance for seasons ahead.
For now, FRM holds its line, prioritizing survival in an economic model Jenkins believes strains smaller teams’ competitiveness and resilience.
Visual Summary
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NASCAR
2025 Charter Agreement
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Front Row
Motorsports
Motorsports
“No, 23XI didn’t push me — it’s MY fight.”
— Bob Jenkins, after losing $100M running a NASCAR team, refuses the charter deal because survival matters most.
$100M
Lost as Team Owner
7 of 19
Charter Teams Survive
FRM draws its own line: refusing to sign, not from outside pressure, but for team survival.
The struggle for fairness in NASCAR isn’t a one-team protest. The risks for small teams? Still massive.
The struggle for fairness in NASCAR isn’t a one-team protest. The risks for small teams? Still massive.
John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.
