Journalist Matt Weaver tells us this will be the ninth year that the NASCAR Cup Series has operated under a franchise model. Simply stated, ownership charters are the NASCAR equivalent to stick and ball franchises like the Los Angeles Dodgers or New England Patriots. The idea is that every car number exists like a professional sports team. There are 36 franchises in NASCAR. Like stick and ball teams, these 36 race teams earn shared perks of competing under the NASCAR Cup Series umbrella. Most importantly, the cars that are paired with an ownership charter have guaranteed starting positions into every […]