- 25 chartered entries confirmed across ten teams
- Prema Racing to join with two non-chartered entries from next season
IndyCar has established a charter system, which comes into effect for the start of the 2025 season.
The owners of ten teams have accepted charters for 25 entries, the first time this has been done in IndyCar history.
The terms of the initial agreement are inclusive of the 2031 season, with charters extended to team owners based on full-time entries over the previous two seasons – there were a maximum of three awarded per team.
“This is an important development that demonstrates an aligned and optimistic vision for the future of our sport,” said Mark Miles, president and chief executive of Penske Entertainment.
“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to our team owners for their collaboration and ideation throughout this process. Ultimately, we’re pleased to have a system in place that provides greater value for our ownership and the entries they field.”
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A chartered entry is guaranteed a starting position on the grid at all IndyCar races, excluding the Indianapolis 500. An entry must also be chartered to qualify for the Leaders Circle – the system that allocates the prize money to the top 22 finishers.
As part of the shift to a charter system, Andretti Global and Chip Ganassi Racing will lose one and two entries respectively as they shift to three-car teams.
As previously announced, Prema Racing will join the IndyCar grid with two Chevrolet-powered cars next season, but these will not be chartered entries. With some IndyCar tracks only able to accommodate 27 cars, Prema will have to compete with any additional non-chartered cars to start races.
“I appreciate the efforts made by the IndyCar and Penske leadership groups, as well as all the owners, to get this charter system started,” said Larry Foyt, team owner of AJ Foyt Enterprises.
“It is incredibly challenging to get a large group of owners to agree on something, and certainly there was some give and take, but, in the end, I believe this is a path that is beneficial for all of the owners and for IndyCar, while also maintaining the availability for open competition.”
Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing, added: “When you look back in the modern era of IndyCar racing, you will look at a few important moments, the first being the unification of the sport, the next being Roger Penske buying the IndyCar Series and IMS, and I truly believe the third will be the charter system.”
BlackBook says…
While the move to introduce charters in IndyCar has caused a lot of contention – see Michael Andretti calling on Roger Penske to sell the series at the start of the season – the proposal has now passed with unanimous agreement.
IndyCar will be glad there has been few issues, at least publicly, when compared with the ongoing problems that Nascar is facing. Negotiations dragged on for almost two years, but 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports opted against signing the agreement.
This represents the start of a new era for IndyCar. When combined with the landmark media rights deal with Fox, there are strong financial foundations being established. The next step is ensuring that this momentum points the series in the right direction.
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