Founded 2014 (2014) Country United States | Members 15 (see below) Website raceteamalliance.com | |
Key people Rob Kauffman (Chairman) Office location Charlotte, North Carolina | ||
The Race Team Alliance (RTA) is a coalition of 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams in a business association intended to as a single entity increase revenues and budget efficiency for Sprint Cup organizations, as well as to make promotional deals, attract sponsors, market the sports teams and drivers and to present and work with NASCAR in a single voice. The organization is seen to many as a union involving the teams. It was established on July 7, 2014 and was then comprised nine teams. The chairman of the RTA is Rob Kauffman, co-owner of Chip Ganassi Racing, one of the teams that is part of the RTA.
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NASCAR and union-like organizations
NASCAR has always in the past had a negative view of and has resisted union like organizations and the formation of them, in 1969, NASCAR stars formed the PDA (Professional Driver Association), led by Richard Petty. After a boycott of the 1969 Talladega 500 over track conditions the union disbanded shortly after. NASCAR pioneers Curtis Turner and Tim Flock were banned from the sport after trying to form a union among the drivers and get the Teamsters to represent them.
Formation of the RTA
In 2014, the top race teams in the sport created the Race Team Alliance. The organization structured similar to the former FOTA in Formula One.
Much like with Union like organizations of the past, NASCAR took a negative view with chairman Brian France stating that the RTA was a bad idea and that there was no need for it calling it the "worst thing we could ever do". NASCAR will only deal with the RTA though attorneys as well as the International Speedway Corporation, which is controlled by the France family and owns many of the tracks that NASCAR utilizes. NASCAR though president Mike Helton assured media that there is no animosity between the RTA and the sanctioning body.
Charter system
In advance of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season an agreement was made between NASCAR and the RTA on a charter system which would guarantee full-time license holders automatic entrance into every race of the season for nine years. Charters which are transferable were granted to full-time Sprint Cup Series teams that have been active in a full-time capacity since at least the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. There are a total of 36 charters total for the new total starting field of 40 providing four open spots on the weekly race grid. Failure to field a car results in the losing of that charter.
This action was driven by the RTA in an effort to increase the value of the current full-time teams. Two charters granted to the since defunct Michael Waltrip Racing were sold for over a million dollars a piece to Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart Haas Racing.