INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.: There has been some discontent within the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series car-owner fraternity heading into this offseason.
The sport is growing through streaming, and the owners, who fit the bill for these high-dollar teams to travel around the country, want a bigger slice of the overall pie.
Thanks to the inception of the High Limit Sprint Car Series and perceived benefits of the pick-and-choose or open schedule, teams feel they have more options. On Friday, World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter released a new bonus package that could keep all of his teams in the fold for 2023.
The Outlaws added more to the point fund and introduced the Exclusivity Bonus Program for next season. According to the program, each team will receive an additional check that is 75-percent of the point check driver and owner will receive. Carter and Co. will also allow Platinum teams to run four non-World of Outlaws events.
“We stayed focused on our objectives,” Carter said. “It’s always give-and-take. Compromise is good in any relationship. We listened and landed on something that is good for the longevity of the sport and everybody involved.
“They have to balance this compromise. This concession allows the teams the flexibility to choose and still become a World of Outlaws champion, but it’s impossible to make everybody happy.”
Teams will be allowed to run four races outside of the World of Outlaws fold. No permission or approval is needed if the show is outside of 48 hours and a 100-mile radius of a scheduled event.
If a team runs four or less races outside of the Outlaws, they are eligible for all point and bonus money. If the team competes in five to eight races outside of the series, bonus money will be forfeited, but the team will still be eligible to win the World of Outlaws championship. If more than eight races are run outside of the series, all point and bonus money will be given up.
Carter’s decision to allow races outside of the series is in response to teams requesting relaxed restrictions to the Platinum Agreement. In doing so, he also upped the ante on the point fund and added bonus money.
“This process caused me some angst, because my objective is always with the best intentions of the sport,” Carter said. “In this case, the group closest to me challenged that and made me pause.
“I take all decisions seriously, and there was a lot of noise and confusion. I wanted to make sure whatever was done added to Sprint Car racing the right way with viability in mind.”