IndyCar’s long-awaited charter system is finally established

The long-awaited IndyCar charter system has been established and confirmed, with 10 teams accepting the terms in the charter. 

The new system that has been accepted will see charters for 25 entries in North America’s premier open-wheel racing series, effective immediately. 

“This is an important development that demonstrates an aligned and optimistic vision for the  future of our sport,” said Mark Miles, CEO and President of Penske Entertainment, a subsidiary of Penske Corp., which owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS Productions and the IndyCar Series.

“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.” 

This marks the first charter system introduced in the history of the IndyCar Series era. While a chartered entry promises a guaranteed starting position on the grid of all IndyCar events, the one exception is the Indianapolis 500, where qualifying to make the field of 33 on merit remains a tradition. 

An entry also must be chartered to  qualify for the annual Leaders Circle program – an annual award program that compensates the top 22 finishers in the prior year’s championship standings. 

The terms of the initial, long-term charter agreements are committed through the  end of 2031. 

“I appreciate the efforts made by the IndyCar and Penske leadership groups, as well as all theowners, to get this charter system started,” said Larry Foyt, president of AJ Foyt Racing. 

“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.”

Fellow team owner Chip Ganassi echoed similar positive sentiments: “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.” 

Chartered 2025 IndyCar Teams