IndyCar announces establishment of long-awaited charter system

Twenty-five entries will be spread across 10 teams from 2025 onwards

The IndyCar Series has announced the establishment of the long-awaited charter system with 10 teams agreeing to the terms laid out.

The new system 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 IndyCar.

“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 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 charter agreements are committed through to the end of 2031. 

“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, 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