At least one NASCAR charter could be on the market this offseason, as Sprint Cup Series team owner Harry Scott is considering shuttering HScott Motorsports, according to sources.
With limited sponsorship secured for 2017 amid a spate of exits coming after this season, Scott is likely to at least reduce the two-car team to one car, if not close entirely, sources said. The NASCAR season ends Nov. 20.
Scott purchased Phoenix Racing in 2013 and renamed it HScott Motorsports.
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Clint Bowyer drives for HScott Motorsports, which may shut down.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES
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Scott has one of NASCAR’s 36 charters, currently being used on the No. 15 Chevrolet driven by Clint Bowyer. He would have to sell or lease that charter, as the system’s rules dictate that a charter must be used on a team currently in competition. The key components for the No. 15 car, Bowyer and primary sponsor 5-Hour Energy, are set to depart following the season, as are less prominent sponsors Peak and Visine.
Pilot Flying J, primary sponsor of HScott’s No. 46 Chevy driven by Michael Annett, has been shopping for deals in recent weeks with Annett for 2017, mostly in the Xfinity Series. HScott leased a charter for this season from Premium Motorsports to use for Annett’s car.
HScott has prepared for possible closure, according to sources, by bringing executives from other teams to the shop to check out equipment to bid on or buy should the organization close.
“Harry is considering a number of options, but at this moment no final decision has been made,” said Ramsey Poston, president of Tuckahoe Strategies, which represents Scott. “We don’t expect any decisions to be finalized until after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is complete.”
If HScott closes, it would become the second Cup team to shut down in two years after Michael Waltrip Racing shut its doors after the 2015 season. Scott also is co-owner of another team, HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks, in NASCAR’s developmental K&N Pro Series East division; the future of that outfit is unclear.
