NASCAR, Charter owners pose for historic photo – Nascar

History was at hand — and properly documented — Sunday morning before the running of the 58th annual Daytona 500.

The 2016 season-opener marked the formal beginning of the new owner Charter system, which NASCAR and team owners signed a nine-year agreement on before the start of the season. There are 36 Charters, and each Charter team is guaranteed entry into every points-paying race.

The Charter system, a form of which owners have sought in an effort to bolster value of their organizations and which was initiated by NASCAR more than a year ago, also provides stability by guaranteeing sponsors and other potential partners continued participation for an extended period of time.

As such, the momentous occasion was documented by a photo with every Charter-owning member, along with NASCAR dignitaries — much like the classic photo in 1947 at the Streamline Hotel in which Bill France Sr. launched the birth of NASCAR.

Top Row (From L-R) Brad Daugherty (JTG Daugherty Racing); Steve Lauletta (Chip Ganassi Racing); Shirley Falk (Circle Sport Racing); Joe Falk (Circle Sport Racing); Bob Germain Jr. (Germain Racing); Larry Rogers (Germain Racing); Archie St. Hilaire (Go FAS Racing); Mason St. Hilaire (Go FAS Racing); Jay Robinson (Premium Motorsports); Dave Alpern (Joe Gibbs Racing).

4th Row (L-R) Joe Custer (Stewart-Haas Racing); Bob Jenkins (Front Row Motorsports); Torrey Galida (Richard Childress Racing); Gordon Smith (Circle Sport Racing); Tad Geschickter (JTG Daugherty Racing); Eric Nyquist (NASCAR); Ron Devine (BK Racing); Harry Scott Jr. (HScott Motorsports); Andrew Murstein (Richard Petty Motorsports); Ryan Dubois (BK Racing); Wayne Press (BK Racing).

3rd Row (L-R) Brett Frood (Stewart-Haas Racing); Karen Leetzow (NASCAR); Walt Czarnecki (Team Penske); Steve Phelps (NASCAR); Marshall Carlson (Hendrick Motorsports); Steve O’Donnell (NASCAR); Barney Visser (Furniture Row Racing); Joe Garone (Furniture Row Racing); Susan Schandel (NASCAR)

2nd Row (L-R) Jack Roush (Roush Fenway Racing); Steve Newmark (Roush Fenway Racing); Gary Crotty (NASCAR); Rob Kauffman (Chip Ganassi Racing); Brent Dewar (NASCAR); Mike Helton (NASCAR); Chip Ganassi (Chip Ganassi Racing); Gene Haas (Stewart-Haas Racing); Tommy Baldwin (Tommy Baldwin Racing).

1st Row (L-R) Richard Childress (Richard Childress Racing); Roger Penske (Team Penske); Rick Hendrick (Hendrick Motorsports); Brian France (NASCAR); Jim France (NASCAR); Lesa France Kennedy (NASCAR); Richard Petty (Richard Petty Motorsports); Joe Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing); J.D. Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)