Nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams formed a business alliance on Monday. The alliance is called the Race Team Alliance.
The Race Team Alliance consists of Hendrick Motorsports, Stewart-Hass Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Team Penske, Michael Waltrip Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Richard Petty Motorsports. The alliance will be open to the rest of the Cup teams for the next couple of weeks. Each team will pay dues to cover the costs for staff, but the alliance will be a non-profit business league, according to Sporting News. Rob Kauffman, the co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, has been elected to be the alliances chairman.
"With the encouragement of NASCAR and the manufacturers, the teams have met in various forms and forums over the years to explore areas of common interest," Kauffman said in a release, USA Today notes. "This simply formalizes what was an informal group. The key word is 'collaboration'. We all have vested interests in the success and popularity of stock car racing.”
He went on to add, "By working together and speaking with a single voice, it should be a simpler and smoother process to work with current and potential groups involved with the sport. Whether it be looking for industry-wide travel partners or collaborating on technical issues – the idea is to work together to increase revenue, spend more efficiently, and deliver more value to our partners."
Kauffman has said that the RTA isn’t a union. The goals of the RTA is to lower cost for the teams and create one voice on issues that the teams are facing, according to the Associated Press. The first thing for the RTA to do is bring in the remaining Cup teams that aren’t members yet. Then the RTA will work on cost-saving initiatives for travel and buying parts. They will also talk with NASCAR on ideas for testing. The RTA will also discuss health care and benefits for employees.
NASCAR chief communications officer Brett Jewkes said that it would be inappropriate to comment on the RTA and that NASCAR’s job is to support and strengthen their teams.