December 1, 2021 | By Lee Spencer

GMS secures charters from Richard Petty Motorsports for two-car operation in 2022

NASHVILLE—GMS solved its charter dilemma this week.

After the organization announced that Ty Dillon would pilot the No. 94 Chevrolet for GMS’ maiden run in the NASCAR Cup Series in October, the second question was what charter would the team secure?

While GMS team principal Mike Beam said at that time he was willing to run the team sans charter if necessary, following weeks of speculation, the Maury Gallagher-owned operation confirmed on Wednesday the intent to purchase majority interest of Richard Petty Motorsports.

“Richard Petty Motorsports has agreed to sell a majority interest to Maury Gallagher, owner of GMS Racing,” said the teams through a joint statement. “Two charters are included in the agreement and will be operated during the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. This is a special moment for both organizations, as the Next Gen car allows a new chapter to be written.”

Additional details will be announced during a press conference on Dec.7 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. However, one would assume the charter originally awarded to RPM’s No. 9 team, which was most recently held through a partnership with Petty Ware Racing and the No. 51 car, will now be attached to the No. 94 Chevy. Rick Ware was bought out of the existing charter to expedite the sale.

The No. 43 charter should remain in place with driver Erik Jones. In August, Jones announced he was returning to the team for 2022. Last month RPM named Dave Elenz as the new crew chief for Jones and the No. 43 team.

As part of the GMS Cup announcement at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Beam said the team would have a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and run ECR engines. RPM currently runs out of the RCR campus based in Welcome, N.C. Both teams are expected to operate from the GMS base in Statesville, N.C.

Since entering the NASCAR ranks in 2014, GMS has won two truck titles (2016 and 2020) and 41 races in 612 starts. In the ARCA Menards Series, GMS scored the 2015 championship and the 2019-2020 ARCA East titles.