Roush Fenway Racing no longer has a spare charter in its back pocket.
Roush Fenway confirmed Tuesday that it has sold the No. 16 charter to Team Penske, according to ESPN’s Bob Pockrass. Penske will utilize the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series franchise to field the No. 12 Ford wheeled by Ryan Blaney.
RFR hasn’t made use of its third Cup charter since Greg Biffle retired in 2016, opting to lease it to JTG Daugherty Racing for 2017 and instead run a two-car operation.
By condensing its Cup program, Roush was able to make noticeable gains, allowing Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to break through and pick up his first Cup win in 2017.
Both Stenhouse and Trevor Bayne hope to carry that momentum into 2018, with Bayne specifically noting that the No. 6 team will need to follow the No. 17 squad’s lead by finding ways to reach victory lane.
