User blog:Ajaxcupseries/How Much Will Brynn Rennerd’s New Contract Affect the Future Cup Series Driver Market?

The Fallon Corner - August 2025

When eight time Cup Series winner Brynn Rennerd broke the bank by inking a fat new contract worth $13M per year to join Michael White Racing for the 2025 season, many team owners around the ASCA were collectively clutching their pearls.

They knew immediately what the long term ramifications of this deal would be - and they wouldn’t exactly be pretty for their wallets.

Diego Orkedi holding out to break the bank with a $96M deal over eight years just before the 2022 season got underway made sense. This was a driver at the time with three Cup titles and 20 Ajax Cup victories still in the prime of his career, so him becoming the highest paid driver in the sport was a necessary evil for Orkedi Bros Racing.

Chris Barrymore a couple months later signing a four year deal worth $11M per season while questionable, also made sense. This was a 24 year old in the midst of a career year, why wouldn’t you pay the piper if it meant locking up a potentially elite level driver longterm?

About a year later, Cameron Atwood on the verge of wrapping up his historic title run inked a three year extension that’d tie himself with Diego Orkedi as the highest paid driver in the sport on a per season basis. Another deal that made loads of sense, as Atwood had certainly proven by that point he was an elite talent still in the prime of his career.

However, Brynn Rennerd’s three year, $39M pact to become the highest paid driver in the sport inked late last year fails to follow the path of the previous men to hold that title before him.

As it stands, currently only eight of the 24 full time entrants for this upcoming season are making $10M a year or more. Five of them are former champions, have a double digit win tally, or boast both.

The three of them that don’t? Chris Barrymore, Shane Park, and Brynn Rennerd.

As mentioned for Barrymore earlier, he was having a breakout season and was expected to replicate that success in the years to come. While he hasn’t exactly done that in 2023 and 2024, at only the age of 27 Barrymore should just now be entering his prime and Father Time realistically won’t have any impact on his performance anytime soon.

For Shane Park, its a very similar situation to that of Barrymore. Having just inked a two year extension that includes a raise up to $11M in 2026 and 2027, only at the age of 24 Park already boasts multiple wins and a runner up points finish. The sky seems to be the limit for one of the brightest young stars in the ASCA.

So what exactly does Brynn Rennerd bring in comparison to the table to those two?

Rennerd most certainly does not have youth on his side being 33 this year - the age that most drivers not named Randle Woods or Diego Orkedi start to slow down at.

Accolades also aren’t exactly Rennerd’s strong suit either compared to fellow elite level drivers, as if you look past his crown jewel wins; the Phoenix native has never won more than once in a season while also finishing no better than second in points.

While there’s no doubt you can do a LOT worse than a veteran presence like Rennerd, was he REALLY worth more money per year than a Diego Orkedi or Cameron Atwood?

The answer is - not even close.

Where the problem lies is not specifically with Michael White Racing and their decision to overpay, but for the dangerous precedent it sets for the silly season driver market going forward.

Young drivers that have shown flashes of elite potential such as Carson Schmidt and Braeden Bennett on expiring deals are now already asking for upwards of ~$10M per year, because if a solid to above average driver like a Brynn Rennerd can get that deal, why can’t they?

Chris Barrymore will likely decline his team option and hit the open market this year, and considering he’ll only be 28 next season who’s to say his Sweepstakes won’t get as out of control as Rennerd’s did and he won’t become the highest paid driver in the sport?

Also factor in the likes of elite level talents such as Greg Healey and Todd Kidd’s contracts both expiring at the end of the 2026 season - how much will they command just to re-sign to their respective organizations.

Overall, with the introduction of V6 turbo hybrid engines and the standard set by Brynn Rennerd’s giant contract…..I would NOT want to look at an ASCA team owner’s bank account these next few years.

Don’t be surprised if at some point the sanctioning body themselves has to step in and regulate driver salaries before they get too out of control towards the end of this decade.