This weekend's entry list for the Sprint Cup race Atlanta Motor Speedway has 39 entries, one shy of a full field. It's a fact rarely seen in stockcar racing's highest level of competition.
This season, NASCAR trimmed to 40 cars the fields for two of its three major national racing series, down from 43. For Sprint Cup, the change was introduced in a landmark charter system.
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That system also affected the amount of prize money available.