🔗 Share this article

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and status as a newcomer emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared operational insights of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40m of his own funds into the Cup Series operation launched with business partner Curtis Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. This system mirrors other major leagues with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and left the court to a media frenzy, with fans and media vying for a view or a photo of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan said is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from September 2024. She recounted a frantic and emotional period where the sanctioning body told teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of 112 pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he bought a third charter last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

According to her, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”