🔗 Share this article

The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his competitive side and novelty within the sport motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his racing venture, saying he put in $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan stated in the Charlotte courtroom. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters vying for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan contended is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense period where the racing circuit told teams they must sign a contract extension. The document spanned 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners approached Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Winning

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Success.

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “Whether I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”