🔗 Share this article

The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and status as a newcomer motivated his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed operational insights of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40m of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team launched with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. 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

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with separately owned franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and left the court to a media frenzy, with fans and media vying for a glimpse or a photo of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense period where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement consists of 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their only feasible option was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Victory

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

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

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

She said, the team founder first tried to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If I have 30, I have 30.”