🔗 Share this article

The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and status as a newcomer motivated 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 personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated in the Charlotte courtroom. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a glimpse or a photo of the global icon.

Leading the Legal Charge

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

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are events from September 2024. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional six hours where the racing circuit informed teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that 112-page package and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Bottom Line: Victory

But in the end, the pushback against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Success.

“Denny convinced me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he bought a third charter last year for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

She said, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

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