🔗 Share this article

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and status as a newcomer emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared operational insights of his racing venture, revealing he put in $40m of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with separately owned franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a picture 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 overhaul a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from September 2024. She recounted a frantic and emotional period where the racing circuit informed teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement consists of over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed spot in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. All other teams signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Victory

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

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, noting that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described 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, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader 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, that’s what I have. If I have 30, I have 30.”