🔗 Share this article

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his competitive side and novelty within the sport motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared operational insights of his 23XI team, saying he put in $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team launched with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and left the court to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a photo of the sports legend.

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 contended 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. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional six hours where the racing circuit told teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed spot in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that 112-page package and litigate the matter. All other teams signed the agreement.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

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

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the contract signing demand was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Don’t do this to us,” Heather Gibbs said was the message to Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, that’s the number.”