Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing Team issues lawsuit against NASCAR.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have filed a joint antitrust lawsuit against CEO Jim France and NASCAR, accusing them of employing anticompetitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have filed a joint antitrust lawsuit against CEO Jim France and NASCAR, accusing them of employing anticompetitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport.
The lawsuit was submitted on Wednesday, October 2, in the Western District of North Carolina in Charlotte.
In a joint statement, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports said: “Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in ways that will benefit teams, drivers, sponsors, and, most importantly, fans.”
“The France family and NASCAR are monopolistic bullies, and bullies will continue to impose their will to hurt others until their targets stand up and refuse to be victims. That moment has now arrived.” – the teams stated in lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.
In early September, NASCAR presented its final proposal regarding a revenue-sharing model, 13 organizations signed with many saying that their decision was made under pressure or or felt threatened into doing so.
Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing, along with Front Row Motorsports team refused to sign the proposal, and hired Jeffrey Kessler, a top antitrust attorney.
23XI Racing team released their statement on social media: “23XI decided to not meet a NASCAR-imposed deadline last night to sign Charter agreements for its two cars for 2025-2031. 23XI’s position, as stated in a letter to NASCAR, is that we did not have an opportunity to fairly bargain for a new Charter contract. We notified NASCAR what issues needed to be addressed, in writing, at the deadline. We are interested in engaging in constructive discussions with NASCAR to address these issues and move forward in a way that comes to a fair resolution, while strengthening the sport we all love.”
23XI Racing is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. It is owned and operated by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin.