The antitrust battle between NASCAR and the two remaining holdout teams has turned into a long, tense fight. Testimony over the past few days has shown how wide the gap is between the sanctioning body and the teams that race under it.
Denny Hamlin explained earlier in the week how the current system puts teams under heavy financial pressure. Internal messages given to the court also showed top NASCAR officials admitting that the organization holds nearly all the power in negotiations.
With each witness, the picture has grown clearer. Teams say they feel boxed in by a structure they can’t afford and can’t influence. That backdrop set the stage for one of the most emotional moments yet.
Bob Jenkins Shares His Experience
Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins took the stand on December 3 and gave the most emotional testimony of the trial so far. Jenkins, who built his team in the early 2000s, said he felt “honestly very hurt” by NASCAR’s approach during charter talks.
He explained that NASCAR sent a 112-page proposed charter agreement to teams at 6 p.m. on Friday, September 6, 2024, and set a midnight deadline, according to Jenna Fryer of APNews.com.
Jenkins said NASCAR knew that no East Coast attorneys could review the document in time. He asked for more time, but NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps ended the talks and said negotiations were over.
Jenkins said he spoke with his two oldest sons, who help run the team, and chose not to sign. He then joined 23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, in filing the antitrust suit.
Thirteen of the fifteen teams signed the document under pressure because not signing meant losing guaranteed spots and key revenue. But Jenkins said no one felt good about it.
“There was a lot of passion, a lot of emotion, especially from Joe Gibbs; he felt like he had to sign it,” Jenkins testified. “Joe Gibbs felt like he let me down by signing. Not a single owner said, ‘I was happy to sign it.’ Not a single one.”
Financial Details Presented in Court
Jenkins also explained the numbers behind his decision. He told the court that Front Row Motorsports has never made a profit since it started in 2003. He estimated the team has lost about $100 million during that time, which averages out to roughly $6.8 million per year.
Even after winning the 2021 Daytona 500, he said it still costs around $20 million per car to run a season in the Cup Series. The new charter plan would guarantee teams only $12.5 million for each car. Jenkins described the proposed 2025 agreement as “insulting.”
“It was insulting, it went so far backward. NASCAR wanted to run the governance with an iron fist, it was like taxation without representation,” he testified. “NASCAR has the right to do whatever it wants.”
Even after making those strong statements, Jenkins made sure to point out that he does not want to harm the sport. “This is not about bashing the France family,” he said. “They’ve made a lot of great decisions. This charter is not one of them.”
Ongoing NASCAR Trial and What Comes Next
The trial, now in its fourth day, has already included two moments where NASCAR violated court orders, putting added attention on how the organization handles private information. With both Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing entering 2025 without charters, the stakes are even higher for both groups. Their decision not to sign the charter brings more weight to the case.
Jenkins’ testimony added another major piece to a trial that is already forcing the sport to look closely at how NASCAR manages its top division. More executives and team leaders are expected to testify in the coming days.
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