Michael Jordan’s appearance in a federal courtroom on December 5 turned into one of the most important moments so far in the antitrust case between 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR.
His one-hour testimony gave the jury a clear look at why he felt the current system doesn’t support teams and why he believed legal action was the only real path left. Jordan explained that he watched veteran owners push for change year after year with little movement.
He said that once he saw how the talks were going, and how the proposed charter deal came together, he believed the sport needed a fresh look and a stronger balance between NASCAR and the teams.
Michael Jordan says longtime owners were “brow-beaten.”
Jordan said his choice to challenge NASCAR came from what he witnessed inside negotiations. As Jenna Fryer of AP News reported, he told the jury, “Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity… I sat in those meetings with longtime owners who were brow-beaten for so many years, trying to make a change. I was a new person, and I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge NASCAR as a whole. I felt as far as the sport, it needed to be looked at from a different view.”
Jordan said 23XI rejected NASCAR’s proposed 112-page charter agreement for three direct reasons. Jordan told the court that 23XI rejected NASCAR’s proposed charter deal because it wasn’t economically workable, blocked teams from suing, and came with what he viewed as an unfair ultimatum
“One, I didn’t think it was economically viable. Two, it said you could not sue NASCAR, that was an antitrust violation, I felt. Three, they gave us an ultimatum I didn’t think was fair to 23XI.” He added that “The pillars that the teams wanted, no one on the NASCAR side even negotiated or compromised.”
“The revenue split was far less than any business I’ve ever been a part of. We didn’t think we’d ever get to what basketball was getting, but we wanted to move in that direction… The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”
Why 23XI refused to sign and chose to litigate
The Guardian reported Jordan repeating that he stepped up because he was not afraid to push back. “Someone had to step forward… I was a new person, and I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport, it needed to be looked at from a different view, he said.”
The Guardian also noted that Jordan said NASCAR’s lack of negotiation left the teams with one option. “Jordan said 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided instead their only feasible option was to refuse a signature on that 112-page package and litigate the matter… Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.”
Economic stakes and the teams’ core demands
Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported Michael Jordan’s explanation of why permanent charters mattered. “If those are not put on the table, why are we signing the deal? We looked at every other opportunity from that point forward, and this is where we ended up.”
“The thing I’m hoping for is you create more of a partnership between two entities… If that’s the case, it becomes a more valuable business. If you can ever compromise on the things that matter, you can grow your business.”
According to Catchfence, Jordan said teams wanted more revenue, voting power on costs, permanent charters, and a share of new business
“Jordan pointed to four items race teams sought in the 2025 charter agreement: 1) a larger share of NASCAR revenues, 2) governance in terms of voting power over specific cost increases, 3) permanent charters, and 4) a one-third share of new business.”
Jordan also highlighted driver safety needs. “The risk is to the drivers and the teams. The credit is not being given to the drivers who risk their lives every week without an insurance policy or a union. There is nothing to benefit them… I never saw Jim France drive a car. I never saw Jim France risk his life.”
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