Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing is suing NASCAR and its CEO Jim France regarding 'anti-competitive practices', arguing that their use has prevented fair competition in the sport.
23XI Racing is co-owned by NBA icon Jordan, current NASCAR Cup Series star Denny Hamlin, and Curtis Polk, with the trio having co-founded the team in 2020.
Since then, 23XI have competed in 138 Cup Series races, with seven victories under their belt. The team also enjoyed wider success in 2024, with #45 driver Tyler Reddick claiming the Cup Series regular season championship at Darlington last month.
Things hit a slight stumbling block last month, however, when it was revealed that 23XI Racing - along with Front Row Motorsports - had refused to sign up to NASCAR's charter agreement despite being reportedly threatened with losing their charters.
"They made a very serious threat to us, so we had to react seriously," Hamlin explained, via The Athletic. Now, 23XI, along with Front Row Motorsports, have filed a lawsuit.
Michael Jordan is a co-founder and co-owner of 23XI RacingDenny Hamlin also co-owns 23XI Racing
23XI Racing announce NASCAR lawsuit
At its core, the lawsuit argues that 'the stock car racing circuit and its leadership have used anti-competitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport', according to a release from 23XI.
That same release argues that NASCAR and CEO France have operated 'without transparency, have stifled competition, and control the sport of stock car racing in ways that unfairly benefit them at the expense of team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners, and fans', with six examples of this provided.
These include 'exclusivity deals on NASCAR-sanctioned racetracks' and 'preventing teams from participating in any other stock car races'.
A 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports joint statement read: “We share a passion for racing, the thrill of competition, and winning,"
"Off the racetrack, we share a belief that change is necessary for the sport we love.
"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."
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