NASCAR dealt major BLOW as Jordan lawsuit takes shock twist

NASCAR have been dealt a major blow after issuing a huge demand in their antitrust lawsuit case against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.

23XI — co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and current Cup Series star Denny Hamlin — filed an antitrust lawsuit against the series back in October, along with FRM.

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This move came after both teams refused to sign up to NASCAR's new charter agreement.

Since then, there have been several hearings on the case, with the most recent developments coming in Charlotte this week.

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NASCAR demand lawsuit dismissal

Earlier this week, NASCAR demanded that the judge involved in the case dismiss the lawsuit filed against them by 23XI and FRM, according to AP.

Furthermore, the stock racing series also asked for their CEO, Jim France, to be removed as a defendant in the case, having been named by 23XI and FRM in the initial lawsuit.

This is the latest twist in a series of many developments that have happened since the case was first heard in November, which has included a change of judge.

23XI and FRM's argument behind their lawsuit is that as the only stock car entity in the United States, NASCAR has a monopoly over the sport, and are not giving teams their fair share as a result.

Despite initially maintaining they would compete as open cars in 2025, both teams convinced the new judge to grant them chartered status by arguing that they would suffer 'irreparable harm' if forced to compete as open cars.

One such scenario, for example, would be that 23XI's Tyler Reddick would immediately become a free agent if the team lost their chartered status, meaning the team would be down a star driver.

NASCAR Jordan lawsuit latest

Now, in the very latest developments in the lawsuit, the judge in the case has denied NASCAR's motion to dismiss, giving Jordan, 23XI and FRM yet another 'win' in the case, as per reports.

Simultaneously, the judge also dismissed another motion that had been filed by NASCAR earlier this week that sought a financial bond to be posted by 23XI and FRM that would be paid to NASCAR if they won the lawsuit.

After these developments, the lawsuit is now set to continue and rumble on in the background as the 2025 Cup Series season gets underway.

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