🔗 Share this article

The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, stated that his competitive side and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, saying he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport required examination from a different view.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with fans and media clamoring for a view or a picture of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan said is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the racing circuit informed teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement consists of 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that 112-page package and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

Ultimately, the pushback against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he said, noting that he purchased another franchise last year for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline didn’t sit well.

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but CEO Jim France declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”