The NBA legend Testifies He ‘Wasn’t Afraid’ of the Racing Body in Antitrust Trial

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and status as a newcomer motivated his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed operational insights of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team 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 had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and left the court to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a picture of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from September 2024. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement consists of over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their only feasible option was to decline to sign that 112-page package and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Winning

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

“Denny convinced me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Heather Gibbs said was the message to Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”