🔗 Share this article

The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and status as a newcomer motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his racing venture, revealing he invested $40 million of his own funds 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 had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media clamoring for a view or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan contended is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a frantic and emotional period where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement consists of over a hundred pages detailing team compensation and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally concluded their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that extensive document and take the issue to court. All other teams signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

But in the end, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the signature deadline didn’t sit well.

She said, the team founder first tried to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted 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, that’s the number.”