🔗 Share this article

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and status as a newcomer motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his racing venture, saying he put in $40 million of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team launched with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan stated during testimony. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. From my perspective, the sport required examination through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media vying for a view or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan contended is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a frantic and emotional period where the sanctioning body told teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document spanned over a hundred pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

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

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he testified, noting that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

She said, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”