NASCAR’s appeal for a partial stay of the preliminary injunction has been….
NASCAR’s motion for a partial stay of the preliminary injunction has been denied by U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell. This decision mandates that NASCAR immediately approve the charter sale from Stewart-Haas Racing to Front Row Motorsports. However, this ruling does not extend to 23XI Racing, as their transfer was not included in the original filing; they will need to submit a separate request for consideration.
In his ruling, Judge Bell indicated that NASCAR did not demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits of their appeal and noted that arguments regarding irreparable harm had already been addressed. He emphasized that the court has broad discretion to issue injunctions based on the unique circumstances of each case. The injunction is specific to the 2025 season, allowing NASCAR to require the sale or take other actions concerning the transferred charters if they prevail in the case.
Front Row Motorsports had submitted the necessary paperwork for the charter transfer on November 14, 2024, after receiving initial approval from NASCAR President Steve Phelps in September. However, on December 5, NASCAR informed Front Row that the transfer would not be approved, citing the team’s unwillingness to drop its lawsuit and release antitrust claims. The court found this condition likely unlawful and determined that Front Row would suffer immediate irreparable harm without the injunction.
A trial on the antitrust lawsuit is scheduled for December 2025, unless the parties reach a resolution beforehand.
