Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are contesting NASCAR’s recent legal maneuvers aimed at preventing their participation as charter teams in the 2025 season. This dispute follows a December 18 ruling by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, which granted both teams a preliminary injunction to compete as chartered entries while their antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR proceeds.
NASCAR responded with an emergency motion seeking to overturn Judge Bell’s decision, arguing that the court misunderstood the protocols surrounding charter transfers. In their latest brief, 23XI and Front Row criticized NASCAR’s appeal as “tired, familiar, and shrill,” accusing the organization of reiterating previously rejected arguments.
The core of the teams’ antitrust lawsuit, filed in October, alleges that NASCAR’s charter system and business practices are monopolistic, restricting fair competition and equitable revenue distribution. They claim that NASCAR’s “take-it-or-leave-it” charter agreement, presented in September and signed by other teams, was coercive and detrimental to their interests.
As the legal battle continues, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is set to review NASCAR’s appeal. Meanwhile, the antitrust lawsuit is scheduled for trial in December 2025. The outcome of these proceedings could significantly impact the future operations and governance of NASCAR’s charter system.
