Michael Jordan‘s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and the France family in October 2024, accusing the sanctioning body of monopolistic practices and unfair charter negotiations. Here is everything you should know about the same:
The Charter Agreement Standoff and 23XI Refusing to Sign
NASCAR set a hard deadline on September 5, 2024 for teams to sign the new 2025 charter agreement after months of stalled negotiations. On September 6, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports refused to sign, claiming they “did not have an opportunity to fairly bargain for a new Charter contract.” All other 13 teams signed the agreement.
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The Lawsuit Was Filed on the 2nd of October, 2024
On October 2, 2024, both teams filed a joint antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and the France family. They hired prominent antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler and accused NASCAR of “anti-competitive and monopolistic control of the sport.” The lawsuit called the France family “monopolistic bullies” who ran the sport to “unfairly benefit them at the expense of team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners, and fans.”
The teams immediately filed for a preliminary injunction to keep their charters during the lawsuit. Judge Frank D. Whitney denied the request on November 8, stating the teams failed to prove irreparable harm. The teams appealed, then refiled with new arguments on November 26, citing urgent charter purchase deadlines from the closing Stewart-Haas Racing.
On December 18, new judge Kenneth D. Bell granted the preliminary injunction, allowing both teams to compete as chartered entries for 2025. NASCAR appealed but lost. The trial date was set for December 1, 2025.
NASCAR Fought Back Filing a Motion
NASCAR filed a motion to dismiss on December 2, calling the lawsuit “nothing more than dissatisfaction with business negotiations.” On March 5, 2025, NASCAR countersued both teams for unlawful conspiracy and violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, claiming they tried to “threaten, coerce, and extort NASCAR.”
The appeals court revoked the preliminary injunction on June 5, 2025, meaning both teams could lose their charters. Teams filed another motion for a temporary restraining order on July 14, which NASCAR called “unnecessary and inappropriate.”
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