Michael JordanThe racing team is suing NASCAR and its CEO, Jim France …claiming that the guy and his organization are “monopoly bullies.”
His Airness’ 23XI Racing – along with Front Row Motorsports – filed the lawsuit in North Carolina federal court on Wednesday … after the two teams said they refused to sign updated pacts with NASCAR because of ” unfair terms.”
In the filing, the teams said they wanted more when the time came to extend their charter agreements beyond 2024 – i.e. a bigger slice of the revenue pie – but France and NASCAR didn’t budge.
Ultimately, they claimed that the organization. pressured them to agree to a “take it or leave it” offer that, if they didn’t agree to, they could risk losing their status in the future.
Instead of signing, the two teams filed the lawsuit this week in hopes that a judge would intervene… and issue an injunction that would allow them to compete in the 2025 season without releasing their antitrust claims, putting pen to paper for France.
Eventually, they said in the filing, they want to stop France and NASCAR’s “illegal monopoly power.”
“I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans,” Jordan said of the lawsuit in a statement, “but the way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors and fans. willing to fight for a competitive market where everyone wins.”
Added Jordan 23XI Racing co-owner, Denny Hamlin“When I look around, I see that the best and most competitive sports in the world understand that when teams thrive, fans benefit, and that everyone who invests in making sport a success should share in that success fairly. With the right changes , we can certainly make this a reality in racing.”
Jordan and Hamlin founded 23XI Racing in 2020. Its top drivers include Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.
France and NASCAR, in turn, have not yet commented on the process.
