Michael Jordan Says The Lawsuit Is “For The Betterment Of The Sport”
For the past five years, Michael Jordan has been able to add another sport under his belt.
As a partner with NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, Jordan co-owns the auto racing team 23XI Racing, with the 23 in the name being a nod to his number while playing basketball for the Chicago Bulls. Similarly, the XI refers to Hamlin, who races as No. 11.
Notably, 23XI Racing is the organization that racers like Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick drive for at NASCAR events.
On Monday, December 1, Jordan and Hamlin were joined by members of Front Row Motorsports in court as an antitrust trial, dubbed 23XI Racing & FRM v. NASCAR, began.
At the center of the case is the accusation that NASCAR is a monopoly, using its structure as a means of intimidating racers to comply with charters for inclusion in NASCAR racing events which do not always equate to adequate funding.
Funding And Charter Issues Within NASCAR
According to Jordan, Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, at least 75% of team owners are unable to turn a profit while racing in NASCAR, as cited by the Associated Press.
Jeffrey Kessler, the attorney representing 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, said during the trial on December 1 that while only a quarter of all team owners financially benefit from competing, but, allegedly, over a three-year period nearly $400 million was paid to the family of NASCAR’s owner, Jim France.
Introducing their argument, Kessler said, “What the evidence is going to show is Mr. France ran this for the benefit of his family at the expense of the teams and sport.”
Meanwhile, drivers like Hamlin testified in court that it cost him approximately $20 million for a single car compete in a 38-race season. That figure does not account for additional costs for a driving team, such as driver salary.
With that in mind, Kessler asked, “So, why would these people do this if you are just going to lose money because NASCAR isn’t giving you a fair deal? Because you love stock car racing, and there’s nowhere else to do it.”
Since 2004, Front Row Motorsports has been led by Bob Jenkins, a restaurant entrepreneur, and it has been claimed in court that he has only turned a profit once in the 21 seasons his team has competed.
While Jordan and Hamlin have turned a profit in four of the past five seasons with 23XI Racing, Jordan still says he is seeking to pursue this lawsuit “for the betterment of the sport.”
After a hearing regarding the case in August, Jordan was joined by Kessler and addressed the public outside of the courthouse.
There, Jordan said, “Even though they tried to point out that we make some money, we’ve had a successful business, that’s not the point. The point is, is that the sport itself needs to continue to change for the betterment of the fans, as well as for NASCAR, too.”
He added, “I look forward to going down with the fire. If I have to fight this to the end for the betterment of the sport, I will do it.”
Watch more of his post-hearing statement, here:
Statements after today’s hearing from Jeffrey Kessler (23XI/FRM attorney) and Michael Jordan: pic.twitter.com/0dInrjOcX9
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) August 28, 2025
Posting on social media ahead of the start of the trial, Hamlin said, “It’s time for truth. It’s time for change.”
What Brought This About?
This lawsuit was triggered by the plaintiff teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, being given a reportedly rushed “take it or leave it” offer to secure charters in the 2025 racing season.
Prior to this, Michael Jordan and other management officials for the teams had been embroiled in years of negotiations over revenue. A total of 13 other teams were also engaged in these talks, but ultimately acquiesced in 2024.
In which by not agreeing to the charter agreement, despite turning a profit four of the past five seasons, Jordan insists he is standing on principle against the NASCAR monopoly over racing.
If 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports lose this trial, they are likely going to have their NASCAR charters sold to another team, barring their drivers from competing in NASCAR circuit races.
Due to a court injunction in December of 2024, which has been thoroughly contested over the past year, 23XI Racing’s drivers have been permitted to continue competing as the trial approached and is now underway.
This is a developing story.