NASCAR vs. 23XI Racing and FRM: Legal Battle Intensifies with Latest Response to Appeal
The storm surrounding NASCAR’s contentious charter agreement for the 2025 season just escalated, with NBA legend and 23XI Racing co-owner
Michael Jordan leveling fresh accusations against the organization. Jordan claims NASCAR is “blaming victims” in the ongoing antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports (FRM), which centers on monopolistic behavior.
As the legal drama unfolds, concerns grow about the sport’s stability and the potential fallout of a high-profile team exodus.
23XI Racing and FRM, the only two teams refusing to sign NASCAR’s new charter deal, are pursuing legal action to secure recognition as chartered teams while fighting allegations of monopolistic practices. U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney initially denied their request for a preliminary injunction, but a sudden judicial shift has brought Judge Kenneth D. Bell into the case.
In their latest filing, 23XI and FRM have accused NASCAR of retaliatory tactics, claiming the organization is attempting to “blame victims for asserting their antitrust rights.
” The lawsuit alleges that the charter deal, which the other 13 Cup Series teams signed, unfairly excludes dissenting teams and stifles competition.
Motorsports journalists Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi have raised alarm bells about the potential for a catastrophic split within NASCAR.
Drawing comparisons to the infamous 1990s “Open Wheel War” in American open-wheel racing, Bianchi suggested that a similar fracture could devastate NASCAR.
“If 23XI and FRM walk away—or worse, form a rival series—it would completely fracture NASCAR,” Bianchi said. “Losing high-profile teams could make it difficult to fill the grid and leave NASCAR scrambling to maintain its competitive appeal.”
