🔗 Share this article

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and status as a newcomer motivated his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed operational insights of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation launched with business partner Curtis Polk and driver Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan stated in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with fans and media vying for a view or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense period where the sanctioning body told teams they had to sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Winning

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter last year for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the signature deadline didn’t sit well.

According to her, the team founder first tried to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s leadership. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, that’s the number.”