Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports Sue NASCAR and CEO Jim France for Monopolistic Practices

Oct 2, 2024, 02:24 PM

23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports have filed a federal antitrust lawsuit in North Carolina against NASCAR and its CEO, Jim France. The teams accuse NASCAR and the France family of monopolistic practices, alleging the unlawful monopolization of premier stock car racing. In the lawsuit, they refer to NASCAR as "monopolistic bullies" and challenge the charter system and revenue-sharing model, claiming it limits competition and is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans. The teams are seeking a preliminary injunction to allow them to compete as chartered teams in 2025 while the lawsuit proceeds. Attorney Jeffrey Kessler, known for his prior antitrust cases representing athletes, is representing the teams. Kessler stated, "We think at the end of the day, NASCAR’s going to have to change because that’s what the legal system is going to require." Denny Hamlin expressed his concerns, saying, "I didn’t realize until re-investing the money that I've made as a driver back into the sport to put on a show for Jim France and NASCAR, how unfair this whole system is." Michael Jordan issued a statement saying, "The way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors and fans." The teams are seeking changes to address what they consider anti-competitive practices by NASCAR.