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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his racing venture, revealing he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny 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 in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport required examination through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

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

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan contended is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from September 2024. She recounted a hectic and tense period where the racing circuit told teams they had to sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally decided their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. All other teams signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

But in the end, the pushback against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Success.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, noting that he purchased another franchise last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

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