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

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed operational insights of his racing venture, revealing he invested $40m of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport required examination from a different view.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other major leagues with independent franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and left the court to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a photo of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

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

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from September 2024. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional six hours where the racing circuit informed teams they had to sign a contract extension. This agreement consists of 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. All other teams agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

Ultimately, the pushback against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s executives. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, that’s the number.”