CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two NASCAR teams — one of them co-owned by Michael Jordan — filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the stock car series and chairman Jim France on Wednesday, claiming the new charter system limits competition by unfairly binding teams to the series, its tracks and its suppliers.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports filed suit in the Western District of North Carolina in Charlotte after two years of contentious negotiations between the privately owned National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing and the 15 charter-holding organizations in the Cup Series, the organization’s top series.
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UPDATE (from Jayski): The lawsuit seeks details from NASCAR and France “related to their exclusionary practices and intent to insulate themselves from any competition.” [Jeffrey Kessler, a top antitrust attorney] said he would ask for a preliminary injunction that will enable the two teams to compete in 2025 under the new charter agreement while the litigation proceeds.
The teams said they will seek treble damages for anti-competitive terms that have ruled the sport since the initial 2016 charter agreement.
AND: 23XI and Front Row Motorsports issued a joint statement Wednesday morning:
“We share a passion for racing, the thrill of competition, and winning. Off the racetrack, we share a belief that change is necessary for the sport we love. Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in ways that will benefit teams, drivers, sponsors, and, most importantly, fans’.”