CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Moments after Judge Kenneth D. Bell announced a settlement agreement and dismissed the jury Thursday in the case of “23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports v. NASCAR,” the healing already had begun.
NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell was smiling as he slapped Michael Jordan on the back. The co-owner of 23XI, one of the plaintiffs in the case, smiled back and the two men—adversaries in the antitrust litigation just a day earlier—talked pleasantly for a moment.
NASCAR officials have granted a waiver to Austin Hill, officials confirmed to NASCAR.com Tuesday night, allowing the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet driver to remain eligible for the Xfinity Series Playoffs despite missing last weekend’s race at Iowa Speedway.
Hill, a three-time winner in 2025, was suspended from Saturday’s Hy-Vee Perks 250 at Iowa for his actions in the July 26 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where officials viewed Hill intentionally crashed Aric Almirola in the waning laps of the event. Hill was also issued a five-lap penalty for reckless driving immediately after the incident.
