CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – Retired NBA legend Michael Jordan took the stand Friday in the high-profile NASCAR antitrust trial, explaining that his long-standing love for stock car racing compelled him to challenge the series’ business model, which he believes shortchanges teams and drivers despite the risks they take on the track. Jordan, co-owner of the 23XI Racing team, testified for roughly an hour before a packed courtroom, emphasizing that joining Front Row Motorsports in filing the lawsuit was necessary to spark change.
“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” Jordan told the jury. “I sat in those meetings with longtime owners who were brow-beaten for so many years trying to make a change. I was a new person, and I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge NASCAR as a whole. I felt as far as the sport, it needed to be looked at from a different view.”
His testimony followed that of Heather Gibbs, daughter-in-law of Joe Gibbs Racing owner Joe Gibbs, who described the tense six-hour period in September 2024 when teams were pressured to sign an extension on NASCAR’s charter system or risk losing guaranteed race entries and revenue. Gibbs said the contract felt “like a gun to your head,” forcing many teams to accept terms they considered unfair.
Charters, introduced in 2016, guarantee a team’s car entry in every race and a fixed payout, similar to a franchise system. While most teams signed the 112-page extension, 23XI and Front Row were the only two to refuse, citing economic concerns and clauses preventing antitrust litigation. They then filed the lawsuit alleging NASCAR’s monopolistic practices.
Jordan detailed how 23XI purchased a third charter for $28 million despite the uncertainty. He also compared NASCAR’s revenue-sharing model unfavorably to the NBA, noting the league distributes a far greater share of income to players. “The revenue split was far less than any business I’ve ever been a part of,” Jordan said. “We didn’t think we’d ever get to what basketball was getting, but we wanted to move in that direction. The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”
Jordan explained that he owns 60% of 23XI and has invested $35 million to $40 million in the team since it began competing in 2021. Other witnesses, including Heather Gibbs, detailed the personal stakes teams faced in negotiations and the impact of the charter system on the long-term viability of NASCAR teams.
Jordan praised NASCAR’s accomplishments but emphasized the need for the organization to better support drivers and teams, who risk their lives weekly without significant protections or a union. “I never saw Jim France drive a car. I never saw Jim France risk his life,” Jordan said, highlighting the lack of recognition for those on the front lines of racing.