CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NASCAR, Front Row Motorsports, and 23XI Racing reached a settlement Thursday, ending a two-week antitrust trial in which the teams accused the racing organization of restricting competition.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The resolution came shortly after the court convened, following private discussions between attorneys and corporate representatives, including Michael Jordan, Curtis Polk, Lesa France Kennedy, and Jim France, with U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell. The trial, originally scheduled to continue through Friday, had already seen over a week of testimony from the plaintiffs, with NASCAR set to present its case and closing arguments expected the following week.
Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing, the latter partially owned by Jordan, argued that NASCAR’s 2025 racing charters were anticompetitive. The teams claimed they could secure more lucrative deals if NASCAR did not block potential rivals through exclusive track agreements and restrictions on the use of Next Gen cars in competing series. NASCAR’s charter system, which functions like a franchise, guarantees multiyear contracts or requires teams to qualify for each Cup Series race. The dispute arose when the plaintiffs refused the 2025 agreements while the other 13 teams signed.
Jordan testified during the trial that he envisioned a partnership-like relationship between NASCAR and its teams, similar to professional basketball. He stressed that while he respected NASCAR’s contributions to the sport, the financial and physical risks fall entirely on the drivers and teams, not the organization’s leadership. “I never saw Jim France drive a car. I never saw Jim France risk his life,” Jordan said, emphasizing the challenges faced by competitors on the track.