🔗 Share this article

The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and status as a newcomer emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team launched with business partner Curtis Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. From my perspective, the sport required examination from a different view.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other professional sports with independent franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media clamoring for a glimpse 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 operating model Jordan said is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from September 2024. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a contract extension. The document consists of 112 pages detailing team compensation and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that 112-page package and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

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

“Denny convinced me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he said, noting that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first tried to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Heather Gibbs said Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “Whether I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”