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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and novelty within the sport motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed operational insights of his racing venture, revealing he put in $40m of his own funds into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters vying for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan said is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan 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 told teams they must sign a contract extension. The document spanned 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. All other teams signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

According to her, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

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