Jordan’s Nascar team is one of the most popular in the sport

NASCAR’S legal battle with Michael Jordan is heating up.

The racing series filed suit against Jordan’s 23XI racing team, labeling them as an “illegal cartel.”

Michael Jordan at a NASCAR race.
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Michael Jordan’s Nascar team is being sued by the racing seriesCredit: Getty

Bubba Wallace's #23 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry NASCAR pit stop.
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23XI racing and Front Row Motorsports are named in a lawsuit from NascarCredit: Getty
According to The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi, Nascar has sued 23XI and fellow team Front Row Motorsports.

The filing comes in relation to the lawsuit 23XI and Front Row started against Nascar alleging antitrust violations.

The center of the disputes is Nascar’s charter system, which is how team enter races and receive revenue sharing.

According to the Athletic, Nascar claims the teams “agreed to a scheme to pressure NASCAR to accept their collusive terms, including by engaging in media campaigns, interfering with NASCAR’s broadcast agreement negotiations, threatening boycotts of NASCAR events and engaging in a group boycott of a NASCAR Team Owner Council Meeting.”

23XI co-owner Curtis Polk is also being sued in the lawsuit, and he is called out for “representing all teams in negotiations, coordinating their conduct, and threatening teams that considered leaving the conspiracy and interfering and negatively affecting NASCAR’s attempts to renew its media rights agreements.”

Negotiations have been underway for multiple years regarding Nascar’s new charter agreement.

Teams initially wanted permanent charters for teams while Nascar wanted to extend the agreement until 2031.

Eventually, 13 teams signed the agreement, but 23XI and Front Row held out.

While neither team is signed to a charter, a federal judge ruled that they can race in the 2025 season while in their legal battle with Nascar.

Nascar appealed that decision, and it will be heard in May.
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According to The Athletic, Nascar is not looking to settle with the teams.

“The deal is the deal,” Nascar attorney Chris Yates told The Athletic.

“Front Row and 23XI may think that by suing NASCAR, they can achieve better terms.

“But that is not NASCAR’s intent at all.”

The lawsuit certainly puts Nascar into a sticky situation with how notable 23XI is.

Tyler Reddick's #45 Toyota Camry racing at Circuit of The Americas.
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23XI and Front Row previously sued Nascar for being a monopolyCredit: Getty
Jordan has become a prominent face in the sport and is one of the most popular sports figures of all time.

On top of that 23XI has become an extremely popular team with drivers Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick headlining the garage.

Even worse, Reddick won the regular season championship last year and finished in the top four of the playoffs.

Regardless of how the lawsuit finishes, it’s going to be ugly for America’s biggest racing series.