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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and status as a newcomer motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, saying he invested $40m of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, 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.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for an hour and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a photo of the global icon.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan contended is unlawful to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document spanned over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

Ultimately, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

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

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

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

She said, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France declined the request.

“Don’t do this to 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 I have 30, I have 30.”