Michael Jordan And His Race Team Are Suing NASCAR: ‘I’m Willing To Fight For A Competitive Market Where Everyone Wins’

NBA legend Michael Jordan and his race team are suing NASCAR. 

23XI Racing — co-owned by Jordan — and Front Row Motorsports alleged Wednesday that NASCAR and CEO Jim France “have used anti-competitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport.”

“Everyone knows that I have always been a fierce competitor and that will to win is what drives me and the entire 23XI team each and every week out on the track,” Jordan said in a statement. “I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans, but the way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors and fans. Today’s action shows I’m willing to fight for a competitive market where everyone wins.”

Jordan Bianchi and Jeff Gluck of The Athletic have more:

“The lawsuit is a culmination of two years of contentious negotiations between NASCAR and Cup Series teams over extending the so-called ‘charter’ agreement, a franchise-like system that gives teams certain monetary guarantees, including a percentage of revenue distributed to teams through NASCAR’s recently announced media rights deal that extends through 2031,” Bianchi and Gluck wrote. “Last month, 13 of 15 teams signed an extension to the charter agreement that was set to expire at the end of the year. That extension is for seven years with a seven-year option. 23XI and Front Row were the holdouts, with each ownership group outspoken that they wanted a better deal from NASCAR.”

Jordan is universally recognized as the greatest player in NBA history. He averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards.

Jordan won five MVPs, one Rookie of the Year Award, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, six NBA championships, six Finals MVPs, 10 scoring titles and three steals titles with the Bulls.

“After a two-year negotiation, NASCAR gave teams a take-it-or-leave-it offer on Sept. 6, two days before the opening race of NASCAR’s playoffs at Atlanta Motor Speedway,” Bianchi and Gluck wrote. “Multiple team owners told The Athletic that NASCAR presented teams with its final offer at approximately 5 p.m. ET with an initial one-hour deadline to accept before extending the deadline to midnight after owners pushed back. Displeased with what they perceived as NASCAR’s lack of willingness to negotiate in good faith, along with the sudden deadline, 23XI and Front Row declined to sign. Because they did not sign the extension, the two teams are at risk of losing their charters, valued anywhere from $30 million to $50 million apiece, for nothing. Among the things 23XI and Front Row are seeking in the lawsuit is an injunction to prevent NASCAR from taking the two charters each team holds.”