Fiery texts from Michael Jordan, NASCAR executives disclosed in NASCAR antitrust battle
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina: The bitter fight between NASCAR and two of its teams who have filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the stock-racing giant spilled into public view Thursday during an acrimonious hearing that included the disclosure of expletive-laden emails and text messages from team owner Michael Jordan and other high-profile litigants. In one exchange, the retired NBA Hall of Famer2222e2 and co-owner of the 23XI Racing Team used disparaging language about Joe Gibbs Racing and the 13 other teams that signed NASCAR’s new charter agreements last September. “Teams are going to regret not joining us,” Jordan wrote in a text message to Curtis Polk, his business manager who, along with Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin own 23XI Racing. That organization and Front Row Motorsports were the only two that refused to sign extension agreements on charter agreements, the equivalent of franchises in other sports. The two teams then sued NASCAR, accusing it of being a bully and monopoly in a brawl that has played out all year and prompted both teams to say they risk going out of business if the series sells their charters out from under them. Nothing, however, has been as explosive as the details that came to light for the first time Thursday as documents related to discovery were disclosed. NASCAR is privately owned by the Florida-based France family, with founder Bill France Sr.’s son, Jim, the current chairman.