Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports sue NASCAR over charter deal

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, the two NASCAR Cup Series organizations that have not signed the charter agreement that begins in 2025, have filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and its chairman Jim France.

"By blocking the formation or growth of any competing premier stock car racing series, NASCAR has been able to force the teams to accept take-it-or-leave-it economic conditions in order to compete at the highest level of stock car racing in the United States," the complaint states.

"The France family has realized monopoly profits through its ownership and control over the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), which has exploited its economic power as the sole premier stock car racing organization in the United States."

The filing, in federal court in North Carolina, is not necessarily a surprise. Noted antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler — who has been instrumental in college athletes being able to be paid for their name image and likeness – represents the teams.

Basketball icon Michael Jordan co-owns 23XI Racing with driver Denny Hamlin, and they just built a 114,000-square-foot race shop and fields cars for Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace. Restaurant owner Bob Jenkins owns Front Row and fields cars for Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland. Both organizations are expecting to expand to three cars in 2025 with the acquisition of a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing.

"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," Michael 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