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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his competitive side and status as a newcomer emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of competition laws.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

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

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a photo of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan said is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the racing circuit informed teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

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

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he said, noting that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, that’s the number.”