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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and novelty within the sport motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed operational insights of his racing venture, saying he put in $40m of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with independent franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and left the court to a media frenzy, with fans and media vying for a glimpse or a picture of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body told teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their only feasible option was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. All other teams signed the agreement.

The team owners approached 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 mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

According to her, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. 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.”