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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and novelty within the sport emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, saying he put in $40m of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated 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 required examination through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. 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 teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for an hour and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with fans and media clamoring for a view or a photo of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan said is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are details from last September. She recounted a frantic and emotional six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement consists of 112 pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their only feasible option was to decline to sign that 112-page package and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Success.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, noting that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

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

She said, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

“Please don’t force this on 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.”