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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and novelty within the sport motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared operational insights of his racing venture, saying he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other major leagues with separately owned franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media vying for a view or a photo of the global icon.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law 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 frantic and emotional six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned 112 pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

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

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

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s executives. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If I have 30, that’s the number.”