"The Antitrust Dispute: NASCAR Accused of Shifting Blame onto Victims by Michael Jordan's Team"
The most recent developments in a legal case against NASCAR now involve Michael Jordan accusing the organization of placing blame on the victim.
Jordan, who is a co-owner of 23XI Racing, is once again requesting a temporary injunction against NASCAR to allow them to participate in the 2025 season as chartered teams, despite not signing a charter.
In a motion for a preliminary injunction, 23XI and Front Row Motorsports sought to be recognized as chartered teams while they pursue a lawsuit against NASCAR for antitrust violations. The two racing teams refused to sign a take-it-or-leave-it charter agreement presented to them in September, which was signed by the other 13 organizations in the Cup Series. 23XI and Front Row have accused NASCAR of being "monopolistic bullies" in their business practices.
Their request for an injunction was initially denied by U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney in North Carolina. However, on Wednesday, it was announced that Judge Whitney was no longer assigned to the case and was replaced by Judge Kenneth D. Bell, with no explanation given.
In a new court filing on Thursday, 23XI and Front Row stated that NASCAR is "blaming the victims for asserting their antitrust rights."
Furthermore, Front Row's general manager Jerry Freeze stated in an affidavit that NASCAR had threatened to reject their purchase of a new charter to expand to three full-time cars unless they dropped their lawsuit.
Freeze also claimed that he had signed an agreement with NASCAR to purchase a new charter in April, but NASCAR did not object until December.
Without a charter, 23XI and Front Row can still compete in NASCAR next year, but they will not have the protection of being guaranteed entry to certain races or receiving revenue sharing benefits. The teams argue that this could result in the loss of sponsors and fans, but NASCAR has argued that this is merely speculation.
NASCAR has urged the court to deny the motion for an injunction and has previously filed a motion to dismiss the antitrust suit altogether. Both NASCAR and its chairman Jim France are named as defendants in the case.
