NASCAR fires back at Michael Jordan’s team with | Sports News

The saga between NASCAR, the Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin-owned 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports (FRM) took yet another turn Wednesday. 

NASCAR filed a 30-page lawsuit against 23XI and FRM claiming that the two teams “embarked on a strategy to threaten, coerce, and extort NASCAR into meeting their demands for better contract and financial terms.” The organization also claims that with the lawsuit, Charters or the “cross exclusivities that benefitted both parties” will be eliminated. 

What’s more, NASCAR also alleges that 23XI, those involved with the team and other teams themselves were involved in a “misinformation campaign” meant to “increase their collective leverage” against the organization in any further dealings, specifically the Charter negotiations. 

NASCAR also is alleging that Curtis Polk, one of the co-owners of 23XI, was part of a “conspiracy and agreement in unreasonable restraint of interstate trade and commerce, constituting a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act,” according to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. 

As a result, NASCAR has called the teams in the suit a “cartel” on two separate occasions: On pages 25 and 26 of the lawsuit. “Counterclaim Defendants’ participation in the unlawful cartel has resulted in harm to NASCAR’s Cup Series through decreased competition, participation and growth of the sport,” the suit claimed. 

It remains to be seen how Jordan, Polk, 23XI and FRM will respond to NASCAR’s latest filing. Still, 23XI continues its operations, recently signing young star Corey Heim to join its current crop of drivers which includes stars Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst. 

Hamlin, the co-owner of 23XI, also provided a potential update on what the team would be doing in 2026 regarding Heim.

“We’re excited about this,” Hamlin said on the ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast. “Corey is somebody that has been- he raced for us at Nashville last year, drove from the back of the pack to the top 12 before we had nine green-white-checkers. He did a great job for us and obviously has been part of the Toyota Racing Development Program for many, many years now. 

“For us, we’re going to run him in some races this year, going to run him in some more races next year, and just see what the future holds for him so we’re excited to give him that opportunity. He deserves it.”