Source: Logan Riely / Getty
NBA legend Michael Jordan has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR in federal court in North Carolina.
On Wednesday (Oct. 2), NBA Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan and his 23XI Racing Team joined Front Row Motorsports in filing a federal anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR and its chairman, Jim France. The suit was filed in the Western District of North Carolina, where Charlotte is located. Jordan is also a part owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. “The France family and NASCAR are monopolistic bullies,” the teams said in the filing. “And bullies will continue to impose their will to hurt others until their targets stand up and refuse to be victims. That moment has now arrived.”
The main point of contention lies in the charter system which NASCAR implemented in 2016 which included revenue sharing and 36 guaranteed entries in the league’s Cup Series. Teams complained that they were presented with a last-minute offer 48 hours before the playoffs began. “Faced with a take-it-or-leave-it offer, and no competing opportunity for premier stock car racing in the United States, most of the teams concluded that they had to sign,” the lawsuit states. “One team described its signing as ‘coerced,’ and another said it was ‘under duress.’ 23XI Racing Team and Front Row Motorsports declined to sign the deal.
The lawsuit also disclosed a lack of transparency from France, complaining that NASCAR prevented teams from competing in other stock car races and forced them to buy parts only from NASCAR-approved suppliers. “No other major professional sport in North America is run by a single family that enriches themselves through these kinds of unchecked monopolistic practices,” the lawsuit said.
“Everyone knows that I have always been a fierce competitor and that will to win is what drives me and the entire 23XI team each and every week out on the track,” Jordan said in a statement. “I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans, but the way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans. Today’s action shows I’m willing to fight for a competitive market where everyone wins.” Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins claimed that he hasn’t made a profit since joining NASCAR in 2005, despite his driver Michael McDowell winning the Daytona 500 in 2021. “We need a more competitive and fair system where teams, drivers, and sponsors can be rewarded for our collective investment by building long-term enterprise value, just like every other successful professional sports league,” he said to ESPN.