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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and status as a newcomer emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared operational insights of his racing venture, revealing he put in $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a glimpse or a photo of the global icon.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan contended is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are details from September 2024. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional six hours where the racing circuit informed teams they must sign a contract extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages detailing team compensation and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that 112-page package and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Winning

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

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

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

According to her, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

“Don’t do this to us,” Heather Gibbs said Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. The response was, “Whether I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”